Ginevra Gil | Staff Writer
Fresh off a 103-92 win against Georgia State, women’s basketball aims to carry that momentum into their upcoming road matchup.
The Panthers will face Florida Atlantic University on Monday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m.
FAU enters the matchup 5-3 overall with a strong 3-1 mark at home, whereas FIU is 4-3 and is still seeking its first road win at 0-3 away.
“We have to take care of the ball. When this film gets out, I think a lot of people will look to press us more so I think just working on us more and going back to the lab and working on some things that’ll allow us to go out and get some revenge at their place,” said head coach Jeskya Burks-Wiley for next game’s preparation.
History runs deep between the two programs who have met 37 times, the latest coming on Nov. 23, 2024, when FIU fell short.
Before traveling to Boca Raton, the FIU Panthers faced the Georgia State Panthers.
FIU dictated the pace from the outset as sophomore Rhema Collins scored FIU’s first seven points and finished the quarter with 21. Georgia State countered with consistent three-point shooting, converting 6 of 8 from long range to remain within reach.
Entering the second quarter with a 37-24 lead, FIU continued to press its advantage to 20 points, eventually pushing it to a game-high 26 in the third.
Collins remained a commanding presence throughout, finishing with a career-high 40 points, 13 rebounds, and two blocks.
“Rhema has been such a huge piece for us in size since day one. Tonight it was really good to see her full dominance on display here from knocking down the three-ball, to being an absolute monster inside, and knocking down free-throws for us. Anytime she shows up for us, let alone shows out like that it leads to great things for the program,” said Burks-Wiley.
The game appeared all but decided until Georgia State began capitalizing on FIU’s miscues. Persistent pressure from the visitors chipped away at the Panthers’ cushion, trimming the lead to just six and forcing an FIU timeout with under one minute remaining.
“Relax, we got one minute of survival. Figure it out,” said Burks-Wiley during the timeout.
FIU responded by scoring 5 straight points to secure the win.
“That was a great learning moment for us, learning we need more composure down the stretch.”
Composure will continue to be a vital lesson for the Panthers, who begin facing conference opponents in Jan. 2026.
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