NCAA News Wire
Florida International 59, Kennesaw State 38
Alan is an expert gambling writer who works as one of the chief editors for Basketball Insiders. He has been covering online gambling and sports betting for over 8 years, having written for the likes of Sportlens, Compare.bet, The Sports Daily, 90min, and TopRatedCasinos.co.uk. His particular specialisms include US online casinos and gambling regulations, and soccer and basketball betting. Based in London, Alan holds an MA in English Literature and is a passionate supporter of Chelsea FC.
All posts by Alan DraperUpdated5 hours ago on April 30, 2024
Florida International took advantage of Kennesaw State’s cold shooting to pull out to a double-digit lead in the first half, then coasted for a 59-38 victory Tuesday night in Miami.
The Owls jumped out to an 11-6 lead in the opening minutes but then hit a dry spell that saw them go more than 11 minutes without a field goal. Their only points in that span came on two free throws.
The Panthers also went without a basket for over five minutes after taking an 18-11 lead with 8:12 left in the first half, but they recovered over the final three minutes to take a 28-15 lead to the locker room.
After shooting only 6-for-31 (19.6 percent) from the field in the first half, the Owls warmed up only slightly in the second but never drew closer than 11 points. They finished the game hitting 14 of 52 (26.9 percent) from the field.
The Panthers led by 23 points on two occasions, 54-31 and 56-33, while shooting 43.6 percent from the field (24-for-55). They dominated the rebounding, 44-34.
Guard Dennis Mavin and forward Daviyon Draper scored 16 points each to lead FIU in scoring, and Kennesaw State guard Yonel Brown also had 16 to tie for game honors. The Owls’ No. 2 scorer, forward Nigel Pruitt, who had a 13.7-point average, finished scoreless, missing all seven of his attempts from the field.
The win was only the second in the past five games for FIU (5-3). Kennesaw State (3-5) had a three-game winning streak snapped.
