MIAMI (Nov. 29, 2015) – The FIU women's basketball team (1-4) fell to the Wichita State Shockers (1-4), 76-62, in the final game of the 2015 FIU Turkey Slam on Sunday afternoon from Lime Court at FIU Arena.
 
Senior Taylor Shade led all Panthers with 17 points en route to being named to the 2015 FIU Turkey Slam All-Tournament Team. Shade shot 6-of-11 from the floor and was 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. Junior Tianah Alvarado scored 16 points on Sunday afternoon, registering five rebound and a career-high six steals. Rounding out the double-digit scorers for FIU was Janka Hegedus, who posted 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting and grabbed five boards.
 
FIU finished the afternoon, shooting 41.1 percent from the floor (23-of-56) and drained five attempts from beyond the arc (38.5 percent). Wichita State shot a solid 60.0 percent (27-of-45) on the day and converted 7-of-16 from downtown. The Shockers had the hot hand in the first half, draining 6-of-11 from beyond the arc but cooled off in the final 20 minutes making just 1-of-5.  
 
Following a tightly contested first quarter in which the Panthers trailed by just one point, 16-15, WSU created some cushion in the second stanza with a 21-14 edge in scoring.
 
The Shockers out-scored FIU 18-5 in the final seven minutes of the half to cap off the 21-point second quarter as the Panthers went into halftime down 37-29. During the first half, FIU shot 42.9 percent (12-of-28) from the floor and 80.0 percent (4-of-5) from 3-point range. WSU converted 50.0 percent (13-of-26) from the floor and hit six treys on 11 tries (54.5 percent). Hegedus led all Panthers with 12 points (5-of-8) shooting and had a team-high five boards.
 
WSU extended its lead to 10 at the end of the third quarter, 56-46, and held onto its lead through the final 10 minutes, 76-62. In the third quarter, FIU struggled from the field, shooting 37.5 percent (6-of-16), while the Shockers went 8-of-11 (72.7 percent). The fourth saw much of the same as WSU shot over 70 percent (6-of-8) for 20 points, including 12 in the paint. The Panthers were 5-of-12 from the floor (41.7 percent) in the final quarter, registering 16 points (eight in the paint).
 
FIU held a 30-27 edge in rebounding for the game. The Panthers forced 22 turnovers, resulting in 22 points, while WSU scored 25 points off of 23 FIU turnovers.
 
Both teams were sharp from the charity stripe as FIU shot 73.3 percent (11-of-15) for the game and WSU made 15-of-19 (78.9 percent) from the free throw line.
 
2015 FIU Turkey Slam All-Tournament Team
 
Allazia Blockton, G, Fr., Marquette - MVP
McKayla Yentz, F, Jr., Marquette
Micaela Parson, G, So., Richmond
Janelle Hubbard, G, Jr., Richmond
TaQuandra Mike, G, Jr., Wichita State
Taylor Shade, G, Sr., FIU
 
2015 Champions – Marquette Golden Eagles
2015 Runner Up – Richmond Spiders
 
The Panthers will next host the UMass Lowell Riverhawks on Friday, Dec. 4. Tipoff is set for 5:00 p.m. from Lime Court at FIU Arena.
 
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About FIU Athletics: FIU Athletics is home to more than 400 student-athletes in 18 different sports. Athletic events are played in seven different venues on FIU's campuses (Modesto A. Maidique and Biscayne Bay), including FIU Arena and Ocean Bank Field at FIU Stadium.
 
 About FIU: Florida International University is recognized as a Carnegie engaged university. It is a public research university with colleges and schools that 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 contributes $8.9 billion each year to the local economy. FIU is Worlds Ahead in finding solutions to the most challenging problems of our time. FIU emphasizes research as a major component of its mission. FIU has awarded over 200,000 degrees and enrolls more than 54,000 students in two campuses and three centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell, FIU@I-75, and the Miami Beach Urban Studios. FIU also supports artistic and cultural engagement through its three museums: the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum, the Wolfsonian-FIU, and the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU. FIU is a member of Conference USA and has over 400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu/.