MIAMI – Big buckets down the stretch proved to be the difference as FIU women's basketball (8-6, 1-2 CUSA) earned a victory over Kennesaw State (8-7, 1-3 CUSA) at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center on Saturday afternoon, 76-65.

The contest started fast, with both teams knocking down shots in the opening quarter, which ended with a 19–17 advantage for the Panthers. FIU carried that momentum into the second quarter, which was dominated by defense, as the Panthers allowed just six points to the Owls. FIU went into halftime holding a 33–23 lead.

Adama Badjie Coly led the Panthers in scoring in the opening 20 minutes and went on to deliver her best performance as a Panther. The junior finished with 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field and a perfect 2-of-2 from beyond the arc. The Spain native added six rebounds and a steal to round out her afternoon.

Kennesaw State came out of the break with energy, using a 13–2 run to climb back into the contest and closing the third quarter trailing by just one point heading into the final 10 minutes.

FIU's stars emerged in the fourth quarter, as senior Parris Atkins and junior Rhema Collins each scored eight points in the final frame. Atkins finished with 23 points, going a perfect 12-12 from the free-throw line while adding a triple, marking her sixth 20-point performance of the season.

Collins also ended the game with 16 points, along with eight rebounds and three steals in her second Conference USA game. The Bahamas native has now scored in double figures in 10 of her 11 games played as a Panther.

FIU dominated the paint, outrebounding the Owls 34–25 and put back 10 second-chance points, to Kennesaw State's five. The Panthers also forced 29 turnovers, converting them into 29 points, and scored 36 points in the paint.

UP NEXT
The Panthers will have their first road trip of conference-play when they travel out west to take on New Mexico State on January 15 at 8 p.m. ET.

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