MIAMI - Women's basketball kicks off conference play at home for the first time since the 2023-24 season when they welcome CUSA newcomer Missouri State to the Ocean Bank Convocation Center on Sunday, January 4 at 1 p.m., the frontend of a women's hoops and men's hoops doubleheader.

Sunday, Jan. 4 vs Missouri State

• Time/Site: 1  p.m. / Ocean Bank Convocation Center

• Series History: First Meeting

QUICK FACTS

This will be the first ever meeting between the Bears and the Panthers in the programs' respective histories. Missouri State is brand new to the conference and has started off well in non-conference play, coming into CUSA competition with an 8-5 record.

The Panthers scored at will in non-conference play, finishing two games with over 100 points, and six games with over 75. Coming into the matchup, FIU are first in the CUSA in scoring on the season with 77.9 points scored per game. 

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.

Rhema Collins has been a force all season, coming into the matchup first in CUSA in double-doubles with six, and 15th nationally. On the season, Collins is first in CUSA with 19.7 points per game, first with 10.4 rebounds per game and first in blocks per game as well with 1.7.

Parris Atkins has been as advertised from her CUSA Preseason All-Conference selection. The guard is second in CUSA, averaging 17.2 points per game, and has been all over the court on defense. With 4 steals per game, she is first in CUSA and third in the nation in steals. 

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. The guard is scrappy on defense as well, currently averaging 2.5 assists per game, tied for sixth in CUSA.

Early CUSA Leaders:

Scoring:

Rhema Collins, 1st - 19.7 ppg

Parris Atkins, 2nd - 17.2 ppg

 

Rebounding:

Rhema Collins, 1st - 10.4 rpg

 

Field Goal %:

Rhema Collins, 2nd - 50%

 

Assists:

Grecia Ferrer, 3rd - 4.3 apg

 

Total Assists:

Grecia Ferrer, 2nd - 47 assists

 

Blocks:

Rhema Collins, 1st - 1.7 bpg

 

Steals:

Parris Atkins, 1st - 3.9 spg (3rd in NCAA)

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. 

Junior Denika Lightbourne had a career day in the Panthers' first game of the season against USF (11.3.25). The Bahamas native dropped 21 points and eight rebounds, both of which were career highs.

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 BEARS

Missouri State enters the contest following an 8–5 non-conference slate. The Bears opened the season on a five-game winning streak, highlighted by victories over Saint Louis, Wichita State, and Georgia Southern. A team that consistently shows resilience, Missouri State played several Power Four opponents close, including Florida State (L, 85–75) and Kansas (L, 73–70, OT).

The Bears are led by Kaemyn Bekemeier, who is tied for second in the conference in scoring with FIU's Parris Atkins, averaging 17.2 points per game through 13 contests. An athletic 5'9" junior guard, Bekemeier also leads the team on the glass with 8.3 rebounds per game, ranking eighth in the conference. She is complemented by forward Lainie Douglas, who enters the matchup averaging 12.5 points per game. One of the top post defenders in Conference USA, the sophomore averages 1.4 blocks per game, which ranks third in the league.

The Panthers will look to open Conference USA play with a victory for just the fourth time since joining the league in the 2013–14 season. The most recent instance came during the 2023–24 campaign, when FIU defeated Jacksonville State.

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.