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Florida National University

Scoreboard

Fabiana Nieves at Ave Maria University 2024
81
Spartanburg Methodist SPARTANB 4-11, 1-1
82
Winner Florida National (FL) FLORIDA 3-7, 1-0
Spartanburg Methodist SPARTANB
4-11, 1-1
81
Final
82
Florida National (FL) FLORIDA
3-7, 1-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 OT 1 F
Spartanburg Methodist SPARTANB 11 26 21 16 7 81
Florida National (FL) FLORIDA 14 20 21 19 8 82

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | Brenda Bogle

Conquistadors secure overtime win over SMC Pioneers

TEMPLE TERRACE, Fla. (Jan. 9, 2025) — Florida National's (3-7) Charlette Leurs and Janelisse Marty Marrero recorded spectacular double-doubles, as the Conquistadors survived a close overtime period against the Spartanburg Methodist College Pioneers (4-11). Leurs led the way with 27 points and 22 rebounds, and Marty Marrero ended the evening with 18 points and 12 boards. 

This was Florida National's first game at the Continental Athletic Conference (CAC) Classic hosted by Florida College. 

In the first quarter, FNU's Fabiana Nieves and Amaris Acevedo recorded six points off the bench to help FNU earn an early 14-11 lead. Starters Valeria Castro and Marty Marrero combined for six points on just 2-7 shooting from the three-point line. SMC's offense also struggled early, and the Pioneers shot 21.1% from the field heading into the second period. 

Before the half, SMC clung to a 37-34 lead after Destiny Middleton produced an 11-point second quarter. She went 3-5 from long range, and FNU had no answer for Krystal Johnson's seven points close to the rim. To its credit, FNU kept things close thanks to Marty Marrero's two threes en route to an 11-point frame.

Leurs found her groove underneath the basket for six before both teams headed to halftime. When play resumed, FNU and the Pioneers recorded 21 points each to keep SMC ahead three entering the fourth. Kyla Cruz Baez was a huge part of this frame with six and Leurs added six more to her total on three made field goals. Nieves continued to pick her spots well with five hard-earned points while the Pioneers were paced by Middleton's six in the period. 

Things took a turn for FNU in the fourth as the Pioneers outscored FNU 9-3 with six minutes remaining in the game to take an unprecedented 67-58 lead. Clutch plays by Marty Marrero and another six points from Leurs helped FNU claw within three with 43 seconds remaining. A made jumper from Leurs about 12 seconds later put the pressure on SMC to protect its one-point lead against a hungry FNU squad. 

Despite two free throws from Johnson, SMC's lead eventually toppled like a house of cards after a stellar pass from Marty Marrero to Leurs resulted in a three-point play to tie things up at 74 with 15 seconds remaining. Neither team could get the edge it needed in the closing seconds and turned their focus to a five-minute overtime period to determine the victor.

In overtime, FNU got it done with three points from Cruz Baez and Nieves and a 4-7 performance from the free-throw line to keep SMC at bay. Nieves gifted FNU an 82-80 lead late in the frame, and Najah Gilliam had a chance to level things at the line before splitting two must-make attempts from the charity stripe. 

This proved to be the difference maker as FNU ushered in its third win of the season and its first program victory against SMC.  

Up Next: Women's basketball takes a short break before hitting the court against the CAC's Fisher College on Jan. 11 at 11 a.m. to end its time in Temple Terrace. Fla.

 
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