EL PASO, Texas - Women's basketball (9-6, 2-2 CUSA) visits UTEP (9-7, 1-4 CUSA) for the final leg of a two-game desert road trip on Saturday, January 17 at 2 p.m. ET.

Saturday, Jan. 17 at University of Texas at El-Paso

• Time/Site: 2 p.m. ET / Don Haskins Center

• Series History: UTEP Leads, 7-13

QUICK FACTS

UTEP leads the all-time series against the Panthers, 13-7. However, FIU has had the Miners number in recent years, going 5-2 in the last seven matchups.

Coming into the matchup, FIU are first in CUSA in scoring on the season with 76.8 points scored per game, and first in CUSA-play through four games, putting up 73.8 points on CUSA opponents.

Rhema Collins scored a career-high 40 points against Georgia State. It is the most points scored in CUSA this season, and the most any player in CUSA has scored since the 2022-23 season. It's the first time an FIU player has had a 40-point performance since 2017, and she is only the seventh player since at least 1994 to achieve 40 points in a game as a Panther.

Parris Atkins scored a career-high 35 points against Missouri State in the Panthers' first game of conference-play this season. She is only the 24th player in program history to score 35 or more points in a game since 2005, and it is the second most points scored that any player in Conference USA has scored this season.

Rhema Collins has been a force all season, coming into the matchup with seven  double-doubles. On the season, Collins is first in CUSA with 19.8 points per game, first with 10.3 rebounds per game and first in blocks per game as well with 1.6.

Parris Atkins has been as advertised from her CUSA Preseason All-Conference selection. The guard is second in CUSA, averaging 19.3 points per game, and has been all over the court on defense. With 4 steals per game, she is first in CUSA and fourth in the nation in steals. 

Atkins also scored 20+ points two games in a row from 1/10-1/15/23. She is the first player to achieve that status since the 2022-23 season.

Freshman Grecia Ferrer Leal has been as good as you can get from a first year, ranking in the top-3 in the league in both assists per game and total assists. 

Junior Denika Lightbourne had a career day against Jacksonville State when she put up a staggering 25 points in just 16 minutes played. She surpassed her previous career-high of 21 which she achieved in the first game of the season against South Florida.

CUSA Leaders:

OFFENSIVE
Scoring
Rhema Collins, 1st - 19.8 ppg

Parris Atkins, 2nd - 19.3 ppg

Rebounding:

Rhema Collins, 1st - 10.3 rpg

Field goal %:

Rhema Collins, 3rd - 50.3%

Free-Throw %:

Parris Atkins, 4th - 77.4%

Rhema Collins, 7th - 74.5%

Assists:

Grecia Ferrer, 3rd - 4.3 apg

Total Assists:

Grecia Ferrer, 2nd - 64

DEFENSIVE

Blocks:

Rhema Collins, 1st - 1.7 bpg

Steals:

Parris Atkins, 1st - 4 spg

Sophomore Ndate Ndiaye scored her career-high against Florida National with 15 points. She surpassed her previous career-high of 13 points which came in a victory over Seattle in the FIU Thanksgiving Tournament. 

FIU welcomes back five returners to Miami in senior Parris Atkins, redshirt-sophomore Fantasia James, junior Judit Valero and sophomores Ndate Ndiaye and Claudia Marina.

Parris Atkins and Fantasia James were both honored with CUSA All-Conference awards last season. Parris Atkins, then in her first season as a Panther, was an immediate contributor and made the CUSA All-Conference Second Team. James, a redshirt freshman at the time, was named to the CUSA All-Freshman Team for her performance during the 2024-25 season.

FIU has the most international players rostered in Conference USA. The Panthers boast 12 of their 14 players born outside of the United States.

FIU is coming off a 2024-25 season that saw the Panthers go 11-18 overall and 7-11 in conference-play, ending sixth in the conference. 

SCOUTING THE MINERS

University of Texas at El-Paso comes into the matchup with a 9–7 overall record and a 1-4 mark against Conference USA opponents, placing the Miners 10th in the conference through five games. A volatile scoring team, UTEP is third in the conference in points scored with 67.8 a game, but are second to last in CUSA in defense, allowing 68.2 points per game. 

UTEP are led by guard Ivane Tensaie, putting up 11.1 points per game. On top of being the Miners leading scorer, the sharpshooter is third in CUSA in three-point percentage at 34.4%, hitting 2.7 triples a game. 

Tensaie is complimented by forward Ndack Mbengue, putting up 10.4 points per game and leading UTEP in blocks per game with 0.7. The Italy native is second on the team in rebounding but fifth in the conference with 8.5 rebounds per game. 

A well-rounded scoring team, the Miners boast three other players in Mary Moses Amaniyo (9.8 ppg, 9.2 rpg - first on UTEP), Sirviva Legions (9.5 ppg) and Portia Adams (9.1) who all score nine points or more a game.

The Panthers are looking for their third conference win a row, and sixth win over UTEP in their last eight matchups.

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.