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Thursday, February 21, 2002
Arkansas State wins seeding
battle, beats FIU, 64-54
 rkansas
State big men Kolin Weaver and Jason Jennings dominated
both offensively and defensively in a 64-54 victory over FIU
Thursday night in Jonesboro, Ark.
The loss pushed the Golden Panthers into the East Division
cellar for next weekend's Sun Belt Conference Championships in
New Orleans.
The 6-feet-9 Weaver led all scorers with 19 points, while
7-feet Jennings added 15 points, 13 rebounds and seven blocked
shots as ASU (14-15, 5-9 SBC) snapped a three-game losing streak
and claimed the East's No. 4 seed in next weekend's tourney.
Rodrigo
Viegas led FIU with 17 points and Carlos
Morban had 13, but Taurance
Johnson, who had 18 points, 15 rebounds and six blocks
the last time the two sides met, was limited to just seven points,
eight rebounds and no blocks this time.
The Golden Panthers fell for the sixth-straight time, dropping
to 10-18 overall, 4-9 in conference play.
It was Jennings who controlled play in the first half both
offensively and defensively. He effectively clogged the paint
and before FIU could convert its first field goal attempt, after
11 unsuccessful tries, Jennings had four blocked shots.
FIU could manage only 5-of-23 shooting from the field over
the first 20 minutes while Jennings himself was 4-of-7 with a
game-high 11 points, eight rebounds and six blocked shots.
ASU scored the first eight points of the game, not allowing
FIU its first field goal of the game, a Morban jumper with 10:35
to go, that made the score, 15-4.
The Golden Panthers defense turned it up, not allowing another
Arkansas State basket from 15:05 to 3:35 to play. But the Indians
did manage 6-of-6 from the free throw line and the closest FIU
could get was 19-12 on a Haven
Jackson free throw with 3:46 to play.
Jennings keyed the ASU offense the rest of the half scoring
seven of the Indians eight points over the last 3:30, and Arkansas
State led 27-17 at the break.
FIU scored the first four points of the second half on buckets
by Morban and Viegas, to close within 27-21, but ASU struck right
back with four-straight treys and lead by 13, 41-28, with about
14 minutes left.
The Golden Panthers would never recover. In fact, only three
times in the last two minutes could FIU cut the lead below 10.
With the loss, FIU becomes the No. 5 seed in the SBC East
for next week's tournament play, with its first-round opponent
being the University of North Texas (13-13, 7-7 SBC) who is No.
4 in the West after falling at New Orleans, 83-61, Thursday.
The two teams play next Friday, March 1 at 12:30 pm (ET) at
the Lakefront Auditorium in New Orleans.
The Golden Panthers end the regular season Saturday night
at Arkansas-Little Rock. Hear the game on WAXY 790-AM. |