El Paso, Texas – The FIU women's basketball team (12-13, 7-9 C-USA) starts its final road trip of the regular season against the University of Texas at El Paso this Thursday, Feb. 23 at 9 p.m. ET inside the Don Haskins Center.

Thursday, Feb. 23 at UTEP (17-8, 10-6 C-USA)

• Time / Site: 9 p.m. ET/ Don Haskins Center
• TV: CUSA.tv  
• Live Stats
• Series History: UTEP leads 11-4

FIU's offense is sixth in C-USA averaging 68.32 points per game and fifth in the league with 146 three pointers made averaging 5.84 per game. The Panthers are 7^th in the conference shooting 71 percent from the charity stripe.
 
Senior guard Kaliah Henderson led the Panthers with 15 points in their last game and prior to that, scored 20 or more points in four straight games. Henderson has scored double figures in 11 consecutive games, and in 14 of the last 15 games.
 
Henderson is FIU's leading scorer averaging 15.6 points per game, the sixth best scoring mark in C-USA, and eighth in the conference averaging 1.8 steals per game while redshirt freshman Sifa Joyeuse is second on the Panthers averaging 9.8 points and is sixth in the conference with 44 threes made this season.
 
Sophomore guard Tanajah Hayes is tied with Joyeuse averaging 9.8 points per game and has scored double digit points in four straight games averaging 16 points during that span. Hayes is second in C-USA averaging 2.42 steals per game and leads FIU averaging 3.58 assists. (4^th in C-USA).
 
On the glass, the Panthers are second in the conference in rebounds averaging 39.4 per game, and first in C-USA averaging 15.2 offensive boards (380 total).

Defensively, the Panthers are second in the conference with 245 steals this season averaging 9.8 per game and second in forcing 18.96 turnovers per game for opposing teams. FIU also limits opponents to the second lowest shooting percentage from three-point range at 27.8 percent.
 
SCOUTING UTEP
The Miners enter Thursday's matchup third in the C-USA standings with an impressive 17-8 record on the season, including a 10-6 mark in Conference USA. UTEP dropped their last contest against North Texas but prior to that loss won three consecutive games in conference play.
 
UTEP is tied for fourth in the conference in scoring averaging 69.40 points per game on 42.4% shooting. The Miners also shoot well from behind the arc and are fourth in C-USA shooting 32.3 percent from three-point range.
 
The Miners do well at protecting the ball on offense and only average 13.8 turnovers per game (1^st in C-USA) and initiate 17.44 for opposing teams. UTEP, just like the Panthers, have a lot of success corralling offensive rebounds. They are fourth in the conference with 323 offensive boards averaging 12.92 per game.

UTEP has four players averaging double digit points led by junior guard Mahri Petree with 14.5, while junior guard Jazion Jackson is second averaging 12.1 and is second on the team in rebounds (5.8) and assists (2.7) and leads the Miners in steals (2.0). Junior N'Yah Boyd averages 11.8 and leads the Miners in assists per game with 3.3.
 
UP NEXT
The Panthers will play in their final road game of the regular season and take on the University of Texas at San Antonio this Saturday, Feb. 25 at 1 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+

TICKETS
For more information on FIU tickets to FIU basketball home games, including student ticketing, call 305-FIU-GAME or visit HERE

SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans are encouraged to follow the Panthers on Instagram (@fiuwbb), Twitter (@FIUWBB), and Facebook (@FIUWBasketball) for all the latest Women's Basketball news. General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.