LAKE WALES, Fla. ( Oct. 28, 2022) – Florida National’s women’s basketball team were unable to start the season with a victory, as they fell to the Warner University Royals, 50-70 Friday afternoon. This was the first game of the year for each team this season and the Royals looked comfortable shooting a cool 50% from the field for the contest. FNU struggled to get it going early and ended the match shooting just 32% through four quarters. This victory signals a 0-1 start of 2022-23 for FNU while Warner stays unbeaten for the time being.
The first quarter was a pretty even match-up as both teams looked to get it going from behind the arc early. Florida National did a stellar job of putting their bodies in front over overside Warner attackers, as the Conquistadors drew two charges in the early minutes of the contest.
While Florida National may look like an undersized team, newcomer Kaylee Llanos snatched up two offensive rebounds right as she checked into the first. Natalie Larranaga was able to get it going early end the quarter with nine points. What made the difference for the Royals was their 7-12 shooting from the field and the clutch 4-4 performance on the free throw line, as FNU’s 5-16 and 0-6 from the three-point line. The Royals ended the first quarter with a 19-12 lead, with plenty of time for an FNU comeback.
Unfortunately, the shooting woes continued for FNU, as they went a mere 6-16 in the second quarter and only connected on two of the 18 three-pointers they attempted. Warner went 12-16 from the charity stripe and despite abysmal shooting from Florida National, it was only a 12 Royal lead at the half.
In the third quarter, Warner only outscored FNU 11-9, as the Conquistaord survived due in large part to a 3-8 performance on the free-point line. The fourth is where the Royals started to run away with the contest shooting over 50% in the final ten minutes of play. Chanelle McDonald was thriving underneath the basket, using her size to bully her way into the paint, and put up ten points in the fourth. Janelisse Marty put up six points for the Conquistadors in the fourth, but it was not enough to keep Warner from securing the win.
Larranaga had a solid game with 17 points to lead the Conquistadors and Llanos provided some relief off the bench with 17 points of her own.
Up Next: FNU now looks to the University of the Virgins Islands HBCU Classic starting November 3. First up for the Conquistadors is Philander Smith College at 12 p.m.
