Panthers Survive Close Win Over Argonauts

MIAMI, FL – The FIU Panthers hosted their first Vice Night of the season against the West Florida Argonauts. FIU quickly took control in the opening quarter, but things got dicey. The Panthers survived a close 85-75 win over the Argonauts.

Panthers Finish Off with Game-Winning Plays

“Game-winning plays. I think that was the difference today. At the end of the game, in the last three or four minutes, I thought we just made more game-winning plays than they did,” Joey Cantens said. “We talked about this in the locker room, but Trey Beamer was in the same position today as he was against Murray State. Against Murray State, he missed that layup. Today, he got a little bit deeper, drew the foul, and finished the and-one, turning it into three points. As long as our team continues to grow and understand that adversity is good for us, that’s what matters.”

Trey Beamer got off to a hot start, scoring FIU’s first eight points with two three-pointers. Tijan Saine Jr. later made a layup to extend its scoring run, giving FIU an early 12-6 lead. From there, the Panthers held control. In the half, FIU went on a 15-3 run, getting scores from Jaylin Payne, Noah Mendy, Saine Jr., and Corey Caulker. The Panthers entered the break with a 43-29 lead.

The Argonauts halted FIU’s momentum for some time. They outscored the Panthers for the first few minutes of the second half and cut the deficit to six, 50-44. FIU, though, got back on its feet with a 6-0 run. Caulker scored on a layup plus the and-one, and then Sijane Jr. drilled a three-pointer, giving the Panthers a 13-point lead, 58-45.

BIG three from Corey 👌@CaulkerCorey pic.twitter.com/ncKTCoGTbN

— FIU Men's Basketball (@FIUHoops) November 6, 2026

However, UWF’s pressure came right back. FIU reached the foul limit, and possessions started becoming more critical. The Argonauts cut FIU’s lead to four. In the final two minutes, the Panthers made the plays that mattered most. Justin Roman stole a pass, leading to Mason Blazer dunking. Then, Roman blocked a shot, leading to a Beamer assist to N’Diaye in the paint.

Statistics

Despite never giving up the lead in the second half, the game was close for most of it. Beamer finished the evening as FIU’s leading scorer with 25 points on 60% shooting from three and four assists.

“It’s just trusting my work and the effort I put in every day,” Beamer said. “I know the confidence my coach and teammates have in me, so it’s about having that same confidence in myself and staying aggressive.” Saine Jr. had 23 points on 10/10 free-throw shooting and four rebounds.

TREY TO JUSTIN ON THE OOP 🙌@romanjustinssss pic.twitter.com/RhSRFuLPm4

— FIU Men's Basketball (@FIUHoops) November 6, 2026

Mendy scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds. Caulker finished with 11 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Roman led FIU with 10 rebounds. N’Diaye grabbed seven boards and provided three blocks. The shots weren’t always clicking for the Panthers. They shot 40% overall and 29% from the three-point line, but they did make up for it at the charity stripe (93%).

“I would say [playing hard on both sides] really helped us as a team, because that brings us energy,” Mendy said. “The physicality hasn’t been much different from the JUCO level for me.”

On Deck

FIU has a week-long break from games before traveling for its first road test of the season. The Panthers will pack their bags and head out west to Fort Myers to play the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles on Friday, November 13. The Eagles just won their first game of the season 89-67 against the New College of Florida.

Chase Konieczny scored 15 points on 60% shooting and grabbed three rebounds. Justin Houser scored 15 points on 6-9 shooting and finished with nine rebounds. Bryson Lucas scored 12 points on 6-10 shooting, grabbed seven rebounds, blocked four shots, and made three steals.

FGCU plays more effectively at Alico Arena, where they are 284-105 all-time. Florida Gulf Coast has shown that they can contain the perimeter, create turnovers, and control the glass. This is a great opportunity for FIU to see how they fare against a more experienced Division I team.

About Post Author

Ricardo Urrusuno

He’s a diehard 305 native who roots for his hometown teams in the good, the bad, and the ugly. Recently, he graduated from FIU with an MBA, but now he’s a Lemonhead covering UM basketball. Known to be anywhere and everywhere, you may catch him at a Miami sporting event.

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