MIAMI (November 22, 2016) -- Freshman Alexis Gordon (Palm Bay, Florida / Covenant Christian HS) hit six three-point buckets and is the first Panther to score more than 20 points in a game this season, but a hot-shooting Georgetown team caught fire in the third quarter to outlast FIU 66-53 Tuesday night on Lime Court at FIU Arena in non-conference women's basketball action. The game was the first of three at home this Thanksgiving week for the Panthers, who fall to 0-3. The Hoyas level their season mark to 2-2 with the victory.
 
Senior forward Janka Hegedus (Budapest, Hungary) scored a season-high 16 points on 7-for-10 shooting in the contest. She was the team's leading scorer through three periods. Gordon finished with 21 points, including four triples and a pair of free throws in the fourth quarter, but the comeback bid fell short.
 
Georgetown was averaging 10 more rebounds than opponents coming into the game and secured 14 more (45-31) than the Panthers in the contest. That included 26 offensive rebounds in the game.
 
"There are no moral victories," said FIU Head Coach Tiara Malcom after the game. "Yes, we are young, but we cannot play good half-court defense, force our opponent into taking a bad shot and then allow them to get the rebound and make us play defense for another possession."
 
The Panthers deposited the first bucket of the game on a Hegedus jumper for a 2-0 lead before the Hoyas went on a 7-0 run over the next two minutes to appear to run away with the game. That margin held to a six-point lead, 19-13, at the end of the period.
 
FIU then made its charge in the second period. Gordon hit a pair of three-point baskets in the first minute of the second to tie the score at 19. A Georgetown three and layup were the only points FIU allowed in the frame, en route to an 11-5 quarter and a 24-all tie at the half.
 
"The effort that they gave today, if they can give that over the full 40 minutes, then that will help our efforts." added Malcom.
 
The Hoyas surged back after the intermission, at one point in the third scoring 10 points in a 2:40 stretch to push the lead to 39-29 midway through the period. For the frame, the Hoyas shot 55.6 percent (10-for-18) and extended the lead to 11 after three.
 
The two teams played to within two of each other in the fourth period. Both teams had their best quarter from the three-point line in the final frame.
 
Georgetown outshot FIU by just a fraction of a percent (39.7 to 39.2) in the contest, but the Hoyas blocked nine shots and turned the ball over six fewer times (23-17) in the victory.
 
The Panthers will host the FIU Thanksgiving Tournament this Friday and Sunday, starting with a noon Friday game against Weber State. Robert Morris and Stetson will face off at 2 p.m.
 
For women's basketball ticket information, contact the FIU Ticket Office at 305-FIU-GAME or log onto www.FIUSports.com.
 
Fans are encouraged to follow the Panthers on Twitter (@FIUWBB) 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).
 
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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 at the FIU Football Stadium.
 
About FIU: Florida International University is recognized as a Carnegie engaged university. Its colleges and schools offer more than 180 bachelor¹s, master¹s 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. FIU has awarded 200,000 degrees and enrolls 50,000 students in two campuses and three centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell and the Miami Beach Urban Studios. FIU is a member of Conference USA and has 400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu/.