MIAMI, FLA. – After a pair of home wins last week, Jacksonville State women's basketball hits the road to take on Florida International on Thursday. The game against the Panthers is the first of a four-game road swing in the heart of Conference USA action. Currently, FIU and Jax State are in a four-way tie for fifth place in the league.
 
Jax State (9-9, 3-4 CUSA) vs Florida International (10-9, 3-4 CUSA)
When: Thursday, Jan. 30 | 6 P.M. CT (7 P.M. ET)
Where: Ocean Bank Convocation Center | Miami, Fla.
Live Stats: Stat Broadcast
Watch: ESPN+
 
Jax State Notes
 
Last Time Out
Jax State won their second straight game against New Mexico State on Saturday, Jan. 25, in a 60-56 battle. The stingy Jax State defense held the conference's leading scorer, New Mexico State's Molly Kaiser, in check only giving up six made field goals on 16 attempts. The win over the Aggies followed a thrilling 72-71 buzzer-beating overtime triumph over UTEP just two days prior.
 
Series History
The Gamecocks and Panthers have squared off three times. The first meeting dates back to December 17, 2011, when the Panthers downed the Gamecocks 79-52 in a holiday tournament at North Florida. The teams split the series last year in Jax State's inaugural season in the CUSA. Jax State won the most recent matchup that occurred on Feb. 24, 2024, at the Pete Mathews Coliseum in a dominating 80-63 final.
 
Coach's Milestone
With the win over New Mexico State, head coach Rick Pietri reached the 400-win milestone over his 25-year career as an NCAA Division I head women's basketball coach. Pietri is one of only 109 women's coaches to have reached 400 wins since 1981. The win also marked Pietri's 180^th win at the helm of the Jax State program.
 
From Spain to the 'Ville
Clara Gonzalez Planella and Maria Sanchez Ponce both hail from Spain and both have made their marks on the Gamecocks' season thus far, particularly in last week's two home victories. Planella had 14 points and four rebounds in 30 minutes of play time against UTEP on Jan. 23. None of her 14 points were bigger than her 15-foot floater to clinch the win as time expired in overtime. On Jan. 25, Ponce had herself a big game as she led the Gamecocks with 15 points on an efficient 6-9 shooting from the field. She also played 31 minutes against the Aggies.
 
Bre's Comeback
After missing the UTEP game due to an injury suffered at Sam Houston, senior forward Bre'Anna Rhodes returned to the Jax State lineup against New Mexico State. Rhodes played 20 minutes against the Aggies in which she had eight points and collected a team-best five rebounds.
 
Nothing Easy
As is the norm with a Pietri coached squad, the 2024-25 Gamecocks have established themselves as one of the toughest teams in the conference to score on. The Gamecocks rank third in the league in opponent field goal percentage at 38.4% per contest. The only two teams ahead of them are Middle Tennessee and Liberty, both of which who are in a tie for first place in the league standings. On top of that, the Gamecocks rank first in the league in opponent three-point percentage allowing their foes to make only 24% of their attempts from range.
 
Up to the Task
New Mexico State's Molly Kaiser leads the conference in scoring averaging 21.8 points per game. Her scoring average also ranks her in the top-10 in the nation at number seven in points scored per contest. While she scored 19 against the Gamecocks last Saturday, the Red-and-White's defense, specifically Shaquice May's efforts, held her to only six makes on 16 attempts. May also had a good game on the offensive end scoring 10 points on 3-4 shooting.
 
Scouting the Panthers
FIU's two preseason all-conference stars have missed the majority of the season. Mya Kone, the conference's preseason player of the year and 2023-24 conference sixth man of the year, only played in the season opener against Florida National. In that game, Kone went for 21 points and 14 boards in 17 minutes of action. Tanajah Hayes, FIU's other preseason all-conference team member, has only played in three games this season. In the games she played, Hayes averaged 9.7 points and 3.3 assists.
 
Guard Parris Atkins and forward Isnelle Natabou have stepped up in Hayes and Kone's absence. Atkins leads the team in scoring averaging 14.4 points per game. She also is averaging 5.2 rebounds and has a team-best 42 steals. Natabou also averages double-figures at 12.2 points per game on 71.3% shooting. Her shooting percentage leads the CUSA.
 
Up Next
Following the showdown with FIU, Liberty will be on the agenda for Jax State on Saturday, Feb. 1. The Flames have proven to be a team in contention for the conference title as they are tied for first in the league with Middle Tennessee through the first seven conference games. The Gamecocks and Flames will play at 12 p.m. central, 1 p.m. eastern, Saturday and the game will be streaming on ESPN+.
 
Stay in the Know
To stay up-to-date with the Gamecocks, follow their Facebook (Jacksonville State Women's Basketball), Instagram (@JaxStateWBB), and X (@JaxStateWBB) accounts.