Lions get past FNU in Thursday exhibition

SAINT LEO, Fla. (Dec. 18, 2025) — Conquistador women's basketball (6-6) ran into a tough NCAA DII Saint Leo University (4-4) squad, falling 99-67 on the road. This was the first of back-to-back road exhibitions for Florida National to close out the 2025 calendar year.

Throughout the first two quarters, FNU struggled to keep the Lions' hot-handed offense off the board. SLU shot 58.82% in the first quarter and used a 28-17 advantage early to keep itself ahead after outscoring FNU 24-12 on just 25% shooting from the floor. Despite a significant deficit for most of the contest, FNU's starters continued to shine against tough competition.

The second half did see FNU show out with a 20-point third, but they allowed 23 from the Lions in the frame. Notably, FNU's shooting was less than ideal, going 4-27 from the three-point line before the game was over.

Maria De Gracia Karamanites and Ziul Gonzalez posted 19 and 16 points, respectively. Jaylyn Laguna found her spots for nine points and six boards in 30 minutes on the court. De Gracia had her second consecutive game with a double-double, collecting a team-high 10 rebounds against the Lions. Valeria Cifuentes followed up an offensive awakening against Webber International University with eight points on 4-10 shooting.

This was the first meeting between these two squads, and FNU drops to 0-2 in exhibitions this season.

Up Next: An exhibition against Florida International on Dec. 30 is on deck for FNU, its final game of 2025.

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Players Mentioned

#1 Valeria Cifuentes: G; 5' 6"; Sophomore

#10 Maria De Gracia Karamanites: F; 5' 10"; Freshman

#12 Ziul Gonzalez: G; 5' 7"; Freshman

#5 Jaylyn Laguna: G; 5' 5"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#1 Valeria Cifuentes
: 5' 6"; Sophomore
: G

#10 Maria De Gracia Karamanites
: 5' 10"; Freshman
: F

#12 Ziul Gonzalez
: 5' 7"; Freshman
: G

#5 Jaylyn Laguna
: 5' 5"; Freshman
: G

Florida National University

Scoreboard

Lions get past FNU in Thursday exhibition

Players Mentioned

#1 Valeria Cifuentes

#10 Maria De Gracia Karamanites

#12 Ziul Gonzalez

#5 Jaylyn Laguna

Players Mentioned

#1 Valeria Cifuentes

#10 Maria De Gracia Karamanites

#12 Ziul Gonzalez

#5 Jaylyn Laguna