MIAMI (Nov. 2, 2012) – Behind a stellar defensive performance and a double-double from junior Jerica Coley, the FIU women's basketball team defeated Barry, 68-38, in the Panthers' final exhibition tune-up on Friday night at U.S. Century Bank Arena.

In the first half, Coley led all scorers with 12 points, also recording seven rebounds, two blocks and two assists. FIU out-rebounded Barry, 20-12, for the opening stanza, and the Panthers shot 40 percent (12-of-30) from the floor. The Buccaneers were 9-of-20 (45 percent) from the field in the first half, as FIU took a 30-25 advantage into the halftime break.

The second half saw the FIU defense come out strong, as the Panthers out-scored the Buccaneers, 38-13, for the period before going on for a 68-38 victory.

Coley led all scorers and rebounders with 17 points and 10 boards on the night, also chipping in with game-high marks of six assists and four blocks, and adding two steals.
The AP All-America selection and 2012 Preseason Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year pick shot 6-of-18 from the floor and 4-of-5 from the charity stripe in 38 minutes of
action.

Also scoring in double-figures for FIU was senior Finda Mansare with 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field. Sophomore Kamika Idom led the Panthers in the steals category with three swipes, as the FIU defense forced Barry into 20 turnovers, converting those setbacks into 28 points. The Panthers committed just nine turnovers compared
to 16 assists on the evening, and out-rebounded the Buccaneers by a 44-27 margin for the contest.

FIU will open the 2012-13 regular season on Sunday, Nov. 11, when the Panthers welcome the North Florida Ospreys to the friendly confines of U.S. Century Bank Arena. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m.

For FIU women's basketball ticket information, call 305-FIUGAME or log onto FIUSports.com. New to the 2012-13 campaign, Panther fans unable to attend home games can tune into PantherVision for a free live video feed of each home contest. For more information, log onto FIUSports.com and access "Live Events" from the "Multimedia" tab.

Fans are encouraged to follow the Panthers on Twitter (@FIUWBasketball) and become a fan on Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUWBasketball) for all the latest FIU women's basketball news. Follow all of FIU's 18 athletic teams on Google+ (FIU Athletics), Twitter (@FIUAthletics), Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUSports), YouTube (FIUPanthers), and Instagram (FIUathletics).

About FIU Athletics: FIU Athletics is home to more than 400 student-athletes in 18 different sports, and is a proud member of the Sun Belt Conference and an affiliate member of Conference USA (men's soccer). Athletic events are played in seven different venues on FIU's campuses (Modesto A. Maidique and Biscayne Bay), including U.S. Century Bank Arena and Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium.

About FIU: Florida International University is recognized as a Carnegie engaged university. Its colleges and schools offer more than 180 bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations, architecture, law and medicine. As one of South Florida's anchor institutions, FIU is worlds ahead in its local and global engagement, finding solutions to the most challenging problems of our time. FIU emphasizes research as a major component of its mission and enrolls nearly 48,000 students in two campuses and three centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell and the Miami Beach Urban Studios. More than 140,000 alumni live and work in South Florida. FIU is a member of the Sun Belt Conference and has 400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu