STATESBORO, Georgia (Nov. 17, 2021) - The FIU women's basketball team fought in an overtime thriller on Wednesday afternoon against Georgia Southern, but the Panthers came up short against the Eagles by a score of 74-81.

FIU's record now stands at 2-2 on the season, while Georgia Southern improves to an undefeated 3-0.

Tanajah Hayes was one of many bright spots for the Panthers as the freshman broke out for a career-high 19 points on a blazing 70 percent shooting.

Emerald Ekpiteta hauled in a game-high 15 boards in the contest, which also marks a season-high for the Panther.

Four different Panthers scored in double digits on the night, with Grace Hunter (13), Ekpiteta (12), and Zaida Gonzalez (10) all contributing buckets.

On the defensive end, FIU forced 31 turnovers including 17 steals and two blocks. 

The first half saw freshman guard Zaida Gonzalez lead the Panthers with eight points, while the squad forced 14 Eagle turnovers and nabbed 10 steals.

After trailing by a score of 26-39 at halftime, the Panthers came roaring back and outscored the Eagles 23-11 in the third quarter to cut the deficit to only one point. FIU went on its largest run (9-0) at the 4:41 mark of the third period, with Hayes getting to the rack twice and scoring once at the free-throw line.

The fourth quarter was a thriller that saw six lead changes and two ties. Hayes went 4-4 in the quarter to boost the Panthers, while Ekpiteta made multiple clutch baskets to extend the game.

With FIU down 49-50 to open the final quarter, the Panthers finally saw their first lead (51-50) at the 8:18 mark thanks to a steal by Hope Butera that led to a layup by Hayes. FIU saw its largest lead of 59-56 after Ekpiteta scored at the rim with 4:40 remaining. Ekpiteta then sank two free throws at the 2:55 mark to tie things at 63-63, before scoring a layup with six seconds left to tie the contest at 67-67 and force overtime.

The Blue & Gold held a 71-69 lead with 3:13 left to go in the final period, but the Eagles' strung together a run of their own as the Panthers fell short in the final few minutes of their first overtime game of the year.

The Panthers hauled in 20 offensive rebounds in the contest and outscored GSU in the paint by a margin of 44-32.

UP NEXT
The Blue & Gold return to the hardwood at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center for the annual FIU Thanksgiving Classic beginning on Friday, Nov. 26, and ending on Saturday, Nov. 27. FIU hosts Chicago State at 12 p.m. ET on Friday, before welcoming Eastern Michigan for a Saturday afternoon matchup at 2 p.m.

TICKETS
For tickets to all upcoming women's basketball home games, click here.

SOCIAL MEDIA
Get all the latest information on the team by following @FIUWBB on Facebook and @FIU_WBB on Twitter and @FIUWBB on Instagram. General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.