MIAMI - FIU Women's Basketball falls to in-state rival Florida Atlantic on Saturday afternoon, 62-52.
The Owls started with momentum, starting the game on an 8-0 run over the first 2:10 of the game until Angena Belloso snapped it with a bucket of her own to make it 8-2. The Panthers got some more buckets from Lucia Fleta Robles and Judit Valero in the opening frame, but would go into the second quarter down 16-11.
FAU kept up the offense in the 10 minutes before the half, scoring 15 points and heading into the break up 31-21.
Florida Atlantic extended their lead in the third quarter and the game would go into the final quarter with the Owls leading 48-28.
Down 20 with five minutes left, the Panthers managed a valiant comeback, going on an 11-0 run from the 4:56 mark to the 2:10 mark to cut the Owls' lead to single-digits. Lucia Fleta Robles hit a three and a layup to go along with four points from junior Parris Atkins and two from fellow senior Bineta Diatta.Â
The comeback would fall short and the Owls would go back to Boca Raton with the win.
FIU had 18 offensive rebounds to FAU's five in the contest, and also led the second-chance points effort (11-7) and the points in the paint battle (30-24).
Parris Atkins led the scoring charge for the Panthers with 17Â points. Lucia Fleta Robles was second with nine points on the afternoon.Â
UP NEXT
FIU will be hosting the annual FIU Thanksgiving Classic, welcoming Wagner, Sacramento State and Abilene Christian to the Ocean Bank Convocation Center. The tournament will be from Friday, November 29 to Sunday December 1, with the Panthers playing the first game of the tournament against Wagner on Friday, November 29 at 12 p.m.
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