HATTIESBURG, Mississippi (Jan. 31, 2019) – The FIU women's basketball team couldn't overcome an early deficit on Thursday night, as the Panthers fell to Southern Miss on the road, 71-57.
 
With the loss, FIU falls to 3-18 overall and 0-8 in league play. USM improves to 12-10 on the year and 4-5 in C-USA action.
 
The Panthers were led once again by freshman Ce'Nara Skanes, who earned her sixth-straight game in double-figures after scoring 14 on the night. The freshman forward also grabbed 10 rebounds against USM to post her team-leading fifth double-double on the season. Paula Orenes also scored in double-figures, after earning 10 points on the night.
 
The Golden Eagles were paced by Shonte Hailes who scored a game-high 27 points.
 
The Golden Eagles quickly took control of Thursday's game, as USM jumped out to a 20-10 advantage after one quarter of play. The Golden Eagles sinked a buzzer-beating trey before halftime, giving the home team a 39-20 lead at the break.
 
FIU came out of the locker room with a much-improved shooting performance as the Panthers outscored the Golden Eagles, 37-32 in the second half. The damage was done however, as the Panthers dropped a 71-57 contest to the Golden Eagles.

UP NEXT
The Panthers travel to Ruston, Louisiana to face LA Tech on Saturday, Feb. 2 at 3 p.m. ET. For fans interested in purchasing tickets for the 2018-19 season, visit 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.