WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. ( Jan. 07, 2023) – Florida National University’s men’s basketball team failed to hit the mark against the Keiser University Seahawks Saturday, falling 81-66. FNU (2-9) came into their first game of 2023, trying to shake off a tough loss to Johnson and Wales University Providence on Dec. 22. The Seahawks (11-6) delivered their third-straight win improving to 8-4 at home.
The first half began as a tug of war, as FNU put up a solid fight in the early goings. Trailing just 12-11 after a layup from Matthew Robinson, the Conquistadors looked prime to pull off the upset. But Keiser forced their way back into the lead shooting 46.7% (14-30) from the floor and outrebounding FNU 24-9.
Robinson collected seven points while Yasmani Torriente had nine points and one block at the break. FNU shot a modest 40.7% (11-27) from the floor but went an abysmal 2-10 (20%) from behind the arc. The Conquistadors entered the second half with a manageable 39-28 deficit.
In the second frame, FNU did a solid job of keeping the deficit close as Keiser outscored FNU 42-38 down the stretch. The Seahawks showed relentless effort in rebounding the ball, snatching up 24 rebounds to the Conquistadors’ 13 in the period. Torriente continued to produce on the offensive end, recording 13 points and picking up three steals on the defensive side of the ball.
Robinson had himself a double-digit second half with 11 points while Jovan Debrito dropped 10 points after a quiet first half. Despite a solid offensive performance across the board, FNU could not overcome the Seahawk’s first-half lead falling short of the comeback.
Torriente was the leading scorer for the Conquistadors with 22 points, one block and three steals. Marcos Molina had a strong debut for FNU, knocking on the door of a double-double with nine points and nine assists.
Up Next: The Conquistadors look to bounce back at the CAC Alliance in Boston starting Jan. 13.
