HOUSTON, Texas — FIU’s men’s basketball program fell short in its 2024-25 season opener on Tuesday evening at Rice, 77-70.
The Panthers (0-1) trailed the Owls (1-0) by 11 at halftime, but mounted a furious, second-half run to cut the deficit to three, down 64-61. Rice was able to hold off the Panthers from there with a few, timely baskets down the stretch to secure its seven-point victory.
Jayden Brewer and Dashon Gittens each scored 18 points to lead the offensive effort for FIU. Brewer stuffed the stat sheet with nine rebounds, four assists and three steals, going 10-for-12 from the free throw line.
Travis Gray had a solid debut off the bench with 15 points and eight rebounds, knocking down all three of his three-point attempts. Ashton Williamson also played substantial minutes in his first game as a Panther, totaling six points, six rebounds and three assists in 34 minutes.
As a team, FIU shot just 28.6 percent from the field in the first half, but shot 46.4 percent in the second half with five made threes and 12 made free throws.
Jonathan Aybar added nine points and five rebounds in 23 minutes. Asim Jones was the other scorer for the Panthers, totaling four points in 15 minutes.
Foul trouble played a part in the game for both teams as a total of 49 fouls were called, 31 on FIU and 18 on Rice.
UP NEXT
The Panthers continue their road trip at Southern Utah in Cedar City, Utah on Saturday, Nov. 9. Tip-off is slated for 8:30 p.m.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans are encouraged to follow the Panthers on Instagram (@FIUVolleyball), Twitter (@FIUVolleyball), and Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUVolleyball) for all the latest Women’s Volleyball news. General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.
