LAS CRUCES, N.M. - FIU Women's Basketball will embark on their longest road trip of the season when they take on New Mexico State on Thursday, January 16 at 8 p.m. ET.

Thursday, Jan. 16th at New Mexico State

• Time/Site: 8 p.m. ET / Pan American Center

• Series History: FIU leads 8-2

Quick Facts

• FIU is on a three-game conference win-streak, catapulting them to third in the CUSA standings going into the matchup.

 

• The Panthers have a 3-1 CUSA record, tied with Liberty and just one loss behind Middle Tennessee who currently has a 4-0 conference record.

 

• The Panthers are coming off a recent homestead against Louisiana Tech and Sam Houston, besting both inter-conference foes after starting the win-streak on the road against Western Kentucky.

 

• Isnelle Natabou has been playing her best ball of the season, scoring double digit points in three of the Panthers' last four games, and corralling five offensive rebounds in all four contests. She is 2nd in CUSA in offensive rebounds per game at 4, and 23rd in the NCAA.

 

• Natabou is fourth among active players in career field-goal percentage at 63.5%

 

• FIU is 1st in CUSA during conference play in FG% at 50.5%. The team is third in combined rebound with 36.5 rebounds per game, but are first in opponent rebounds per game during conference play, holding CUSA opponents to just 26.8 rebounds per game.

 

• Junior Parris Atkins is 6th in CUSA in scoring with 14.2 points per game this season, and 4th in field goal percentage at 48.2%. Additionally, she is tied for 4th in steals per game with 2.7, and total steals with 40.

 

• Isnelle Natabou (73.3%) and Parris Atkins (65.6%) are first and second respectively during CUSA play in field goal percentage.

 

• Angena Belloso is seventh in the conference in assists per game with 2.9
   

SCOUTING THE AGGIES

New Mexico State sits at fourth in CUSA with a 2-1 conference record, one spot behind FIU in the conference standings. The Aggies have had a bristling start to conference play, leading the league in points per game against CUSA opponents with 67.3 points scored per game, and are third in CUSA-play, allowing just 59 points per game. NM State has the second-best field goal percentage in the conference at 43.8%, one spot behind the Panthers, and are shooting 35.3% from three, second in the conference.

The Aggies are led the by conference leader in scoring, and 11th most points per game in NCAA so far this season, in graduate student Molly Kaiser. The 2023-24 First Team All-CUSA recipient is scoring 21.1 points per game on 51.4% shooting, including 46.5% from three so far this season. 

Senior Fanta Gassama is second on the team in scoring with 10.3 points per game, but at 9.8 rebounds per game, the Spain-native leads the Aggies in rebounding and in second in Conference USA. Additionally the forward leads the team in assists per game at 2.8 and steals per game at 2.2.

This will be the 11th meeting all-time between the two programs, with FIU leading 8-2. Last season, the Panthers won over New Mexico State in their first matchup of the season, but fell to the Aggies in their final matchup of the regular season, losing to them again in the first round of the Conference USA Basketball Championships.

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 @FIUSportson Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.