Box Score MIAMI (Dec. 1, 2012) – Behind double-figure scoring efforts from senior Finda Mansare and junior Jerica Coley, the FIU women's basketball team picked up its first Sun Belt Conference win of the season with a 63-49 win over South Alabama on Saturday night at U.S. Century Bank Arena. With the victory, the Panthers improve to 3-4 (1-2 SBC) while the Jaguars fall to 5-3 (0-2 SBC).

The opening half featured three tie scores and seven lead changes before sophomore Zsofia Labady converted a three-point play with 40 seconds remaining in the stanza, sending FIU into the break with a 31-29 advantage.

In the second stanza, USA took a 37-35 lead, and a layup by junior Jerica Coley brought up the final tie of the game at 37-37 with 15:17 remaining in the contest. Coley would then dish to senior Carmen Miloglav for a score to put FIU on top for good at 39-37, as the Panthers went on to hold the Jaguars scoreless for the final 2:54 of the game, going on for a 63-49 victory.

Coley led all scorers with 28 points on 13-of-21 shooting from the floor and 2-of-3 shooting from the free throw line, as she notched her third, 20-plus point outing of the season. The 2012 SBC Preseason Player of the Year also registered team-leading marks of eight rebounds and seven assists in a full 40 minutes of action.

Mansare added 14 points against the Jaguars, going 7-of-14 from the field, and adding a team-high two blocks. Sophomore Kamika Idom and Miloglav tied for the team lead in steals with three swipes apiece.

FIU shot a season-high 51.9 percent (28-of-54) from the floor, while holding USA to 36.2 percent shooting (21-of-58). The Panthers out-rebounded the Jaguars, 33-32, and FIU committed 11 turnovers while forcing USA into 15 turnovers.

Both squads tallied 14 assists and two blocks on the night, and USA posted nine steals compared to eight for FIU. The Panthers scored 10 fast-break points against just four fast-break points for the Jaguars.

FIU will return to action on Thursday, Dec. 13, when the Panthers host in-state foe UCF. Tipoff versus the Knights is set for 6 p.m. at U.S. Century Bank Arena.

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/