MIAMI - FIU women's basketball (10-13, 6-6 CUSA) will take on New Mexico State (12-12, 5-6 CUSA) for their second matchup of the season on Saturday, February 15 at 1 p.m. at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center
Saturday, Feb. 15th vs New Mexico State
QUICK FACTS
This will be the 4th meeting between the two programs, with the Aggies winning the last three contests in a row.Â
FIU ranks second in Conference USA in field goal percentage (45.8%). The Panthers are also second in offensive rebounds per game (12.7) and first in opponent rebounds per game, allowing just 29.5 rebounds per game. FIU ranks second in the conference in rebound margin at +6.4.
Senior Isnelle Natabou has been one of the top players in CUSA since conference play began. She has scored in double figures in her last 11 games, including a season-high 26 points against Louisiana Tech. The center has also grabbed four or more offensive rebounds in every conference game this season but two.
Natabou is tied for third in CUSA in scoring during conference play, averaging 16.2 points per game after scoring 15 or more points in six of her last eight games. The Czech-native has also been a dominant rebounder, sitting at fifth in CUSA in rebounding with 8.1 rebounds per game. Overall, she is second in CUSA in offensive rebounding, averaging 4 per game, and ranking 16th nationally.
Natabou leads the nation in field goal percentage at 70.9%, and she is third among active players in career field goal percentage at 64.2%.
Junior Parris Atkins ranks fifth in CUSA in scoring with 14.4 points per game this season and sixth in field goal percentage at 46.6%.Â
During CUSA play, Isnelle Natabou ranks first in field goal percentage at 71.9%, 13.2% better than the next highest player.
SCOUTING THE AGGIES
New Mexico State comes into the matchup with a 5-6 conference record and 12-12 overall record, sixth in CUSA and one place behind FIU.
The Aggies are third in the conference during CUSA-play in scoring, averaging 66.9 points per game, and allowing 62.3 points per game, good for fifth in the conference. The team shoots the three-ball at a high percentage, good for second in the conference in 3-PT% at 31.9, but allows the worst 3-PT% against opponents at 32.2%.
NMS is led by the conference's leading scorer, graduate student Molly Kaiser, who is scoring 22 points per game, good for 7th in the entire country. Kaiser also leads the team in field goal attempts (352), field goals made (179), free-throw attempts (176), free-throws made (144) and points (527). Additionally, the guard is also 10th in the conference in steals per game with 2.
Forward senior Fanta Gassama compliments Kaiser with her tough rebounding ability, averaging 8.7 rebounds per game in conference play. The Spain native is also 10th in the conference in steals per game with 1.8, along with averaging just under 10 points a game with 9.9.
The Aggies have been a thorn in the side of FIU since they came into Conference USA last season. FIU won the first matchup at New Mexico State, but since then the Aggies have had the Panthers' number, winning the next three straight including their first matchup this season in Las Cruces.
TICKETS
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SOCIAL MEDIA
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