MIAMI - FIU women's basketball (11-17, 7-10 CUSA) will play their final game of the 2024-25 regular season against Middle Tennessee (22-6, 15-2 CUSA) on Saturday, March 8 at 1 p.m. at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center.
Saturday, March 8 vs Middle Tennessee
QUICK FACTS
This will be the 48th meeting between the two programs dating back to 2001. The Panthers are looking for their first victory over the Blue Raiders since 2022.
FIU ranks second in Conference USA in field goal percentage (44.9%). The Panthers are also third in offensive rebounds per game (12.2) and first in opponent rebounds per game, allowing just 29.2 rebounds per game. FIU ranks second in the conference in rebound margin at +5.4.
Senior Isnelle Natabou has been one of the top players in CUSA since conference play began. She has scored in double figures in every conference game but two, including a season-high 26 points against Louisiana Tech. The center has also grabbed four or more offensive rebounds in almost every conference game this season.
Natabou is fourth in CUSA in scoring during conference play, averaging 16.2 points per game, scoring 15 or more points in 10 conference games this season. The Czech-native has also been a dominant rebounder, sitting at sixth in CUSA in rebounding with 7.8 rebounds per game. Overall, she is first in CUSA in offensive rebounding, averaging 4.1 per game, and ranking 17th nationally.
Natabou is 2nd in the nation in field goal percentage at 67.2%, and she is sixth among active players across D1-D3 in career field goal percentage at 63.7%.Â
During CUSA play, Isnelle Natabou ranks first in field goal percentage at 66.5%.
Junior Parris Atkins sits at seventh in the conference with 13.7 points per game to go along with a 46.1% field goal percentage, sixth in CUSA. The junior in her first year with the Panthers is third in the conference in steals per game with 2.4, and has 51 steals overall.Â
Redshirt freshman Fantasia James has come into her own as a member of the Panthers in her first year on the court, starting the last four games and has been a key contributor this season. The guard scored 16 points in a victory over Jacksonville State, before almost putting up her first career double-double in a 18-point, nine-rebound performance against UTEP.
SCOUTING THE BLUE RAIDERS
Middle Tennessee comes into the matchup second in the conference after suffering a loss to then-second place Liberty in their last game, with both teams now sitting at 15-2 in conference play.
MTSU is fifth in the conference with 64.9 points scored per game, but boasts the best defense in CUSA by a wide margin, allowing just 51.5 points per game. The Blue Raiders shoot the ball at a 41.6% clip, fifth in the conference, and are grabbing 36.8 rebounds per game, good for third in CUSA.
An extremely well rounded team, MTSU has three players in the top-10 in scoring in CUSA this season, led by Ta'Mia Scott with 16.4 points per game this season. The guard is complemented by forward Anastasiia Boldyreva, who is fourth in conference with 14.8 points per game, and is second in CUSA with 10 rebounds per game.
 The Russia-native is also an exceptional shot blocker, leading the conference with 3.8 blocked shots per game and totalling 110 blocked shots this season, with the next closest having 53. Guard Jalynn Gregory is MTSU's final scorer in the top-10 in scoring, putting up 13.5 points per game and totalling 77 made threes on 35.6%.Â
A Panthers victory and Louisiana Tech loss at UTEP would see FIU jump from the six-seed to the five-seed in the conference tournament next week.
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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