Miami, FL - FIU Women's Hoops will play their second game against conference opponent Louisiana Tech on Saturday, February 17th at 1:00 p.m. at the Oceanbank Convocation Center.
Thursday, February 17th vs LA Tech
*since 2006
The FIU Women's Basketball Team (17-7, 8-2 CUSA) came 64-49 victors in their second game against Sam Houston, sweeping the season series and bouncing back after a loss to Middle Tennessee.
The two teams battled in the first, playing tight defense and not allowing either team to go on a run out of the gate. Neither team scored until 7:24 left in the opening quarter. FIU forced nine turnovers in the opening frame alone, converting them into six points off turnovers. The Panthers played defensive-savvy basketball all afternoon, forcing 26 turnovers in the game and scoring 23 points off turnovers as opposed to the Bearkats' seven.
FIU broke the game open in the second quarter, scoring 24 points and allowing Sam Houston only eight points in the 10 minutes before the half. 20 of the Panthers' 24 points came from the bench, with graduate student Olivia Trice leading the second unit with nine points in the quarter, going 3-3 from the field and from three-point range. For the game, FIU scored 26 points off the bench, showing why they lead the conference in points off the bench. Their efforts contributed to FIU going into the half with a 38-24 lead.
Junior Tanajah Hayes led the Panthers out of the half, putting up six out of FIU's 16 points in the quarter as well as swiping two steals in the third. The guard ended the afternoon with a game-high 16 points on 8-12 shooting, also recording a season-high in steals with six. She led FIU into the final quarter with a 54-43 lead. The Panthers' physicality and defensive prowess showed in the fourth, locking all windows and doors for the entire 10 minutes and allowing on six points. FIU crashed the boards, out-rebounding the Bearkats 13-10 in the frame and 42-38 in the game.Â
Graduate student Courtney Prenger was the only other Panther with double-digit points, ending the game with 10 on an efficient 3-5 from the field and 4-6 from the charity stripe. Sophomore Angena Belloso contributed buckets as well, scoring seven in the game and a season-high eight rebounds, as the Panthers won their eighth game of conference play, their most since the 2012-2013 season when FIU went 12-8 in conference play.
Scouting Louisiana Tech
FIU won the first battle against LA Tech in dramatic fashion, erasing a seven-point deficit in the final 1:10 of the game. Including that game, LA Tech has gone 1-3 in their last four game, and have won two of their last nine games. However, the Lady Techsters are coming off a 61-51 win over Jacksonville State. Louisiana Tech (9-16, 3-7 CUSA) sits eighth in the Conference USA standings, and seventh in points per game averaging 62.5. A defensive-minded team, LA Tech allows only 62.9 points per game which sits at third in the conference.Â
They are led by forward Anna Larr Roberson who averages a team-high 12.5 points per game, good for ninth in the conference. The senior forward also leads the team in rebounds, averaging 5.6 a game. Senior Salma Bates is the only other Lady Techster that averages double-digits, putting up 10.8 a game, with the guard also leading the team in steals with 1.6 a game. Junior guard Silvia Nativi leads the team in assists with 3.4 a game, but the Lady Techsters share the ball well as a team, dishing 13.68 assists a game which is good for second in the conference.
FIU defeated LA Tech in their last meeting on February 1st 73-71.
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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