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Sun Belt Conference Women's Basketball
Tournament Update:
No. 25 Florida International d. Denver, 80-65
NEW ORLEANS
– Florida International University, which today entered the
Associated Press Top 25 poll at No. 25, will join North Texas
in Tuesday’s
Sun Belt Conference women’s championship game after dropping
Denver 80-65. The two teams square off at 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
“I think North Texas is a deep team and has
great athletes,” FIU head coach
Cindy Russo said about her opponent in tomorrow’s final.
“I think she
(North Texas head coach Tina Slinker) has them where they need
to be,
obviously, reaching the finals.”
The win improves FIU’s record to 25-5 on the
season, while Denver falls to
16-13. The win also avenges FIU’s 78-67 loss to the Pioneers
in last
season’s league tournament semifinals.
Golden Panther guard Gergana Slavtcheva scored a
game-high 27 points,
including 13-of-15 from the line. Her 15 attempts tied a Sun Belt
Tournament record that was held by three other players. Slavtcheva
also
added 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals. Cormisha Cotton
followed
with 20 points, while Cheryl Moody picked up her 20th double-double
of the
season with 16 points and 17 rebounds.
Ashley Atkinson led Denver with 11 points, while
Kellie Carwell and Tyesha
Lowery finished with 10 points apiece.
Both teams battled through six ties in the first
half with FIU going into
the half with a 33-31 lead. In the second half, the Golden Panthers
went on
a 14-2 run near the 16-minute mark to blow the game wide open.
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