Florida International Opens CBE Classic Subregionals with 50-46 Win

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MIAMI, Fla. – Russell Hicks led all scorers with 16 points to go along with 11 rebounds and Nikola Gacesa had 14 points, with four of those coming in the last 17 seconds, as FlU (3-1) hung on for a 50-46 win over Toledo in a subregional game of the 2008 O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic in Miami.

Anthony Byrd had 14 points and Jonathan Amos scored 11 in a losing effort for the Rockets who have now dropped their first three games of the 2008-09 campaign.

After the teams went into the locker room at the break tied at 31, defense dominated the second half. Toledo was held without a field goal until an Amos jumper with 6:07 remaining in the game cutting an FIU led to 44-36.

But Toledo continued to chip away at the lead and was down by only 49-46 when Byrd stole an inbounds pass only to miss on a 3-point shot from the top of the key with 5.5 seconds remaining.

The Golden Panthers forced 15 Toledo turnovers in the second half (25 for the game), had 12 steals and held UT leading scorer Tyrone Kent to just eight points. Kent had entered the game leading the MAC averaging 25 points per game, had just come off a career-high 37-point outing against Xavier and had scored in double figures in 28 of his last 29 appearances.

It was the second-straight game that the Golden Panthers had helped themselves on defense. Last time out against Washington, FIU held their All-American and nation’s leading rebounder Jon Brockman to just eight points and seven rebounds.

"I'm very, very happy with the team effort," said FIU head coach Sergio Rouco. "We're going to be a team that defends. [On offense] some days the ball is going to fall and on others it's not. But it's all about winning."

FIU returns to action Tuesday evening at 8:00 p.m. when they take on West Georgia at 8:00 p.m. Call FIU at (305) FIU-GAME for tickets and information.