MIAMI, Fla. (October 23, 2020) – Led by seniors Deandra Akins and Adria Stewart, the Florida National women’s basketball team (1-0) defeated the Johnson (Fla.) Suns (0-1), 68-65, on Friday evening.
Florida National held off the Suns in the final 1:31 of the game, outscoring the team from Kissimmee, Florida, 8-5. The Conquistadors used staunch defense and timely free throws to pick up the three-point victory.
The season opener for the Conquistadors, Friday’s contest saw three players reach double-figures in scoring, including Akins and Stewart, who posted 21 and 20 points, respectively. Akins shot 8-of-20 from the floor and was 5-of-10 from 3-point range. Stewart was 7-of-22 from the field and converted 5-of-6 attempts from the charity stripe.
Also scoring in double-figures was freshman Delores Charlton, who notched 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting. The native of Miami also grabbed a team-high nine boards in her first game as a Conquistador.
FNU finished the contest, shooting 32.1 percent from the floor (26-of-81) and was 6-of-32 from downtown (18.8 percent). Johnson (Fla.) ended the draining 33.3 percent of its shots from the floor (18-of-54) and hit on 22.7 percent of its attempts from beyond the arc (5-of-22).
A big factor in the game was FNU’s ability to convert a number of Suns turnovers into points, recording 21 points off of turnovers. The Conquistadors forced an astonishing 39 Johnson (Fla.) turnovers in the contest.
FNU will next head to Lakeland, Florida, to take on the Southeastern Fire on Wednesday, October 28. Tipoff is set for 5:00 p.m.
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.
