Boca Raton, Fla - The FIU women's basketball team defeated in-state rival Florida Atlantic 65-62 at the Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena in Boca Raton.
FIU (6-4) started strong out of the gate to start the first quarter, outscoring Florida Atlantic 20-11 in the frame. The Panthers beat the Owls in offensive rebounding in the opening 10 minutes, 6-4, accounting for their 12 second chance points in the first.
The Panthers led going into the half 31-26, and continued their offensive success through the third quarter, scoring 16 in the frame, five coming from Graduate Student Courtney Prenger. The 6'1 forward was a force in the second half, scoring 11 of her 15 points in the final two quarters. Prenger ended the afternoon with five rebounds, two assists and a steal on top of her 15 points.
Strong defense, particularly in the second half, kept FIU in the lead for the majority of the game. The Panthers had three blocks and four steals in the back half, with Senior Ajae Yoakum having one of each. Yoakum filled up that stat sheet, accounting for 10 points and 11 rebounds, her third double-double of the season. The 6'0 forward added on four assists, two blocks and two steals to cap off her busy afternoon.
The Panthers finished the game strong, scoring 18 points on 50% shooting in the final quarter. Graduate Student Kaliah Henderson scored seven points in the frame, leading FIU in scoring in the final 10 minutes, and in the game. Playing 33 minutes, the guard from Tampa made a living from mid-range, ending with 16 points, nine rebounds, three assists and one steal in her most time on the court of the season.
FIU never trailed in the game, playing tied with Florida Atlantic for 39 seconds, while leading for 39 minutes and 21 seconds.
Up Next
FIU will kick off the MTE Christmas Classic back home at the Oceanbank Convocation Center against Texas State University on Monday, December 18 at 12:00. It will be the first of back-to-back-to-back game for the Panthers.
TICKETS
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