Box Score MIAMI (Mar. 5, 2022) - The FIU women's basketball team pulled out a second consecutive win against FAU on Saturday afternoon at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center, as the Panthers routed the Owls by a score of 72-56 on Seneior Day.
With the win, the Panthers finished the regular season with a 14-15 record (6-12) and an 11-6 record at home.
FIU is now cemented as the 6th seed in the Conference USA Tournament and will face No. 7 seed FAU during the play-in round of the tournament next Tuesday, Mar. 8, at 5:30 p.m. ET. The contest will mark FIU's third consecutive game against the Owls.
Tanajah Hayes led FIU in scoring on Saturday with a total of 18 points, while also stuffing the box score with seven rebounds, seven assists, and two steals.
FIU saw three Panthers score in double digits as
Kyla Nelson (15) and
Zaida Gonzalez (14) chipped in offensively.
The Panther defense held FAU to only 38 percent shooting from the floor while forcing 13 Owl turnovers.
Leading for nearly 37 minutes in the contest, the Panthers were up by as much as 18 points over the Owls and controlled the tempo the entire way.
After falling behind by a score of 4-0 to start the game, FIU quickly retook the lead and never relinquished it again. The Panthers outscored the Owls 22-16 in the opening period while shooting 47 percent from the floor and nailing three 3-pointers.
Up 35-31 after a back and forth second quarter, FIU's defense tightened up after halftime and held the Owls to only nine points in the third period. The Panthers forced FAU to shoot a lowly 19 percent in the third quarter as the Owls missed 13 shots in the frame. FIU was propelled by a 9-0 run in the quarter that helped the Panthers take a 52-40 lead heading into the final 10 minutes of play.
Up by 12 entering the fourth quarter, the Panthers stayed aggressive and scored 20 more points in the last frame while shooting 57 percent from the floor and 50 from beyond the arc. The Blue & Gold extended their lead to the largest margin (18 points) with only 44 seconds left to play and went on to secure another dominant victory over rival FAU at home.
UP NEXT
FIU begins play in the C-USA Tournament next Tuesday, Mar. 8, at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. The No. 6 seeded Panthers will battle No. 7 seed FAU in the play-in round of the tournament. Game time is set for 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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