| Junior Onika Anderson had 11 points and eight rebounds in her first game as a Roadrunner. |
MIAMI, Fla.? Florida International broke open a 28-all contest with a 17-0 second-half run and cruised to a 68-57 victory against UTSA on Friday night at Pharmed Arena.
Guard Monika Boslij led all scorers with a career-high 28 points and added nine rebounds for the Golden Panthers (3-6), while guard LaQuetta Ferguson, who came into the contest averaging 21.5 points per game, had a double-double of 11 points and 10 boards.
The Roadrunners (6-2) tied the game at 28 on a layup by junior forward Onika Anderson just 30 seconds into the second half. However, FIU responded with 17 unanswered points over the next 9:52 to break open the contest. Freshman guard Amber Gregg scored all eight of her points during a 16-4 run that drew UTSA with five at 49-44, but Bosilj netted nine points the following 2:46 and the Golden Panthers were good on 10-of-14 (71.4%) free throws during the final two minutes to put the game out reach.
Anderson, playing her first game as a Roadrunner, led UTSA with 11 points and she also grabbed eight rebounds. Junior guard Monica Gibbs added nine points and game-highs of 12 boards and seven assists. The preseason first-team All-SLC choice also recorded a career-best six steals, the sixth-best single-game total in school history, and a pair of blocks. Freshman guard Jordan Stark scored nine points, all in the first half on three shots behind the arc.
The Roadrunners found themselves in an early 7-1 hole, but they used 7-0 run to take their first lead of the game at the 12:24 mark of the first half. The remainder of the frame saw seven ties and five lead changes, as FIU took a 28-26 advantage into the locker room.
UTSA returns to action on Thursday, Dec. 20, when they open play at the Tulane Doubletree Tournament against Virginia Tech (8-1). Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m.