Game Details
UTEP 77, FIU 76
Records: UTEP 10-4 (1-0 C-USA), FIU 3-11 (0-1 C-USA).
Friday, January 5 | 7 p.m. | Miami, Fla | Ocean Bank Convocation Center

The Basics

• For the second-straight season, FIU women's basketball was down one at home to UTEP with the ball and the final seconds ticking down. After hitting a buzzer-beater last year to win in triple overtime, the Panthers' shot at the buzzer rimmed out this season in regulation and FIU lost 77-76 to the Miners to start Conference USA play. FIU is now 3-11 on the season, 0-1 in C-USA. UTEP is 10-4, 1-0 in conference.
• For the ninth time this season, FIU led to start the fourth quarter, but after 14 lead changes, FIU could not get the 15^th and the win in the end.  
• The largest lead in the game through about 26 minutes was five points, with each team enjoying a lead that large to that point. Then, with the Miners leading 43-39 about the midway point of the third, FIU reeled off a 13-0 run to take a nine-point lead, 52-43 at the three-minute mark to go in the period. The run was 18-10 in the final 5:46 of the period as FIU led 57-53 to the fourth.
• Things fell apart for FIU after a layup to start the period. With that six-point lead, FIU turned the ball over three times in the next five possession, while UTEP kept hitting shots. The Miners turned it into a 12-2 run to start the period for a four-point lead, 65-61 just over three minutes into the period.
• FIU managed to tie the game and take three leads in the last four minutes, but after a made three from sophomore Kayla Rogers (Jacksonville, Florida / Jean Ribault) gave FIU a 76-75 lead with 26 seconds remaining, the Panthers fouled junior guard Najala Howell with 3.2 seconds remaining on a drive to the basket, and she hit both free throws, the last scores of the game. Howell hit all nine free throws in the contest, of 12 UTEP made free throws on the night.   
• The Panthers got the ball in and got an open three from the right wing, but the shot slid from the back left of the rim to the back right, and slipped out of the goal as the horn sounded to end the game.  
• Sophomore Alexis Gordon (Palm Bay, Florida / Covenant Christian) was 6-for-7 from three-point range, after hitting nine three-pointers in her last game. She led FIU with 18 points and helped the Panthers shoot .591 from beyond the arc.
• Rogers finished with a season-high 15 points and junior Kristian Hudson (Birmingham, Alabama) scored 14 and dished out eight assists to go with eight turnovers.
• Freshman Shante Walker (West Park, Florida / South Broward) added 13 points, while redshirt junior Kiandre'a Pound (Gifford, Florida / Sebastian River) recorded her sixth double-digit rebounding performance of the season with 10 and nine points.

Stat of the Match                            
FIU shot nearly .600 from three-point range for the second-straight game, and is 26-for-42 (.619) from three-point range in the past two games. Gordon is 15-for-19 (.789) in the past two games, hitting nine in a row across the two contests. The last two home contests between UTEP and FIU have netted a combined 154-154 score.  

From the Sideline
"We have had to fight just to be in games, now we have to fight to finish," said FIU Head Coach Tiara Malcom. "We are being a little reactive instead of proactive. We have a few things to clean up on the defensive end and we just needed one more stop and make one more play in these games. We had to get the post players to defend and when they were doing that, we were successful. These games this year will be a grind. It's better to be in it, but we have to be able to win it, because just playing close doesn't really give us anything."

Next Up
FIU completes the home weekend Sunday afternoon, with a 2 p.m. tipoff against Marshall.

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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