MIAMI, Fla. — The Stetson women's basketball team continues its five-game road stretch Tuesday evening when the Hatters make the short trip across South Florida to face FIU at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center. The matchup marks the third stop on Stetson's early-season road swing and renews a series that has featured postseason meetings in each of the past two seasons, including an overtime contest in the opening round of last year's Women's National Invitation Tournament.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, with the game set to stream on ESPN+. Stetson enters Tuesday's contest at 1-2 following its season-opening victory over Flagler and road matchups against No. 7 Louisville and Miami. FIU stands at 0-1 after opening its season with a 75-64 loss to Jacksonville on Nov. 3. Both programs will be looking to build momentum as the non-conference schedule continues.

Stetson returns to action Tuesday following a demanding opening week that included three contests in seven days and consecutive matchups against Atlantic Coast Conference opponents. Under first-year head coach Melissa DeVore, the Hatters have already encountered a variety of challenges as several returning players transition into expanded roles and newcomers begin gaining experience at the collegiate level.

The Hatters opened the 2026-27 campaign on a positive note with a 75-52 victory over Flagler, giving DeVore her first win at the helm of the program. Stetson used a strong defensive performance to establish control, forcing 25 turnovers and collecting 15 steals while holding the Saints to 30.2 percent shooting from the field. After carrying a narrow three-point advantage into halftime, the Hatters outscored Flagler 42-22 over the final two quarters to secure the 23-point victory.

Stetson followed its season opener with a pair of challenging road contests, first traveling to Louisville for a matchup against the seventh-ranked Cardinals before continuing south to face Miami. Although the Hatters came up short in both games, the stretch has provided opportunities for different players to contribute and has offered DeVore's staff an early look at the team's progress against high-level competition.

Sunday's 79-39 setback at Miami featured an encouraging third-quarter offensive performance, with Stetson scoring 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting during the period. Freshman Addison Godby supplied eight points on an efficient 4-of-5 performance from the field, while Desireck Nieves reached double figures for the second time this season with a team-high 10 points. Senior forward Favour Anyaele added six points and eight rebounds, including three offensive boards, to provide a presence in the paint.

With Tuesday's matchup representing the third game of the road trip, the Hatters will look to build on those individual performances while continuing to improve their execution and consistency. The contest also offers an opportunity for Stetson to return to a familiar venue, where the two programs met in a closely contested postseason matchup less than eight months ago.

Freshman guard Desireck Nieves has established herself as one of Stetson's primary offensive contributors through the opening three contests, leading the Hatters with 11.3 points per game. The Puerto Rico native has scored a team-high 34 points, connected on five 3-pointers and added 12 rebounds, four assists and five steals in her first three collegiate appearances.

Nieves began her collegiate career with an impressive 18-point performance against Flagler, connecting on four of eight attempts from beyond the arc while adding four steals and two assists. She played a particularly important role in Stetson's second-half surge, knocking down four 3-pointers in the third quarter to help the Hatters create separation. After collecting a team-high seven rebounds against Louisville, Nieves returned to double figures with 10 points and two assists at Miami, giving her two double-digit scoring performances in her first three games.

Candela Garcia-Escribano has also taken on an increased role in the Hatters' lineup, averaging 8.3 points and 4.3 rebounds while shooting an efficient 55.0 percent from the field. The junior opened the season with a career-high 21 points against Flagler, connecting on nine of her 12 field-goal attempts while contributing six rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks. She has recorded a team-high six steals through three games and remains an important contributor on both ends of the floor.

Sophomore guard Sophie Locatelli is averaging 8.3 points while sharing the team lead with five assists. She scored 16 points in the season opener, connecting on six field goals and two 3-pointers, and added six points at Miami. Locatelli has averaged a team-high 28.1 minutes through the opening three games, providing experience in a backcourt that features several players in their first collegiate season.

Stetson has also received valuable production from its reserves, highlighted by Godby's performance against Miami and Cici Driessen's career night at Louisville. Godby scored a collegiate-best eight points on 4-of-5 shooting Sunday and is connecting on 71.4 percent of her field-goal attempts through three games. Driessen, meanwhile, established a career high with 10 points against Louisville, finishing a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line while adding two steals.

Anyaele has anchored Stetson's rebounding efforts, leading the team with 5.7 boards per game and collecting eight rebounds in both the Flagler and Miami contests. The senior has also recorded two blocks, while Jorah Eppley has provided a perimeter presence with three made 3-pointers and 4.3 points per game. With several players continuing to settle into their roles, the Hatters will look for contributions throughout the rotation as they move deeper into their nonconference schedule.

FIU enters Tuesday's matchup seeking its first victory of the 2026-27 campaign after opening the season with a 75-64 loss to Jacksonville on Nov. 3 at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center. The Panthers showed offensive balance in their debut, placing three players in double figures and shooting 45.8 percent from the field, but were unable to overcome Jacksonville's advantage at the free-throw line and a difficult third quarter.

