John Weaver | PantherNOW
The past few games for FIU without Junior Parris Atkins have been a mixed bag.
Over the last four games, FIU has a record of 2-2, with wins against Jackson State and Kennesaw State but losses to Sam Houston and LA Tech. With only seven games left in the season, FIU sits five games behind conference leader Middle Tennessee, whom they lost to earlier this year.
However, with such inconsistent performances and one of their star players, Parris Atkins, still out, the question remains: will FIU hold its position in the middle of the pack or slip further down the conference standings?
Looking at their most recent matchup against LA Tech, which ended in a 69-59 loss, FIU struggled in the final quarter, getting outscored 23-15—making up the majority of the margin of defeat.
Breaking down the box score further, FIU also had a slow start in the first quarter, getting outscored 20-13.
The only quarter where FIU held an advantage was the third, when they managed to cut into their prior deficits. However, that effort was all for naught as LA Tech pulled away in the fourth quarter.
Much of FIU’s recent success has been due to senior Isnelle Natabou, who has stepped up significantly in Atkins’ absence.
Over the past four games, she has averaged just under 20 points per game. Looking ahead, FIU seemingly has an easier matchup against conference bottom-feeder UTEP.
With a conference record of 2-8, things look promising for FIU. However, one caveat is that one of UTEP’s two conference wins came against FIU last month.
Since then, UTEP has been on a five-game losing streak against various conference opponents.
One key factor FIU must be mindful of in their next matchup is UTEP’s three-point shooter, freshman Irene Asensio. Asensio is averaging four points per game, but in their last meeting, she hit three shots from deep at an impressive 75% shooting percentage.
While Asensio may not take high-volume attempts, three-point shooting was a major reason FIU lost that close 68-70 game. FIU shot a dismal 17% from beyond the arc, while UTEP capitalized on 37% of their deep shots.
If FIU can control the pace and stay disciplined in their shooting, a victory for the Panthers should be expected on Thursday.
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