Panther Preview: FIU women’s basketball vs. LA Tech

Brian Olmo | Sports Director

FIU women’s basketball returns home to face the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters on March 2, 2023, at Ocean Bank Convocation Center in Miami, Florida. This game is part of a two-game homestand to conclude the regular season.

In their last matchup against one another, the Panthers got bounced by the Lady Techsters, 76-65. Since then, FIU has been suffering through an ugly five-game losing streak. LA Tech has been the complete opposite, enjoying a five-game winning streak before losing to Middle Tennessee 61-59.

The Lady Techsters come into this one as the fifth ranked team in Conference USA, anchoring the second-best defense in the conference. They only allow 60.8 points per game, a stark contrast to FIU’s 70.5 PPG, which ranks them last.

Senior guard Keiunna Walker is the Lady Techster’s ace up their sleeve; she averages 17.5 PPG and ranks as the second-best scorer in C-USA. Walker lives off finishing on the inside, and she does so at an incredibly efficient rate.

Walker posts a field goal percentage of 42.7%, the seventh highest in the conference.

One of LA Tech’s best attributes is its playmaking and passing. The Lady Techsters rank third in the conference in assists, averaging 13.1 per game. Junior and sophomore guards Salma Bates and Silvia Nativi keep the ball moving for the team, averaging 3.5 and 3.2 assists respectively.

3-point shooting is also a strength of the Lady Techsters, as they shoot 33.7% from deep, the highest percentage in C-USA. This is thanks to the efforts of junior guard Lotte Sant, who leads the team in 3-pointers made with 51 and shoots an impressive 44.3% from deep.

If the Panthers want to keep this one competitive, they’ll have to rely on their biggest advantage: their offensive rebounding.

FIU is the best offensive rebounding team in the conference, crashing the glass for 14.8 rebounds per game. LA Tech, on the other hand, is tied for dead last in offensive rebounding. Second chance points will make or break the Panther’s game.

This is far from an ideal matchup for FIU. The Lady Techsters have statistically better defense, 3-point shooting and playmaking. Even with homecourt advantage, beating this LA Tech team is anything but easy.

Prediction:

FIU: 61
Lady Techsters: 74

Follow Brian Olmo on Twitter at @Brian_Olmo11