Jon Gonzalez | Staff Writer
The FIU Panthers would end their third game of the season with a loss to the Jacksonville University Dolphins, bringing their season record to 1-2.
Not only were senior guard Lucia Fleta Robles and junior forward Mya Kone out, but senior guard Tanajah Hayes joined them today as the Panthers missed three of their opening day starters for the game.
With Sophomore guard Judit Valero Rodriguez and freshman guard Ndiate Ndiaye rounding out a starting lineup of junior guard Paris Atkins, senior guard Aaliyah Pitts and senior forward Bineta Diatta, the Panthers are starting to pull deeper and deeper from their bench with each passing game.
The game would start out in favor of FIU, with the Panthers grabbing an early lead off the backs of Atkins and Rodriguez.
Frequently outrunning the Dolphins in transition gave the Panthers easy opportunities to score the ball, which they took.
Early on, Ndiaye would be given the duty of handling the ball, and while her ability to maneuver effectively with it in her hands definitely showed promise, there were also struggles.
Several times Ndiaye would run into double coverage or into the defender’s chest, forcing her to try and wrestle her way out of the defender’s grasp or make tough passes that more often than not ended up in the hands of a Dolphins player.
Ndiaye closed out the first quarter alone with three turnovers, however her willingness to get in an opponent’s face to try and make a play shows promise for the Panthers’ future.
However, the Panthers would begin to lose momentum starting in the second quarter.
A major issue plaguing the team as a whole was missed shots, with their team-wide shooting percentage going from 50% in the first quarter down to 19% in the second, a dramatic dropoff which gave the Dolphins more than enough room to comeback.
Diatta, traditionally one whose post moves give her more than an advantage against defenders, made only 2 out of her 6 shot attempts in the 8 total minutes she played during the first half.
She wasn’t alone.
Atkins was almost as inefficient as Diatta had been, making only 2 of her 5 attempts and being inefficient for her standards, especially considering how much of a scoring machine she had been the previous two games.
For the final seconds of the first half, the ball was for some reason rolled on the floor to bleed clock when the Panthers were down and had possession.
They’d end the half with the score FIU 23 – 31 JU.
Atkins and Diatta would put on a little magic for one of their third quarter plays, in transition Atkins would bounce the ball to Diatta who’d bounce it right back for an Atkins layup to try and kickstart a stagnant FIU offense.
The Panthers would improve but still struggle as a team to make shots, with their 19% shooting percentage doubling to 36%.
Fantasia James would finally step onto the court after getting no playing time the first two games and would immediately show her potential as a defensive stopper.
James used her athleticism to force the Dolphins offense to pass, and leaped several times to try and block shots within the post.
While she looked lost at times trying to cover her assignment, her effort and ability to close distances with her speed more than made up for the mistakes she was making.
If James can continue to get consistent playing time as the season progresses she could develop into one of the Panthers most valuable bench pieces and a bright spot for the future of the team.
Lacking any consistent passing on offense would hurt the Panthers as they continually would claw back from being down only to once again let the Dolphins build their lead back.
Throughout the third and fourth quarter, Atkins would regularly try and force her way through contact to make tough shots.
Isolating herself as the primary offensive creator has worked before, however she shot only 41% from the field for the entire night and made 5 of her 12 shot attempts during the game.
That isn’t without a lack of trying, as the burden of being FIU’s primary two-way player while on the floor is a heavy one to bear, especially with rookies getting substantial playing time.
Claudia Marina Gonzalez, who showed prowess as a defender in the FNU game, didn’t receive any playing time on a night in which the Panthers could have benefitted from her abilities.
Ultimately, the Dolphins would never lose control of the lead once they gained it in the second quarter and would win handily against the Panthers 72 – 54.
FIU still has time to recover, but for a team who prioritizes fluidity in their lineups, not having three of their best players on the court will continue to hurt their chances of winning.
For their first away game of the season, the Panthers are playing the University of Miami Hurricanes at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables.
The Hurricanes have won their first three games, including a close 74 – 71 win against the JU Dolphins.
They’ll be the Panthers measuring rod for this point in the season, and could give an early insight into how the rest of their season will play out should they struggle.
A potential upset is possible, with the Panthers using the Dolphins game to build familiarity amongst their newer players and veterans to try and prepare for the future.
Prepare for another defensive battle on all fronts, and for a bounceback game from the Panthers offense.
Score Prediction:
FIU: 64
UM: 70
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