MIAMI, Fla.  --  Wichita State defeated tournament host Florida International, 76-62, behind the career-high 28-point effort of all-tournament team member TaQuandra Mike Sunday afternoon in the FIU Turkey Slam.

WSU played the final 6:16 of the game with just five players, including Mike, who carried four fouls the final 7:39 of the game. Freshman Jyar Francis had 21 points to back Mike, while she also had seven boards for the game-high.

WSU held a steady lead and finished off the Panthers by making six free throws over the final 1:47, including three by Mike and freshman Ellie Lehne.

Overall, WSU shot 60 percent from the field (27-45) and 43.8 percent (7-16) from the arc, and held FIU to 41.1 percent (23-56). WSU also made 15-of-19 free throws and had 13 assists on its 27 baskets. 

In the third quarter, FIU out-scored WSU, 9-6,  to close the gap to 45-38, by the media timeout at 4:52. The Shockers out-scored FIU, 13-11,  including six points from Mike, over the next four-minutes.

Mike's bucket and free throw gave WSU a 56-45 lead, its largest of the game, at the 42-second mark. A Mike foul with .9 on the clock gave FIU's Shade two free throws, but she made just one to close WSU's lead to 56-46 to end the third frame.

WSU opened the fourth quarter on a 6-0 run to push the lead to 16, 62-46, to force a FIU timeout. The Panthers out-scored WSU 6-4 to the media timeout at 4:52, with each team losing a player to fouls, Aundra Stovall for WSU and Janka Hegedus for FIU.

WSU finished the game with its five remaining players, including Mike who had picked up her fourth foul at the 7:39 mark of the fourth quarter.

To open the game, the two teams battled to a 10-10 tie into the first timeout of the first quarter with WSU's Mike and FIU's Shade leading with two treys each. FIU took a 15-14 lead at the 3:31 mark and each team went scoreless until Ellie Lehne scored on a wide-open layup with 10 seconds left to give WSU a 16-15 lead.

In the second quarter, FIU out-scored WSU 9-3 in the first three minutes of the second quarter to take a 24-19 lead. Francis' two free throws at the 6:17 mark cut the FIU lead to three. The two teams traded baskets before a driving layup by Chapel tied it at 26 all with 3:05 left. 

Francis' three-pointer gave WSU the lead, 29-26, at the 2:30 mark. FIU made a free throw after a Lockhart foul, but WSU extended the lead on back-to-back three-pointers by Mike to 35-27, at the 1:01 mark. FIU scored a field goal and Francis' two free throws with four seconds left fashioned the halftime score, 37-29.

WSU out-shot FIU, 50 percent (13-26) to 42.9 percent (12-28), but FIU out-boarded WSU 20-10 in the first half. Mike led WSU with 13 points at the intermission, while FIU's Hegedus had 12 for the Panthers.

The Shockers are next in action at Noon, Friday, for Schoolhouse Rocks with the Shocks when local elementary schools are invited to attend the game. WSU plays host to Southeast Missouri State in the annual event.

2015 FIU Turkey Slam All-Tournament Team
 
Allazia Blockton, G, Fr., Marquette - MVP
McKayla Yentz, F, Jr., Marquette
Micaela Parson, G, So., Richmond
Janelle Hubbard, G, Jr., Richmond
TaQuandra Mike, G, Jr., Wichita State
Taylor Shade, G, Sr., FIU