Western Kentucky (10-9, 2-4 C-USA) dropped their third straight game on Thursday, falling short at the buzzer, 86-83 to Florida International (12-7, 2-4 C-USA) at Ocean Banks Convocation Center in Miami.

Despite an 18-point deficit in the first half, the Hilltoppers cut the Panthers lead to four before heading into the locker room for halftime.

The Hilltoppers were shooting more consistently in the second-half but were unable to finish in the final seconds of regulation as senior forward Jairus Hamilton missed a game-tying three-pointer.

The Panthers shot 16-of-35 from beyond the arc, including two big shots in the final minute to seal the victory.

Fifth year guard Josh Anderson led the Hilltoppers on offense, recording 23 points, two assists and four steals.

Sophomore guard Dayvion McKnight took control offensively in the second half, dropping 19 points, four rebounds, six assists and two steals.

Junior center Jamarion Sharp finished with 11 points, six rebounds, and one block.

Junior guard Tevin Brewer led the Panthers on offense, grabbing 23 points and eight assists.

Senior guard Eric Lovett was a game-changer for FIU as he hit the game-winning three-pointer with :12 second remaining. Lovett finished off the contest with 20 points, eight rebounds, and two steals.

Freshman guard Denver Jones was also significant on offense for FIU, recording 16 points and two assists.

The Hilltoppers recorded 26 rebounds, 12 turnovers, 20 points off turnovers and 13 assists.

FIU outrebounded WKU 39-26 while also grabbing 16 turnovers, 18 points off turnovers and 19 assists.

Florida International raced off to a 10-0 lead at the start of the first half and controlled the game until the last few minutes when the Hilltoppers erased an 18-point deficit and cut the Panthers' lead to four before heading into the locker room.

Anderson led the late offensive push for the Hilltoppers' offense in the first half, finishing with 14 points, one rebound, one assist and two steals.

Redshirt senior guard Luke Frampton had six points, two rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal.

Jones was leading the Panthers' offense with 12 points and one assist.

Brewer recorded 11 points, two rebounds, three assists and one steal in the first half of play.

Western Kentucky additionally recorded 13 rebounds, committed six turnovers, scored 10 points off turnovers and grabbed seven assists in the first half.

Florida International outrebounded Western Kentucky 21-13 in the first half while also turning the ball over eight times, scoring nine points off turnovers and grabbing 11 assists.

Flat start: The Hilltoppers shot extremely poorly in the first half, starting off the first half with 0-of-6 shooting from the field while their opponents raced off to a 10-0 lead. It wasn't until later in the first half that WKU erased an 18-point deficit to trail by just four at the break.

Anderson needs more minutes: The fifth year guard was crucial in leading a late offensive push in the first half to erase an 18-point deficit and cut the lead to four heading into the locker room. Anderson only played 12 minutes in the first half and finished with 23 points in 22 total minutes of play. Anderson has been great in his sixth-man role, but the wins aren't coming and it's time to reward the veteran with a starting role and more minutes.

McKnight was key in the second half: Although the first half was messy, McKnight picked things up in the second half, carrying the offense to allow a last-minute ditch effort to put the game away. Although not successful in the end, McKnight finished with 19 points off 7-of-14 shooting from the field and 5-of-6 shooting from the free throw line.

Three in-a-row: With their winless conference swing through the Sunshine State this week, Western Kentucky is now in the midst of a three-game losing streak and are fluttering towards the bottom of the East Division with a 2-4 conference record. The schedule doesn't get any easier with an outstanding UAB team on deck.

Western Kentucky will be back in action at E.A. Diddle Arena on Thursday as the Hilltoppers host the UAB Blazers for a Black Out game. The opening tip is set for 8 p.m. CT and the game will air over the CBS Sports Network.

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