The Panthers remained within striking distance throughout the opening half, trailing 24-21 after the first quarter and 40-37 at halftime. Jacksonville created separation after the break, outscoring FIU 24-13 in the third quarter to build a 14-point advantage entering the final period. Although FIU held an 14-11 edge in the fourth quarter, the deficit proved too large to overcome as the Dolphins secured the 11-point victory.

FIU's offense was led by Fantasia James, who finished with a team-high 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting while connecting on three of her six attempts from beyond the arc. James also collected four rebounds and four steals, providing an efficient scoring option for the Panthers. Breaunna Ward followed with 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting, adding six made free throws, while Grecia Ferrer Leal contributed 13 points and a team-high six assists.

Shorna Preston gave FIU a presence on the glass, collecting a team-high eight rebounds while scoring eight points and recording four steals. Preston connected on two 3-pointers, helping the Panthers finish 6-of-14 from beyond the arc. Madussou Bamba provided six points, two assists and two steals off the bench, while Frode Flos van der Schans added five rebounds, including three offensive boards.

As a team, FIU shot 42.9 percent from 3-point range and recorded 14 assists against Jacksonville, demonstrating its ability to create opportunities through ball movement and perimeter shooting. The Panthers also forced 25 turnovers and collected 12 steals, although they committed 28 turnovers of their own. Jacksonville held a 39-31 rebounding advantage and made 25 free throws compared with FIU's 14.

Tuesday's meeting presents an opportunity for both teams to build greater consistency, particularly in protecting possessions and competing on the glass. Stetson will look to carry over its improved third-quarter shooting from Sunday's matchup at Miami, while FIU will aim to build on its perimeter efficiency and balanced scoring from the season opener.

Tuesday's contest renews a longstanding series between Stetson and FIU, with the programs having faced one another in regular-season, conference and postseason competition dating back to the 1990s. The Panthers have held the advantage in the series, including victories in the two most recent meetings, both of which came in the opening round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament.

The teams last met on March 20, 2026, when Stetson traveled to the Ocean Bank Convocation Center following a 20-win season and an appearance in the ASUN Championship semifinals. The Hatters gave FIU a difficult challenge throughout the evening, matching the Panthers point for point in the opening half before taking a narrow 45-44 advantage into the fourth quarter.

Stetson remained in position to advance late in regulation, holding a three-point lead with just seconds remaining. However, FIU forced a turnover on an inbound pass, and Rhema Collins connected on a game-tying 3-pointer as time expired to send the contest into overtime. The Panthers ultimately prevailed 76-73 in a tightly contested postseason matchup that featured 13 combined points from FIU in the extra period.

The previous meeting also came in the opening round of the WNIT, when the Hatters visited FIU on March 21, 2024. Stetson remained within six points at halftime, but the Panthers extended their lead in the third quarter before earning a 60-47 victory. That contest marked another postseason appearance for the Hatters following a 17-win campaign and a 12-4 record in ASUN play.

Tuesday's matchup will therefore mark the third consecutive meeting between the programs at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center, although it will be their first regular-season contest since the series resumed with the two WNIT matchups. For Stetson, the return to Miami provides an opportunity to revisit a familiar opponent and venue while continuing its early-season development under DeVore.

Tuesday's matchup with FIU concludes Stetson's two-game stay in South Florida, but the Hatters will remain on the road for two additional contests before returning to DeLand. Stetson travels to Clemson on Sunday, Nov. 15, for a 5 p.m. matchup against the Tigers at Littlejohn Coliseum, marking the team's third meeting with an ACC opponent in less than two weeks.

The Hatters will then visit UCF on Thursday, Nov. 19, at 6:30 p.m., concluding the five-game road stretch before returning to the Insight Credit Union Arena at the Edmunds Center on Sunday, Nov. 22, for a 2 p.m. contest against Wright State.

With a challenging opening schedule providing early opportunities for development, DeVore and her staff will continue emphasizing execution, ball security and contributions throughout the rotation. The Hatters' return home later this month will offer an opportunity to apply the experience gained during a demanding stretch away from DeLand.

Tip-off between Stetson and FIU is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET Tuesday, Nov. 10, at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center in Miami, Florida. The contest is scheduled to stream on ESPN+, with live statistics and additional coverage available at GoHatters.com.

About Stetson Athletics
At Stetson University, student-athletes don't just compete—they thrive. Located in historic DeLand, Florida, between Orlando and Daytona Beach, Stetson offers the perfect blend of competitive athletics, academic excellence, and an unbeatable Central Florida lifestyle. As the oldest private university in the region, Stetson supports approximately 500 student-athletes across 19 NCAA Division I sports. Nicknamed the "Hatters" after the institution's namesake John B. Stetson, a hat manufacturer who originated the modern-day cowboy hat, most Stetson athletic teams compete in the Atlantic Sun Conference, where they proudly hold the longest active membership since 1985. With top-tier facilities, personalized support, and a welcoming campus community, Stetson is where students can grow, compete, and succeed. Learn more at GoHatters.com or follow social media accounts @StetsonHatters.