Ginevra Gil | Staff Writer
After beating the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats 81-68 to secure their first win of the season, the Panthers fell to state opponents UCF to drop their record to 2-1.
Against the Wildcats, FIU’s defense proved to be fundamental throughout the game. “Our defense had a big impact on that win.” said sophomore Selene Romero in a postgame interview after the Panthers won their first home game of the season.
“We stayed disciplined, talked a lot more on the court, and really tried to work together on every possession. We were able to get important stops, protect the paint, and force mistakes, and that gave us momentum. When our defense is solid like that, everything else starts to flow better for us,”, added Romero.
Against UCF, FIU was outscored in every quarter. In the first two they were outscored by three and two points. In the third quarter however, the Knights scored 12 more points than the Panthers (22-10) in what proved to be the decisive part of the game with the contest ending in a 61-79 defeat for FIU.
Previous to the game, Sophomore Selene Romero explained the preparation that goes into each game, “We start with the scouting, just looking at their tendencies and how they like to play. We’ve also been focusing on the small details and communication, defensive rotations, and making sure we execute what the coaches want.”
Despite the loss, FIU had three players in double figures. Senior Parris Atkins scored season-high 20 points, on 7-17 and a perfect 6-6 from the line. Sophomore Claudia Marina, who has scored double figures in two of the first three games, played 36 minutes and finished with 12 points while also securing five rebounds.
Junior Rhema Collins finished the game with 14, seven rebounds and one steal.
FIU will continue being on the road for their next game against Jacksonville where the team will look for their first road win of the season.
The Panthers will return home on Friday, Nov. 28 where they will host the FIU Thanksgiving classic.
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