FIU's men's basketball program was defeated by 15th-ranked FAU on the road in non-conference action 94-60 on Wednesday evening.
Javaunte Hawkins paced the Panthers in the first half with 9 points on 3-for-6 shooting from distance. FIU (3-8) fell behind early as No. 15 FAU (8-2) led wire-to-wire in the win.
FIU trailed 12-2 to start the game and faced a 23-point halftime deficit. The Panthers and Owls traded baskets for much of the second half with FAU securing the 34-point victory, FIU's largest defeat of the season.
Jaidon Lipscomb provided a spark off the bench with 27 points, knocking down five-of-six three-pointers. His 17 points were a season-high for the newcomer junior guard.
As a team, FIU forced 17 turnovers and had a total of seven steals. Arturo Dean grabbed three of those steals, bringing his season total to 51. Seth Pinkney had a solid outing with six points, five rebounds and two blocks in 22 minutes.
FAU was efficient offensively, shooting 64.3 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from three with 11 makes. FIU was 35.9 and 35.5 percent, respectively.
The Panthers take on Trinity College (FL) on Saturday, Dec. 16 at home at 6 p.m.