AVE MARIA, Fla. (Dec. 12, 2023) - Florida National University's men's basketball team was no match for the offensive onslaught inflicted by the No. 17 Ave Maria University Gyrenes Tuesday at the Tom Golisano Field House. AMU redeemed its earlier loss to the Conquistador in late November at Bucky Dent Park with a statement 109-86 victory. The Conquistadors struggled to find a rhythm on either side of the ball in the opening half, leaving the door open for the Gyrenes to play fast and get easy buckets in transition.
In the first, AMU went into halftime with a 63-33 lead after an explosive performance on offense. The Gyrenes shot 62.2% from the floor and hit ten threes. While AMU couldn't miss from long range, FNU missed all six of their attempted three pointers and shot 38.2% from the field. Notably, Cameron Johnson had 14 points in the half, while Ray Daniel Parrish and Gabriel Fajardo combined for 13. Along with sharpshooters on the perimeter, the Gyrenes' post players out rebounded FNU 20-13, and AMU recorded 15 points off turnovers.
Gary Adams had a signature start to the half with 11 points in eight minutes of play after just scoring two points in the first. With 11:11 on the clock, Johnson picked up a crafty layup through contact for the three-point play. His made free throw, however, only cut the Gyrenes' lead to 22. AMU's lead hovered at around the 20-plus mark for the majority of the half, despite the Conquistadors shooting 58% in the frame. AMU ended the game with 17 made threes and 26 assists.
Johnson had a huge night with 32 points, while Parrish and Adams recorded 18 and 22, respectively. Parrish and Adams also combined for 11 steals.
Up Next: FNU host No. 25 Florida Memorial on Dec. 16 at 6:30 p.m.
