MIAMI, Fla. – The FIU women's basketball team will be hosting the FIU Thanksgiving Classic this weekend as the Panthers welcome in visiting Howard University, Drake University, and the University of Massachusetts to the Ocean Bank Convocation Center.
Friday, Nov. 25 vs. Howard University (1-3, 0-0 MEAC)
Sunday, Nov. 27 vs. University of Massachusetts or Drake University
The Panthers enter the tournament looking to bounce back at home after dropping their previous game at the OBCC against FGCU on Nov. 13. FIU fell to Jacksonville University the following game in a competitive road contest and look to snap a two-game skid this weekend.
Coming into Friday's contest against Howard, the Panthers are playing at a very fast pace on offense. They are averaging 86.7 possessions per game which is second in all of NCAA Division 1 women's basketball. This has led to FIU averaging 79 points per game which cracks the top 50 in the NCAA and third in Conference USA.
The Panthers have done a lot of damage from behind the arc this season. As a team, they are shooting 35% (26-75) which is the second-best mark in C-USA. Another factor that has led to FIU's high scoring offense is their ability to crash the offensive glass and get second chance points. FIU is a top five team in the NCAA averaging 19.3 offensive rebounds per game (1
st C-USA). Senior center
Hope Butera is fourth in the conference corralling 11 offensive rebounds.
FIU had four Panthers finish in double figures its last time out against Jacksonville. Redshirt freshman guard
Sifa Joyeuse led the team in that game with 19 points, collected four steals, and continues to lead FIU and C-USA in scoring averaging 18.3 points per game. Joyeuse also leads the Panthers with nine threes made so far this season shooting 38% from behind the arc.
Redshirt junior
Mihaela Lazic stuffed the stat sheet against Jacksonville. She scored 12 points, led FIU with four assists, and recorded five rebounds. Lazic has been the starting point guard for the first three games this season and leads the team averaging four assists per game. She is also second on the team averaging 11 points per game and has impressed with her three-point shot, shooting 53% (8-15).
Junior forward/center
Maria Torres has been a force in the middle. She is FIU's leading rebounder and 10
th in C-USA averaging 6.7 boards per game. Torres was the Panthers' best shot blocker last season recording 38 blocks and looks to be the team leader in that category again as she has collected three so far in the early season.
FIU will look to continue its defensive intensity, averaging 12.7 steals while forcing 26 turnovers per game. The Panthers forced a staggering 40 turnovers in their season opener win against NCCU.
SCOUTING HOWARD UNIVERSITY
The Bison enter Friday's contest 1-3 overall on the season and are on a three-game losing streak. Their most recent loss was against Manhattan College on Saturday (Nov.19) 56-54. Howard University was selected as the preseason favorite to win the Mid- Eastern Athletic Conference. Howard, which won its first MEAC Basketball Tournament title since 2001 last season, was selected as the preseason favorite, racking up eight of a possible 16 first-place votes and notching 119 points.
Junior guard Destiny Howell leads Howard at 13.0 ppg, as she scored a season-high 16 points on 8-of-22 shooting from the floor in the loss against Manhattan. Howell is third on the Bison averaging 4.7 rebounds per game.
Senior guard Iyanna Warren forms a solid backcourt with Howell and is also averaging 13 points per game. Graduate guard Aziah Hudson is the third player for Howard averaging double figures (10.3 ppg).
UP NEXT
FIU will continue the Thanksgiving Classic at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center with a Sunday afternoon matchup against either Drake University or the University of Massachusetts scheduled for 1 p.m. The opponents will be determined based off the results from Friday's matchups.
TICKETS
For more information on FIU tickets to FIU basketball home games, including student ticketing, call 305-FIU-GAME or visit
HERE.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans are encouraged to follow the Panthers on Instagram (
@fiuwbb), Twitter (
@FIUWBB), and Facebook (
@FIUWBasketball) for all the latest Women's Basketball news. General athletic news can also be found at
@FIUSports on Facebook and
@FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.
