Panthers Clinch Spot In CUSA Tournament With Win Over WKU

MIAMI, FL – Needing a win to punch their ticket to the CUSA Tournament in Huntsville, FIU Men’s Basketball didn’t give the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers an inch, demolishing them by a score of 92-67, winning in front of The Bank one final time this season.

Honoring the seven senior suiting up one final time at The Bank, the Panthers came out of the gate swinging. They prioritized attacking the rim against the Hilltoppers, and it worked to their advantage. In the first half alone, 30 of their 45 points were scored in the paint. At the same time, they had their way rebounding – 28 total, leaving WKU reeling.

Conveniently, the seniors took over scoring-wise for the Panthers, with the usual suspects making noise. Julian Mackey, Corey Stephenson, and Hamed Oyalinka led the way with scoring. Overall, the Hilltoppers had a bad game shooting-wise, going 21-57 and 7-21 from beyond the arc. They were hot at the start, but cooled off after a while.

Get up, JU ⏫@julian3mackey pic.twitter.com/KBM5wdyAfj

— FIU Men's Basketball (@FIUHoops) March 7, 2026

FIU’s lead in the second half was as large as 21, but that didn’t stop WKU from scoring six unanswered with under 15 to go. The Hilltoppers never completely let go, but the Panthers did a good job of stopping the bleeding early.

Saving The Best For Last

In the end, they were up by so much with a few minutes to go that Head Coach Jeremy Ballard emptied the bench, giving everyone a chance to spend their final time on the court. The Panthers recorded 48 rebounds, eight steals, and six blocks. Like Ballard noted postgame, this may have been FIU’s best overall performance this season.

It comes at a good time, as now the Panthers will prepare for the postseason. They wrap up the regular season with a 15-16 record with an 8-12 record in the conference. They also go 12-6 at home and 3-10 on the road.

Their opponent in the CUSA Tournament is the Missouri State Bears, with whom FIU split the series. That’ll be in Huntsville, Alabama, on Tuesday, March 10th at 6:30pm.

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