MIAMI - Despite Kennedy Austin setting a career-high in points for the second consecutive game, UMBC dropped the opening contest of the FIU Thanksgiving Classic to the host Panthers on Friday morning. 

Austin scored 24 points in just 21 minutes, upping her top scoring mark by four points and raising her per-game average to 13.1 in the loss. Austin shot 46.7 percent from the floor and went to the foul line 12 times. She also matched her top mark in rebounds, pulling down seven. 

Dagny Slomack hit two threes and totaled 10 points, while Jade Tillman grabbed 12 rebounds, reaching double-figure boards for the second consecutive game. 

UMBC won the rebounding battle by 10 (43-33), but FIU shot the lights out in the second half, making 62 percent of its shots, and outscoring the Retrievers 57-45 in the final 20 minutes. 

The Retrievers raced out to a nine-point first-quarter advantage, finishing the first quarter on a 9-2 run to build the 19-10 lead. UMBC led by as many as 13 with 5:02 to play in the opening half, but FIU began to chip away, pulling within two at the break. 

Carmen Yánez handed out five assists for the Retrievers, leaving her just 10 shy of 200 for her career. 

Rhema Collins and Denika Lightbourne each scored 19 points for the Panthers, and Parris Atkins added 18. 

UMBC will play the loser of Presbyterian and Seattle at 11 a.m. on Sunday.