By: D’Jombaurey Moreau / Staff Writer
The Panthers were very aggressive in their season opener as teammates Jerica Coley and Finda Mansare showed a great balance of a perimeter game and low post game. They combined for 38 points ro help the Panthers outscore and overmatch the Jacksonville Dolphins, dominating them in a 63-37 win.
In the season opener for both teams, sophomore All-Conference guard Coley flirted with a triple double, recording a line of 22 points, eight assists and 11 rebounds.
The speed of the Panthers’ guards was on display as they pushed the tempo after every miss, opening the game with a 32-7 run in the first half.
The quicker guards in the Panthers’ backcourt ended up leading the game with 14 fast break points. The whole night the Panthers were tenacious to the basketball and defensively they held Jacksonville to 20.6 percent shooting for the night.
They also rebounded well, as they led the rebounding category 48-39, minimizing the Dolphins’ shot opportunities.
Freshman Kamika Idom was a huge spark plug off the bench, chipping in with 12 points, including a couple of three pointers.
Another category that FIU shot incredibly with 57.1 percent was from behind the arc.
With all of the firepower on the team, the Panthers must do a better job of controlling the ball on offense. They had 24 turnovers, often because they tried to do too much, pressing the issue.
With a cut down of the turnovers, they could have easily had 20 more points.
This season’s roster boasts a great balance, and this team can do well after finishing last season with a loss in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.
The next game FIU will host will be against Florida Gulf Coast on Monday, Nov. 14 at 6 p.m. inside of the U.S. Century Bank Arena.