MIAMI (Jan. 2, 2019) – The FIU women's basketball team will open the Conference USA slate at home Thursday, Jan. 3 as the Panthers host Middle Tennessee at 7 p.m. ET from the Ocean Bank Convocation Center. 

Game notes for Thursday's C-USA opener can be found by clicking here.

LAST TIME AGAINST MIDDLE TENNESSEE 
Middle Tennessee took last season's matchup over the Panthers by a slim margin of 63-59 in Miami. FIU was led by Kristian Hudson, who scored 17 points for the Panthers and dished out seven assists. MT's Alex Johnson scored 24 points in the Blue Raider win, while Abbey Sissom and Jess Louro scored 13 and 12 respectively.

SCOUTING THE BLUE RAIDERS
The Blue Raiders are 9-4 heading into C-USA action, with their last win coming against Chattanooga 58-47 on Dec. 29. MT has been led by A'Queen Hayes, who averages 15.2 points per contest this season.

C-USA PLAY BEGINS
C-USA play officially begins this week, with the Panthers seeking to better last season's five-win total. The five league victories in 2017-18 were the most by any Panther team since winning six in 2013-14.

NON-CONFERENCE SLATE
FIU capped the non-conference slate with three wins, as the Panthers defeated Florida A&M (77-54), Morgan State (59-50) and Alcorn State (75-40). The three wins in non-conference play are tied for the most at FIU over the past five seasons.

DOUBLE TROUBLE
FIU has had two players post double-doubles this season, with Ce'Nara Skanes owning two and Chelsea Guimaraes earning the other. 
 
HERE WE GO, 2018-19
FIU earned an 8-21 record last season, but it was much improved from 2016-17's mark of 5-24. The Panthers also improved their C-USA mark from 3-15 in 2016-17 to 5-11 in 2017-18.
 
WHAT COMES BACK
The Panthers will welcome back three players who logged minutes last season, with TaMiracle Taylor, Cabria Lee and Shante Walker returning for the 2018-19 season.
 
NEWCOMERS
FIU will welcome seven newcomers to the roster this season, with four juniors and three freshmen making up the seven total.
 
MRS. WORLDWIDE
FIU sports four international players on this season's roster, with three players from Europe and one from north of the border.
 
TEMPORADA TRES
The Panthers will officially enter season three under the direction of head coach Tiara Malcom.
 
GOING UP
Under the guidance of Tiara Malcom, FIU has improved its win total each season. The eight victories last season were also the most by any Panther basketball squad since the 2013-14 season.

LIVE STATS 
Live stats for the game can be found here. 

UP NEXT
The Panthers will continue C-USA play on Saturday, Jan. 5 as FIU hosts UAB at 2 p.m. ET. For tickets to the game, call 305-FIU-GAME or visit FIUSports.com's ticket page by clicking here. 
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Get all the latest information on the team by following @FIUWBasketball on Facebook and @FIUWBB on Twitter and Instagram. General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.