BOSTON, Mass. ( Jan. 13, 2023) – Florida National University’s men’s basketball team secured its third win of the 2022-23 season in a thrilling 94-88 match versus Fisher College. This victory cements a 1-1 record for FNU (3-9) in the Continental Athletic Conference (CAC) and handed Fisher (8-9) just its second conference loss thus far.
The first half was as close as it gets with each team hanging 46 points on the board at the break. Jovan Debrito found his rhythm early nailing 13 points, two rebounds and one steal. Matthew Robinson had seven points in the period on 2-5 shooting from the floor. FNU went 56.7% (17-30) from the floor while the Falcons kept things close on 17-29 (58.6%) shooting before halftime.
The Falcons had no answer for Debrito, as the Miami native commanded 19 points and four rebounds in the second half. Point guard Marcos Molina had a respectable second half with four points and orchestrated five assists while on the court. FNU’s excellent guard play helped them dig their way out of an early five-point deficit four minutes into the half.
The Conquistadors were down by as many as seven before they forced their way into a much-needed lead down the stretch of the ball game. A clutch three-pointer from DeBrito made it a 61-60 lead for the Falcons and that was when FNU took over. A pair of threes courtesy of Debrito and Robinson, along with a solid layup from Yasmani Torriente, propelled FNU to a 72-62 lead with 11:42 left in the game.
But the Falcons stormed back with under two minutes left, going on a 4-0 run to make it a 90-88 contest after a layup by Ke’Andre Penceal. FNU was able to ice the game at the charity stripe with Torriente going 2-2 at the line. Debrito and Jordan Cardenas went 1-2 from the line in the closing seconds to put their team over the top.
Debrito ended the night with a team-high 32 points along with six rebounds. Torriente continues to play at a high level for the Conquistadors racking up 24 points and seven rebounds. Robinson and Cardenas record double figures with 16 and 10 points, respectively.
Up Next: FNU faces Washington Adventist Jan. 14 at 7:30 p.m.
