MIAMI – Four Panthers score in double-digits as FIU (13-8, 6-4 CUSA) gets themselves back in the win column with a victory over Western Kentucky (5-16, 1-9 CUSA), 80-54.

The Panthers jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, going up 5-3 with 7:04 left in the first quarter and never gave it back. The opening was the best scoring quarter of the contest for the Panthers, putting up 24 to the Lady Hilltoppers' 17, with senior Parris Atkins leading the charge with eight points. The guard finished with a game-high 18 points, adding on four rebounds, four assists, a block and two steals to round out her evening.

The second quarter saw the Panthers extend their lead to 16 heading into the half with the score 43-27 after the first 20 minutes. The second half was all Panthers as well, scoring 17 to Western Kentucky's 13 in the third frame, and finished off the win scoring 20 points in the fourth.

The Panthers' defense shined, letting up less than 15 points in each of the final three quarters and ended the game letting up their second fewest points against a division-1 opponent this season.

Rhema Collins once again shined for FIU, ending the game with her eleventh double-double of the season. The guard put up 16 points while grabbing 13 rebounds. The Bahamas native was a menace on defense as well. CUSA's leader in blocks per game added two more to her total and accounted for three steals in the game.

Judit Valero had her best scoring performance of the season, ending with a season-high 14 points, going 5-6 from the field and 4-5 from three. The junior added on two rebounds, two assists and one steal, capping a great shooting day from the Spain native.

A fellow Spain native in Adama Badjie Coly put up her second double-double of her career, accounting for 12 points and 11 rebounds, with eight of her rebounds coming on the offensive end. The junior added three assists and four steals to her line, the latter of which was a career-high against a division-1 team.

This was the first time since the season opener of the 2024-25 season (11.4.24) that two Panthers had a double-double in the same game.

The Panthers won the game within the game as well, winning points off turnovers (24-11), second-chance points (22-8) and dominated the paint with 38 points to the Hilltoppers' 26.

UP NEXT
The Panthers will welcome longtime CUSA foe Middle Tennessee to the OBCC on Saturday, February 5 at 1 p.m.

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