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Friday, November 16, 2001
Golden Panthers take home
opener, 70-59, over St. Peter's
 reshman
Taurance
Johnson, playing his first intercollegiate game, led
all players with 19 points and teammate Rodrigo
Viegas had 15 points and 10 rebounds in FIU’s season-opening
70-59 victory St. Peter’s College in the opening round of
the FIU Tip-Off Classic.
St. Peter’s Corey Hinnant came off the bench with
a team-high 13 point as the Peacocks dropped their season opener.
FIU clung to a slim 26-25 lead with 4:46 to play in the first
half when Slavcho
Slavtchev hit his second of four consecutive three-point
basket that started an 11-2 run until halftime and a 37-27 lead
at the break for the Golden Panthers.
St. Peter’s got to within five, 40-35, with 15:59 to
play on a 3-pointer by Regis Devonish, but Johnson scored
all nine points of a 9-2 run with a dunk, a three-point basket
and a pair of short-range jumpers, and FIU’s lead was back
to double-digits.
The Peacocks made one final push in the closing moments with
a full-court press, getting to within seven, 64-57, with 52 seconds
remaining, but a layup by FIU’s Carlos
Morban and free throws by Johnson and Fab
Fisher sealed the victory.
FIU moves on to Saturday’s 8:00 p.m. Tip-Off Classic
championship game against Texas-San Antonio who defeated the
University of Maine earlier, 73-56. The Peacocks and Black Bears
meet in the consolation game at 6:00 p.m.
It wasn’t a particularly artistic game as there were
50 total turnovers, 27 by St. Peter’s, and as a team, the
Golden Panthers shot just 46.2 percent (12 of 26) from the free
throw line.
But FIU head coach Donnie
Marsh accepted the win for his young Golden Panther squad
playing with nine new faces on its roster.
“I was pleased with the victory. The pace we wanted to
create was there. We want to play up-tempo basketball and some
plays we finished and others we didn’t. But the more turnovers
we can create, the better it is for us. Tomorrow we play a very
good San Antonio team so it’s back to the drawing board.
We won’t come in overconfident. We made too many mistakes.”
In the opener, McEverett Powers led all scorers with
23 points and 12 rebounds while Devin Brown added 20 points
and 11 rebounds as UTSA won its season opener, 73-56, over the
Maine (0-2).
Justin Rowe led the Black Bears with 20 points, 12
rebounds and six blocked shots in defeat.
After Rowe opened the game with a field goal, the Roadrunners
reeled off nine straight points, five of those by Powers, for
a lead that they would never relinquish. UTSA led by 13 at the
half, 39-26, and extended its advantage to as many as 21 points,
73-52, on a three-point play by Raymond Briggs with 1:48
to play. |