MIAMI – The Bobcats opened up its time in Miami with a 67-62 win over the FIU Panthers in the FIU Christmas Classic on Monday afternoon. Highlighted by three players in double-digits including a 25 point night from Ja'Niah Henson, the Bobcats got their first road win of the season.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
To get things rolling for the Bobcats Timia Jefferson knocked down five points in the opening quarter. She would go on to have a 13-point night and score her 1000^th career point in the second half. That, paired with her individual two rebounds and eight team rebounds by the Bobcats helped the Bobcats get the 19-15 edge after the opening quarter. Ja'Niah Henson started things off with six points in the opening quarter.
 
Henson continued to dominate through the second quarter when she shot 2-3 and a perfect 3-3 from the free throw line. Henson would go on to her 25 point night and a perfect 9-9 from the line. At the halftime break the Bobcats held onto their four-point lead after matching FIU for 16 points apiece in the second quarter. At the break the Bobcats were up 35-31. 
 
FIU got some momentum in the third quarter while shooting 8-11 from the field for 18 points. This was the only quarter of the night that the Panthers outscored the Bobcats, but it put the pressure on the Bobcats to fight back in the fourth. The Panther's Ajae Yoakaum lead both sides with 10 points in the quarter after shooting 5-5, but the Bobcats were able to keep the game within two points heading into the final quarter.
 
Henson once again caught fire in the fourth quarter as she went for 10 points of her own in the final 10 minutes of the game. She shot 2-2 from beyond the arc for six of those points, while tacking on two more free throws and a field goal. In the final moments of the game the Bobcats reached their largest lead of the game, an eight-point split, with just nine seconds to play. The Panthers got one last layup to make the final score a six-point split, but the Bobcats dug deep in the fourth to outscore the home side 20-12 and win the game.
 
The Bobcats opened the Christmas Classic at FIU with a 67-61 win over the hosts. 
 
STAT LEADERS

• Points – Ja'Niah Henson (25)
• Rebounds – Timia Jefferson, Jaylin Foster (5)
• Assists – Ja'Niah Henson (3)
• Steals –  Julia Coleman (4)
• Blocks – Jaylin Foster, Tiffany Tullis (1)

 
SCORES BY QUARTER
1st | Texas State 19, FIU 15
2nd | Texas State 16, FIU 16
3rd | Texas State 12, FIU 18
4th | Texas State 20, FIU 12

GAME NOTES

• The Bobcats are now 7-3 on the season after the win against Florida International.
• Head Coach Zenarae Antoine has 194 career wins as the winningest head coach in Texas State women's basketball history. 
• Ja'Niah Henson's 25 point game was the highest of her time as a Bobcat. She had a 28 point game that was a career-high during her time at Morgan State, but tonight was one of the highest scoring games of her career.
• This was Henson's seventh game of the season with double-digit scoring after her 25 point night.
• Timia Jefferson became the third active Bobcat to join the 1,000 point club after knocking down 13 versus FIU. She sits at 1,002 career points now.

UP NEXT
The Bobcats will continue the Christmas Classic tomorrow versus Chicago State. The game will tip-off at 11 1 p.m. (CT) at the FIU Convocation Center. The Bobcats will close the tournament on Wednesday versus Alabama A&M.