DeJuan Wright scored 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds as Florida International defeated Florida Memorial 89-73 on Friday night to open Isiah Thomas' second season as the Panthers' coach.
Wright led four FIU players in double figures. Eric Frederick added 16 points and nine rebounds, Marvin Roberts had 14 points and Phil Gary had 12 points and four assists.
Antwan Baggs led Florida Memorial (0-1) with 14 points, seven rebounds and four 3-pointers. Giorgio Gramegna added 13 points and eight rebounds for the Lions.
FIU shot 54 percent on 34-of-63 shooting while Florida Memorial shot 43.9 percent on 25-of-57 shooting. The Lions lost the ball 18 times to nine FIU turnovers.
FIU, which beat Florida Memorial by just six last season, opened the second half on an 18-4 run. The Panthers' biggest lead was 79-43 when Martavis Kee nailed a 3-pointer with 8:54 remaining.
