Panthers Bounce Back With Win Over LIU

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MIAMI, FL – After a tough loss to Miami – which Head Coach Jeremy Ballard noted really took a toll on his team – FIU Men’s Basketball came out and defeated the Long Island Sharks by a final score of 86-79, moving to 6-4 on the season.

The Panthers didn’t bring enough energy and were playing “too casual,” per Ballard. They went into halftime, trailing 46-44.

“They wanted it more than we did and played with greater urgency,” said Ballard. “One of our keys to winning was that we couldn’t be casual, and early on, we were a little too cool and too relaxed.”

“Against a good team, that’ll get you beat. They are a good team. We easily could have lost, but our guys showed real character in how they responded to being challenged at halftime. They came out and played a much better version of who we are.”

Mackey Making Moves

Leading the team in scoring was fifth-year senior Julian Mackey, dropping 22 points, going 8-12 from the field and 2-4 from beyond the arc.

It marked Mackey’s second 20-point game of the season. In the second half, where the Panthers outscored LIU 42-33, Mackey led the way with 10 points.

Can't leave him open 👀@julian3mackey pic.twitter.com/Ca6tmwiIVm

— FIU Men's Basketball (@FIUHoops) December 20, 2025

The Panthers’ bench overall has been a spark plug, led by Mackey and forward Brit Harris. FIU’s bench outscored LIU 35-14 on Saturday afternoon.

“I’m proud of these guys for embracing their roles and coming off the bench, understanding that it doesn’t matter where you start the game,” said Ballard. “What matters is how you contribute to winning, the kind of teammate you are, and how you help us be the best version of ourselves. Julian (Mackey) came off the bench and scored 22.”

“A couple of games ago, Britt (Harris) did the same, scoring 18 or 20. I’m really proud of their unselfishness and their understanding that the ultimate goal is winning.”

Domination From Dibami

Big man Eric Dibami has gone through his highs and lows this season, but on Saturday, the freshman posted 12 points, seven rebounds, two assists and three blocks in 31 minutes played.

In FIU’s loss to the Hurricanes, Dibami was one of three players who fouled out. He only played for 10 minutes during Tuesday night’s loss. Saturday’s game was a major bounce-back performance for the Cameroon native.

Awesome Job From Ash

Leading the way in the +/- category was guard Ashton Williamson. He finished Saturday’s contest with 10 points, four rebounds, five assists and two steals in 26 minutes played.

Williamson hasn’t had the sophomore surge that was thought he could have. Still, a performance like the one he had on Saturday is certainly a step up from what we had seen recently.

“I know in Ash’s mind he’d like his production to be higher, but the only production that really matters for any player, especially a point guard, is winning and doing whatever it takes to help your team get a win,” said Ballard. “I’m really proud of him for making big plays to help us. I thought he came up with some timely steals and deflections that contributed to key stops during our second-half run.”

With the win, FIU improves to 6–4 on the season. They’ll welcome their final non-conference opponent (and last non–Division I team) on Monday, the Trinity College of Jacksonville.

“(Liberty) is coming off a win at Dayton, which is a huge win for our conference, and they’re an excellent team,” Ballard said. “They’re also an outlier compared to many teams across the country because they return a lot of players and haven’t experienced the roster turnover that so many programs have. Coach McKay is a Hall of Fame coach, and we’re facing a team that received all but one first-place vote heading into the very first game of conference play.”

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