On the tail end of back-to-back losses, WKU mens basketball heads south to take on the Florida International Panthers in Miami.
This will be the Hilltoppers’ second time playing the Panthers this season, and their 50th time playing them in history, where WKU currently holds a 38-11 advantage.
Earlier this season, the Hilltoppers dominated FIU in Diddle, coming out with a 105-91 victory, led by redshirt senior guard Dontaie Allen’s career-high 30-point game.
The game also marked the most efficient performance by the WKU offense this season. A 65% outing from the field and a 58% performance from three, marks the most competent offensive performance that the Hilltoppers have put together all season.
Recently, it’s been the true freshman, Teagan Moore, who has been the offensive producer for the Hilltoppers. In his last four games, Moore is averaging 13.3 points and 3.3 rebounds while shooting an impressive 53% from the field.
On the other hand, the Panthers are led by sophomore guard and winner of last year’s C-USA freshman of the year, Arturo Dean. Dean has been both an offensive and defensive weapon for the Panthers this season, sitting in 12th place in the conference in points per game as well as first place in the conference in steals.
With their back-to-back losses, the Hilltoppers are officially unable to clinch the number one seed in Conference-USA, meaning that they will not receive a first-round bye. However, a win for the Hilltoppers would likely clinch the third seed in the conference.
The Hilltoppers are 2-4 on the road during conference play this season while the Panthers sit at 4-3 when playing at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center.
While the Panthers sit in third place in the country in steals per game, expect that not to minimize the Hilltopper offense. FIU has allowed over 80 points ten separate times, a benchmark that WKU averages on a gamely basis.
According to ESPN Bet, this game opened up with the Hilltoppers as 4.5 point favorites.
The game tips off at 5:00 CT, and will be available to stream on ESPN+
