MIAMI (Jan. 15, 2022) – The FIU women's basketball team secured its biggest win of the 2021-22 season on Saturday afternoon in a Conference USA classic, as the Panthers knocked off Middle Tennessee in overtime by a score of 56-54.
FIU improved to 9-5 on the season and 1-2 in C-USA, while the Blue Raiders fell to 12-4 and 5-3 in the league.
The win snapped FIU's 15-game losing streak to MT and marked the first Panthers' win over the Blue Raiders since the 2012-13 campaign.
FIU was ahead for a total time of 34:44 in the contest as the Panthers held a lead at the end of each of the first three quarters. The Blue & Gold were up by as much as 14 points over the defending champions after going on a 12-0 run in the opening quarter.
Kyla Nelson continued her hot offensive stretch and paced all players with 17 points while splashing three treys on a 50 percent clip from long range.
After a hot start that saw the Panthers hold MT to a lowly 21.4 percent shooting from the floor in the opening period, the Panthers closed out the first quarter up 18-7. Middle Tennessee managed to fight its way back before halftime as the Blue Raiders trimmed FIU's lead to 28-22 at the break.
Clinging on to a four-point advantage (35-31) heading into the fourth quarter, FIU and MT traded buckets down the stretch as the contest saw two lead changes and three ties in the final 10 minutes of regulation.
The Blue Raiders managed to even the game at 49-49 to send the game into overtime, but the Panthers sealed the win with a great defensive effort in the final five minutes as FIU held Middle Tennessee to only five points on 22 percent shooting in OT.
With the game tied at 54-54 and only four seconds remaining, freshman guard
Tanajah Hayes sank two clutch free throws to give FIU the lead for good, before the Panthers secured a defensive stop on the final MT possession to secure a big C-USA victory.
Nelson contributed six rebounds and four assists in the game to go along with her game-high scoring effort.
Hayes was impactful on both ends of the floor for FIU, nabbing a game-high five steals while also dishing four assists.
Zaida Gonzalez started her second straight contest for the Panthers and had a big impact late in the game with 9 of her 11 points scored in the fourth quarter and overtime combined.
Maria Torres notched nine points on 50 percent shooting to go along with six rebounds and one block.
Emerald Ekpiteta logged eight points and five rebounds. The fifth-year forward is only 45 points away from reaching the thousand career mark and five rebounds away from reaching 800 boards.
UP NEXT
FIU hits the road to begin the upcoming week, as the Panthers travel to face Charlotte on Monday, Jan. 17. Game time against the 49ers is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET.
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