Georgia's 12-0 start is the third-best start in school history and tied the mark set by the Lady Bulldogs 1995 Final Four team.
In a game where Georgia's inside presence was expected to dominate, Houts set a career high for points scored in a game on 9-of-13 shooting and had four assists and four steals. Angel Robinson added 12 points and six rebounds, and Angela Puleo and Tasha Humphrey each contributed nine points.
FIU's LaQuetta Ferguson led the Golden Panthers (4-9) with 18 points and four 3-pointers. Fanni Hutlassa had 16 points and went 4-of-5 from 3-point range. FIU set a school record with 11 three-pointers made as the Golden Panthers shot 66.7 percent from 3-point range in the second half.
With Georgia up 15, the Golden Panthers cut the lead down to nine with two consecutive 3-pointers by Hutlassa and Monika Bosilj that cut Georgia's lead to 45-36 with 10:04 left. However, the Lady Bulldogs would go up by as much as 20 on Puleo's 3-pointer from the left baseline, which made the score 64-44 Georgia with 3:23 left topped off a 19-8 run. Houts hit 2-of-3 Georgia 3-pointers on that run.
FIU opened the second half cutting Georgia's double-digit lead to seven as Ferguson's layup on a give-and-go pass from Jasmine Jenkins made it 37-30, Lady Bulldogs. The Lady Bulldogs got the next six and took a 43-30 lead on Houts's 3-pointer with 12:25 left.
Georgia outscored FIU in the paint 33-18 and shot 48 percent in the game. Florida International shot an anemic 28.1 percent in the first half, but made 48.1 percent of their shots in the second.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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