Panthers Suffer 16th Straight Road Loss, This Time To Kennesaw

FIU Men’s Basketball looked to wrap up a solid performance on the road against Kennesaw State, up by double-digits with seven minutes to go. Then, they got cold, and Kennesaw took advantage, resulting in a catastrophic blown lead as the Panthers fell by a score of 89-86.

This loss to KSU marks the 16th straight loss on the road, with their last win being back in December 2024 against Stetson. Their last road win against a CUSA opponent? That was the regular season finale of the 2022-23 season against Rice, which is not even in Conference USA anymore.

ZAWDIE IS ON FIRE MY GOODNESS 🔥🔥@zawdie1 pic.twitter.com/ZV1YGwXbac

— FIU Men's Basketball (@FIUHoops) January 15, 2026

Granted, the Panthers were down a significant player – Corey Stephenson, who missed this game due to an illness. So, Zawdie Jackson stepped up to the plate and delivered his best performance of the season – 25 points (Career-high), four rebounds, and three assists. Eric Dibami posted another double-double, with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

FIU was the hot team out of the gate, going up to a 12-0 lead. It was a back-and-forth contest in the first half, with the Panthers holding on to a 51-47 lead at the break.

It All Goes Down From Here

Moving to the second half, FIU was rolling Kennesaw at the halfway point, but they lost their way on offense. They ran cold, thanks in part to going 10-22 from beyond the arc, and missing several free throws late. (Missing seven free throws total) When KSU took the lead with a minute left, the Panthers couldn’t answer, failing to score another point after that.

Trust, we know ball! 😏🤞#SOLID | #HootyHoo 🦉 pic.twitter.com/NrRYsoLhME

— Kennesaw State MBB (@KSUOWLSMBB) January 15, 2026

Stat-wise, it was an even contest. 46 rebounds for FIU compared to 40 for KSU, but the Panthers struggled to nab a rebound late. FIU had double the steals (10 to five) and one less turnover.

This is a brutal loss for FIU in the tail-end of an equally brutal roadtrip. Every single loss to Jax State, Missouri State, and Kennesaw State was in the single digits. Their CUSA record has slipped to 2-4, though they’re only one win away from matching their conference win total from last season.

FIU will head back to the OBCC for a quick matchup against the Sam Houston Bearkats on Saturday, January 17th at 2pm. They’ll then have to go back on the road for a pair of contests against UTEP and New Mexico State.

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