MIAMI - Women's basketball (15-9, 8-5 CUSA) continues to battle for one of the top seeds in the CUSA Tournament when they play their second game of the season against Delaware (12-13, 6-7 CUSA) when they welcome the Blue Hens to the Ocean Bank Convocation Center on Thursday, February 19 at 11 a.m.

FIU will welcome elementary school students from Miami-Dade County schools to take part in STEAM-Weather Day at Modesto Maidique Campus this Thursday, Feb. 19.

The event will begin at 9:00 a.m. ET at the main entry plaza in front of the Ocean Bank Convocation Center, featuring fun and interactive exhibits as well as demonstrations from organizations in the STEAM field (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics).

Students will then attend the FIU women's basketball game against Delaware at 11 a.m.

Thursday, Feb. 19 vs Delaware

• Time/Site: 11 a.m. / Ocean Bank Convocation Center

• Series History: Delaware leads, 1-0

QUICK FACTS

FIU is looking to even the season series and all-time series in their second ever game against Delaware. The Blue Hens got the better of the Panthers in their first matchup of the season when they beat FIU, 51-48.

Coming into the matchup, FIU are second in CUSA in scoring on the season with 71.8 points scored per game, and are also second in CUSA-play, putting up 66.5 points on CUSA opponents.

Rhema Collins has been a force all season, coming into the matchup with 11  double-doubles, first in CUSA and 21st in the nation. On the season, Collins is second in CUSA with 17.9 points per game, second with 9.3 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 third in CUSA, averaging 16.6 points per game, and has been all over the court on defense. With 3 steals per game, she is second in CUSA and 17th in the nation in steals. 

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.

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. Rhema Collins followed that up with another two 20+ point in a row performances in the Panthers' road trip at New Mexico State and UTEP.

Rhema Collins and Adama Badjie Coly both had double-doubles against Western Kentucky this season. This was the first time two Panthers had a double-double in the same game since the opening game of the 2024-25 season.

Freshman Grecia Ferrer Leal has been as good as you can get from a first year, ranking in the top-5 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, T1st - 17.9 ppg

Parris Atkins, 3rd - 16.6 ppg

Rebounding:

Rhema Collins, 2nd - 9.3 rpg

FIELD GOAL %:

Rhema Collins, 4th - 47.5%

Free-Throw %:

Parris Atkins, 4th - 77.4%

Rhema Collins, 5th - 75%

Assists:

Grecia Ferrer, 5th - 3.8 apg

Total Assists:

Grecia Ferrer, 2nd - 92

DEFENSIVE

Blocks:

Rhema Collins, 1st - 1.7 bpg

Steals:

Parris Atkins, 2nd - 3.0 spg

Rhema Collins, 7th - 2.3

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 BLUE HENS

Delaware comes into the contest sitting in eighth in the conference standings with a 6-7 record against CUSA opponents. The Blue Hens are sixth in the conference in scoring, putting up 65.1 points per game, while allowing 65.1 points per game, ninth in CUSA.

Delaware has four players scoring in double-digits on the year, led by center Ande'a Cherisier, putting up 13.3 points per game on 47.7% shooting, the latter of which is third in Conference USA. She is complimented by guard Kailah Correa, who is putting up 11.1 points per game and leading the team with 2.5 assists per contest.

Guard Lay Fantroy leads the team and comes into the game fifth in the conference with 8.5 rebounds a game while scoring 10.2 points a contest. The final Blue Hen scoring in double figures this season is guard Safi Kolliegbo with 10 a contest, also tied for first on the team with Lay Fantroy, taking away two steals a game as well.

Currently in the fourth spot in the CUSA standings, FIU is just a game out of second place in the standings with five games left of the regular season.

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.