El Paso, Texas – Redshirt junior Mihaela Lazic scored a career high 23 points on 10 -15 shooting (67%) from the field, though, the FIU Women's Basketball team fell short to the University of Texas at El Paso, 83-79, at the Don Haskins Center Thursday evening.
 
The loss drops FIU to 12-14 overall and 7-10 in conference action, as the Miners (18-8, 11-6 C-USA) are now tied for second with Western Kentucky in the Conference USA standings.
 
Lazic was a huge spark off the FIU bench and immediately made an impact in the first quarter scoring 11 points on a perfect 5-5 shooting. She also led the Panthers and matched her career high with five assists.
 
Senior guard Kaliah Henderson was the second leading scorer for FIU and finished with 16 points. Henderson shot 50 percent from the field (5-10) and was 6-7 from the foul line and kept the Panthers within striking distance scoring nine of her 16 points in the fourth quarter. Her streak of scoring double digit points extends to 12 straight games and 15 of the last 16.
 
Two Panthers scored 12 points in senior guard Olivia Trice and junior guard Sariana Rodriguez Camacho. Trice shot 6-6 from the charity stripe and was 2-4 from three-point range while leading the Panthers on the glass with seven rebounds.
 
Camacho was another lift off the bench for Panthers as she knocked down four three pointers and shot 67 percent from behind the arc. Rodriguez made three of her four three pointers in the second half, and each were timely.
 
She sparked a 10-0 scoring run midway through the third quarter when the Panthers were trailing 49-40 and knocked down two three pointers on back-to-back possessions. Rodriguez would go on to make her fourth shot from long distance with 45 seconds left to make it a one possession game with the Miners leading 74-71.

Sophomore guard Tanajah Hayes rounds off the Panthers in double figures with 10 points. Hayes had an efficient night shooting 4-6 from the field including 2-4 from three-point range while leading FIU with three steals. Hayes has now scored double digits in five straight games

FIU shot a season high 55 percent from the field (27-49) and 48 percent from behind the arc (10-21) while holding the Miners to 26.1 percent from long range (6-23). Although the Panthers bench outscored UTEP's second unit 47-7, turnovers ultimately were the difference as the Miners scored 24 points off 24 FIU turnovers.
 
UTEP had a balanced offensive attack finishing with five players as well in double figures. Jazion Jackson led the Miners with 18 points and five steals while Avery Crouse was not far behind with 17 points.

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
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