It was a wild game for the FIU women’s basketball team. Some highlights from triple OT win

FIU women’s basketball coach Jesyka Burks-Wiley couldn’t resist.

Asked how her players handled last weekend’s 107-103 triple-overtime win against Texas-San Antonio, Burks-Wiley joked: “They were super calm, never broke a sweat.”

After she stopped laughing, Burks-Wiley admitted this week that her players were “gassed” after a game that featured 13 tie scores and 16 lead changes. FIU rallied from a 15-point second-half deficit.

Here are other notes from a wild game:

▪ FIU sophomore guard Fujika Nimmo scored a career-high 28 points, including 23 after halftime. It was the most points by an FIU player in more than three years.

▪ The game was the longest for FIU’s program since Jan, 12, 2017, when the Panthers defeated Texas-El Paso, 88-87, also in triple overtime.

▪ FIU is 9-7 overall and 6-4 in Conference USA. With six regular-season games left, this is already the most wins for the Panthers since 2013-2014.

▪ FIU, which played eight players, was shorthanded. Leading scorer Kyla Nelson and assists leader Raquel Ferrer-Bernad were both out injured, although they are expected to return this weekend.

“I’m incredibly proud of our players,” said Burks-Wiley, who had never previously played or coached in a triple-overtime game. “We had an answer for every run they had, and that was encouraging.”

FOOTBALL MOVES

After promoting Tim Harris Jr. to offensive coordinator earlier this offseason, FIU football coach Butch Davis has continued to tinker with his staff.

Everett Withers was named assistant head coach and defensive coordinator, and he will also oversee the safeties. Withers was in the NFL in 2019 as the New York Giants defensive backs coach in 2019. Previously, he was a head coach at Texas State and at James Madison.

Deke Adams will coach the defensive line, and he’s also in charge coordinating the run defense. His previous stops include Ole Miss, North Carolina and South Carolina, where he coached Jadeveon Clowney, the NFL’s No. 1 overall pick in 2014.

Randall McCray will coach the linebackers. His most recent stop was in the NFL as the Arizona Cardinals’ assistant special teams coach. Prior to that, he was the special-teams coordinator and outside linebacker coach at Pitt, and he was the defensive coordinator at Texas State under Withers.

Former NFL cornerback Brandon Harris — Tim Harris’ brother — will coach his old position.

The coaches who will not return from FIU’s 2020 roster include offensive coordinator/QB coach Rich Skrosky; co-defensive coordinators Jeff Copp and Jerod Kruse; special-teams coordinator Harrison Green; and defensive line coach Kennard Lang.

Retained were offensive line coach Joel Rodriguez; wide receiver coach DJ McCarthy; tight ends coach Drew Davis, who is Butch Davis’ son; and Bryn Renner, who was moved from cornerback coach to QB coach.

THIS AND THAT

▪ = On Monday, FIU’s women’s volleyball team, which was forced to abandon its normal fall schedule due to the pandemic, earned its first win since Nov. 14, 2019.

FIU will now play its indoor and beach volleyball schedules essentially simultaneously.

“Not only the athletes, but it was a long time to go without competition for the coaches,” said Rita Buck-Crockett, who runs the indoor and beach programs. “

▪ FIU’s Carolina Andrade is Conference USA’s Co-Golfer of the Week.