Box Score MIAMI (Dec. 29, 2012) – Behind double-figure scoring performances from all five starters, the FIU women's basketball team picked up its fifth-straight win with a 66-56 victory over Northeastern at the FIU Sun & Fun Classic on Saturday night at U.S. Century Bank Arena. With the win, the Panthers improve to 7-4 (2-2 SBC) while the Huskies fall to 6-3 (0-0 CAA), as FIU advances to the Sun & Fun Classic championship game for the second-straight season.

In the first half, FIU led by as many as four and trailed by nine with 1:57 remaining in the stanza. Sophomore Kamika Idom would then convert a three-pointer and junior Jerica Coley followed up with two-straight scores to bring the Panthers to within two at 25-23 heading into the locker room.

Out of the break, Northeastern extended its lead to seven at 33-26, but FIU would not go away, as junior Marita Davydova completed a three-point play at the 8:40 mark to give the Panthers their first advantage of the half at 45-44. The Huskies regained the lead and three tie scores ensued before FIU went ahead for good, going on for the 66-56 victory.

Coley led the FIU scoring brigade with 19 points, as she has now scored in double-figures in 10 of 11 games this season and in 67 of 77 career contests. The St. Petersburg, Fla., native also posted team-leading marks of four assists, three steals and one block.

Idom, who notched her first-career start on the night, added a season-high 15 points for the Panthers, while sophomore Zsofia Labady contributed a season-high-tying 11 points and junior Finda Mansare registered 10 points.

Also scoring in double-figures was Davydova who recorded her fourth-career double-double, netting 11 points and securing a career-high 15 rebounds. Idom contributed a season-high seven rebounds for the Panthers, as FIU out-rebounded Northeastern by a 41-29 margin.

The Panthers shot 44.4 percent (24-of-54) from the field while holding the Huskies to 38.5 percent (20-of-52) shooting for the contest. FIU out-scored Northeastern in the paint, 28-12, and notched 19 second-chance points compared to seven for the opposition. While the NU bench out-scored the FIU reserves, 12-0, on the night, the Panthers out-
scored the Huskies, 16-0, on fast-break opportunities.

FIU will wrap up action at the Sun & Fun Classic on Sunday, Dec. 30, when the Panthers take on Georgia Tech in the tournament title tilt. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m. ET at U.S. Century Bank Arena. At 4 p.m. ET, Northeastern will go up against QU in the consolation game.

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/