Ginevra Gil | Staff Writer
The FIU women’s basketball team is starting to find some momentum as they have secured three victories in a row including back-to-back road wins.
The Panthers currently have a 10-6 record for the season and 3-2 in CUSA play.
The first of their two game road games was in New Mexico State in which Intensity was high in the opening quarter, with FIU’s fast pace fueling a 19-4 run.
New Mexico struggled to keep pace until the closing minutes of the second quarter. As turnovers increased for FIU, the home team capitalized, trimming a 13-point deficit to four and closing the half 35-31.
The Panthers came out of the break in full stride. Building on their performance in the first half, FIU increased the tempo and stretched the lead to 19 points. Rhema Collins was a driving force in this quarter, scoring 10 points and finishing the game with 29 points and 10 rebounds.
Although the intensity eased in the second half, FIU held firm and secured the 83-74 victory. Alongside Collins, Parris Atkins added 21 points and six rebounds, while Judit Valero contributed 11 points and four rebounds.
With one win down, the Panthers now faced the University of Texas at El Paso.
The first quarter was tightly contested with FIU holding a tight 17-15 lead. The back-and-forth battle continued through halftime, but was disrupted in the third by Valero, who supplied two three-pointers to give FIU control of the game.
With their second road win within reach, the Panthers closed out the game by going 10-13 from the free-throw line. Collins recorded her ninth double-double of the season, (most in the conference) finishing with 22 points and 16 rebounds.
Valero and Denika Lightbourne also reached double figures, scoring 10 and 11 points.
Next up for the Panthers is Sam Houston (11-5, 4-1 CUSA), who they’ll host at home in the Ocean Bank Convocation Center on Thursday Jan. 22, at 7 p.m..
Defense is expected to play a central role in FIU’s upcoming games, with all three prospective opponents teams ranking near the top of the conference in turnover margin.
Sam Houston leads the group at +7.40, while FIU follows at +3.60. Ball security will be especially crucial, as Sam Houston thrives on forcing mistakes and turning them into scoring opportunities.
With 13 matches remaining, FIU’s ability to protect home court will play a crucial role in its postseason positioning.
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