MIAMI – FIU women's basketball (7-6, 0-2 CUSA) dropped its second straight Conference USA contest on Thursday evening, falling 70-67 to Jacksonville State (8-7, 2-1 CUSA) at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center.
The tightly contested matchup was close from the opening tip, with Jacksonville State edging out the Panthers 18-16 in the first quarter. FIU responded in the second, outscoring the Gamecocks 22-21, but still went into the half trailing narrowly, 39-38.
Jacksonville State's hot shooting plagued the Panthers throughout the game, as the Gamecocks finished the contest shooting a staggering 46.2 percent from beyond the arc.
The two teams continued to battle to open the second half, with Jacksonville State outscoring FIU in the third quarter by four, 16-12. The Gamecocks entered the final frame ahead, 55-50. The Panthers fought until the final buzzer, but a half-court heave to tie the game in the closing seconds rattled off the front of the rim, sealing FIU's second conference loss.
Two Panthers finished in double figures, led by Denika Lightbourne and Rhema Collins. Lightbourne poured in a career-high 25 points on an efficient 9-for-13 shooting performance, surpassing her previous best of 21 points set earlier this season against South Florida. The junior added two rebounds, one assist and one steal to round out her night.
Fellow Bahamian Rhema Collins recorded a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, giving her seven on the season and tying her for the Conference USA lead. The junior also tallied two assists and one block.
FIU capitalized on Jacksonville State's mistakes, winning the points-off-turnovers battle 21-10, while also holding advantages in bench points (31-11) and points in the paint (38-22).
UP NEXT
The Panthers will have a chance to bounce back when they welcome Kennesaw State to the Ocean Bank Convocation Center on January 10 at 1 p.m.
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