Miami, Fla - FIU Women's Hoops wins their 8th in a row and are 5-0 in conference play as the Panthers beat Western Kentucky 70-60 on the back of Tanajah Hayes' 15 points and four steals.

The first half was a hard fought, low-scoring bout, with the Panthers swiping five steals and forcing 11 turnovers in the first two quarters, converting nine points off the takeaways. Graduate student Kaliah Henderson led the charge in the first half, scoring a team high seven points in the 20 minutes before halftime while grabbing one steal. The guard ended the game in double-digits, finishing with 10 points, five rebounds and one steal in her 33 minutes of play, her second most minutes on the season.

The Panthers came out swinging in the second half, going on a 13-5 run over the first 4:35 of the third quarter. FIU bullied their way to five offensive rebounds in the quarter, converting six second chance points. The Panthers continue to be a force on the boards, outrebounding the Lady Hilltoppers 46-33, and putting up 17 second chance points off 17 offensive rebounds in the game. It was a team effort throughout the game, including the third quarter, with seven Panthers scoring in the quarter led by Ajae Yoakum with five points. The senior out of Portland, Oregon ended the game with nine points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in just 19 minutes of play. 

FIU shut the door on Western Kentucky in the fourth quarter, shooting the ball at a 54.5% clip in the final 10 minutes, including 50% from beyond the arc. With the Lady Hilltoppers closing in, the Panthers' clutch gene showed, hitting six free-throws in the last 1:46 of the game and 10-13 in the final quarter alone, and draining five of their last six field goals. Seven Panthers contributed buckets in the fourth, with Junior Tanajah Hayes showing her composure, hitting 6-6 from the charity stripe in the last 10 minutes, leading the team with eight points in the closing quarter. 

A pair of sophomores in Angena Belloso and Mya Kone also put up double-digits on the night. 5'10 guard Belloso ended the night with 10 points on 3-4 shooting, including 3-3 from three-point land. She added on two rebounds and three assists to cap off her efficient evening. FIU's leading scorer on the season, Mya Kone, finished with 11 points, grabbing six rebounds and swatting one block off the bench. The Panthers' bench finished with 31 points, further establishing their nationally recognized second unit. Since starting the season 3-4, FIU has managed an 11-1 record, capped with their most recent win over WKU.

UP NEXT
It will be a battle of the final two undefeated teams in conference play, with FIU hosting Middle Tennessee on Saturday, January 27th at 1:00 p.m. at the Oceanbank Convocation Center.

TICKETS
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