FIU Women's Basketball Comes Up Short In CUSA Opener

FIU Women’s Basketball Comes Up Short In CUSA Opener

MIAMI, FL – After winning six of their last seven, FIU Women’s Basketball was looking for a hot start in their CUSA Opener. However, they couldn’t keep up at home against the Missouri State Bears, who denied a late comeback and won by a score of 80-69.

It was an even game on paper, with both teams having similar records. That’s also how the game started with a back-and-forth contest through the first half. Ultimately, Missouri State did a solid job adjusting on offense out of halftime. The 31-16 scoring difference in the third quarter helped give the Bears a comfortable lead that they never gave up.

For being the first Conference USA matchup of the season for FIU, there’s a lot they need to take care of ahead of what’s to come.

Outperformed On All Sides

Scoring is only half of the story for the Panthers in this game. Going 25-63 on field goals is one thing, but they struggled at the line. Given 23 free throws, they only cashed in on 12 of them, especially early on in the game.

Rebounding was especially one-sided. A 41-27 difference is a steep hill to climb. FIU’s biggest advantage in this game was its ability to force turnovers, with nine steals and 19 points off turnovers.

FIU also had a few players go down for extended periods of time, including Parris Atkins and Ndate Ndiaye. Atkins came back in the game and was the team’s best contributor. She scored 35 points, dismantling her previous career-high as a Panther. She also led the team in assists (five) and steals. (five)

Regardless, it’s not a good start for the Panthers standings-wise. They stand with a 7-6 record while dropping their second home game of the season. Good thing this is the start of a three-game conference homestand. They’ll take on the Jacksonville State Gamecocks on Thursday, January 8th, at 7pm.

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