PIKEVILLE, KY – Florida National University Men’s Basketball team lost a tough game on Saturday (Oct. 26th) against #5 in the Nation University of Pikeville the contest was played played in the University of Pikeville at Pikeville, KY.
INSIDE THE MATCH-UP:
Final Score: Florida National University 81, University of Pikeville 88
Records: Florida National University (2-1), University of Pikeville (1-0)
Location: University of Pikeville , Pikeville, KY.
Florida National University Starters: Jeffrey Hernandez , Jose Benitez, Hirotaka Ohashi, Kenneth Santos, Nico Rojas
University of Pikeville Starters: Jordan Perry, Luke Layhew, DeAndre Barton, Xaviar Gaona, Dez Brown.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- It was the tale of two halves, as the Bears dominated the first half to build up to a 16-point lead by halftime and then held off the game Conquistadors down the stretch.
- The game was tied four times in the first 3:03 before the Bears took command. A 19-5 stretch that took only 4:25 broke the 8-8 tie.
- The Bears took all the momentum of the game into the half when Perry spun free of a defender and tossed in an off-balance 30-foot jumper at the halftime horn to make the lead 50-34 at the break.
- It appeared the Bears would cruise through the second half when Perry scored in the paint with 15:04 left to put his team on top 61-42. But the Conquistadors responded with an 18-1 run to pull within two.
- Freshman guard Hirotaka Ohashi got the stretch going with a pair of free throws and a basket. After Jeffrey Hernandez scored, junior Jose Benitez scored seven straight with a three followed by two baskets inside.
- Ohashi was at it again late, hitting three free throws, the last two coming with 9:33 left to make the count 62-60.
- But the Bears responded with 10 of the next 12 points, getting five from Perry and three from Layhew.
- A basket by Ohashi with 3:06 left pulled FNU back to within four (79-75), but the Bears settled down from there and held on for the win.
- One key difference in the game came at the free-throw line. After hitting 5-of-7 in the first half, the Bears cooled to 14-of-25 shooting in the second frame while Florida National finished 9-of-11 from the line.
- Ohashi led five FNU players in double figures with 20. Hernandez followed with 18. Jose Benitez added 13 while Kenneth Santos and Thomas Dillon finished with 10 each.
- Perry had 30 to pace the Bears, while Layhew tossed in 28 to go with 11 rebounds. Junior Fode Camara, who had seven points, came off the bench for 10 rebounds as the Bears dominated the glass 44-31.
GAME STATS:
- FNU shot 45.3% from the field on 29-of-64 shooting overall but was hot from the field in the Second half, hitting 46.4%.
- FNU shot 35.5% from downtown on 11-of-31 shooting.
- University of Pikeville hit 52.4% of its shots from the paint and 20.0% from the long range.
- Applying the pressure on the defensive side, the Conquistadors forced 15 turnovers and recorded 7 steals.
FNU HIGHLIGHTS:
- Hirotaka Ohashi scored a team high 20 points, and added a 4 assists, and two steals.
- Jeffrey Hernandez noted 18 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists, going 8-of-15 from the field and 2-for-5 from Downtown.
- Kenneth Santos led the Conquistadors on the boards with 8 rebounds and he also scored 10 points and recorded 2 assists.
- Thomas Dillon came off the bench with 10 points, shooting 3-of-7 from the field, 2-for-5 from Downtown and he also recorded 4 rebounds.
BEYOND THE BOX-SCORE:
- FNU record now is 2-1 this season.
- FNU falls to 2-1 record.
- 9 players saw at least six minutes of action for the Conquistadors.
- University of Pikeville out-rebounded FNU 44-31 in the contest.
GAME NOTES:
- Sophomore Jeffrey Hernandez is on fire on the season with an average of 22.3 points per game.
TEAM LEADERS:
Florida National University
- Points: Hirotaka Ohashi (20)
- Rebounds: Kenneth Santos (8)
- Assists: Hirotaka Ohashi (4)
University of Pikeville
- Points: Jordan Perry (30)
- Rebounds: Luke Layhew (11)
- Assists: DeAndre Barton (3)
WHAT’S NEXT:
Florida National University men’s basketball Team will now face Lindsey Wilson College (KY) on Monday, October 28th at 7:00 Pm. The game will take place at Columbia, KY.
STAY CONNECTED:Follow FNU athletics on social Media: 
Ruy Castelo Branco – FNU – Sports Information Director
About FNU: Florida National University opened its first class on January 4th, 1988, in the city of Hialeah, Florida, as Florida International Institute under the administration of Dr. José Regueiro, Dr. María C. Regueiro and Mr. Omar Sánchez. FNU Athletic Department has more than 250 student-athletes in 11 different sports. Established in 2013, FNU Athletics is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA).
The mission of the Florida National University Athletic Department is to provide assistance within an athletic structure that promotes the development of a well rounded education through structured sport and competition, to develop life skills of discipline, integrity, leadership, philanthropy and social responsibility, to elevate ethnic and cultural diversity within the athletic programs, to assure equitable opportunity for all staff and student-athletes, and to make the athletic program a durable source of pride for the student population, student-athletes, alumni, university, and community of FNU.
