HIALEAH, Fla. ( Nov. 14, 2023) – Florida National University’s women’s basketball team fell 91-74 to the St. Thomas University Bobcats despite holding a 44-40 lead at halftime. FNU (0-3) was overpowered by the Bobcats’ (2-2) length and aggressiveness in the paint, giving up 21 offensive rebounds while only securing 11 offensive boards of their own. Twenty-two turnovers did not help matters much, as FNU dropped their fourth straight game to STU going back to Dec. 2020.
In the first half, FNU was in the driver’s seat with Janelisse Marty Marrero and Catalina Valenzuela combining for 10 points in the first quarter. Gabriela Solis and Jaycee Omeir had nice contributions from the bench, dropping five and four points respectively in five minutes on the court. The Bobcats were outscored 23-19 but were able to make things a bit closer in the second posting, 21 points in the period. Paige McDonald was a force in the paint with six points and four rebounds for the visiting Bobcats.
The second half saw STU force their way back into the contest, outscoring FNU 30-13 in the third. Adalis Arroyo had a couple of nice layups under the glass and Marty Marrero posted four points of her own in the period. But this could not stop the bleeding, as the Bobcats shot an impressive 54.5% from the field. Bria Brown was a big part of STU’s run, collecting nine points before the quarter came to a close.
In the fourth, STU pushed the pace in transition and shut the door on an FNU comeback early in the frame. Despite being outscored 21-17, Valenzuela did record five points. FNU committed costly errors on offense, including nine turnovers over the last two periods to lose the game 91-74.
Solis, Arroyo, Marty Marrero and Valenzuela ended the night in double figures while Delores Charlton snatched eight rebounds.
Up Next: The New College of Florida Mighty Banyans head to Bucky Dent Park for a 1 p.m. battle versus FNU.
