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Florida National University

Scoreboard

Jesus Rivas shooting a free throw at Keiser 2025-26
David Badia - @Sportsmediadb
73
Winner Truett McConnell TMU 6-8
70
Florida National (FL) FNU 4-6
Winner
Truett McConnell TMU
6-8
73
Final
70
Florida National (FL) FNU
4-6
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Truett McConnell TMU 37 36 73
Florida National (FL) FNU 37 33 70

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Brenda Bogle

Bears’ clutch three spoils FNU’s night at Bucky Dent Park

HIALEAH, Fla. (Dec. 18, 2025) — Florida National men's basketball (4-6) saw another close battle not go its way, dropping a competitive match to the Truett McConnell University Bears (5-8), 73-70. This was FNU's third one-possession loss so far this season and its first program loss to the Bears from Cleveland, Georgia.

The first half ended in a deadlock with both teams tallying 37 points in the opening 20 minutes. Shawn Walker had 10 for the visiting Bears in the period, and Emanuel Befekadu used a couple of threes for eight critical points. For FNU, Hasmar Francois paced the team with nine, while Ronald Fernandez and Serge Beauvoir III were unstoppable in transition for a combined 12 points and seven assists. In fact, a put-back from Fernandez on a miss by Cameron Johnson in the final seconds of the first tied the game and was just the kind of tenacity FNU needed from its starting forward.

Both teams were leveled in most statically categories. FNU shot 45.5% while TMU hovered at 48.4%. Neither team shot the ball well from long range, as TMU went 2-9 from three and FNU entered the break 3-10.

Florida National, however, was able to break away slightly in the second half, using its defense to fuel its offense. Beauvoir III grabbed a steal off a turnover from Preston Tuggle and fed a pass for a Johnson layup to give FNU a 63-60 lead with 4:38 remaining. Unfortunately, turnovers and fouls from the Conquistadors put TMU back in the game. Soon, the Bears were up 70-66 on a layup from Tuggle with 77 seconds on the clock. Critical players were also in foul, with Gary Adams and Jonathan Norman picking up four personals in the loss, while Omar Baqai and Johnson played with three fouls.

FNU did not panic, however, and attacked the basket en route to clutch free throws from Joshua Milla and Fernandez to tie things up at 70 all with 31 seconds left to play. TMU utilized FNU's 30-second timeout, milked to clock down perfectly on its next possession, and got a shot lined up for its top shooter, Jadon Yeh. An off-ball screen handoff from guard Isaac Brito-Vasquez allowed Yeh just enough separation to hoist a clutch three that bounced around the rim before sinking in for the TMU lead with mere seconds left.

FNU advanced the ball quickly on the inbound pass before calling its final timeout. Baqai got a shot off with 1.1 remaining but was unable to pull off the Hail Mary.

Five different FNU players ended the game in double figures: Francois (14), Adams (11), Beauvoir III (10), Fernandez (12) and Johnson (10). Center Jesus Rivas had a team-high nine rebounds while Milla, Fernandez and Beauvoir III tallied four assists.

Up Next: FNU takes a short break for the holidays but preps for a 6 p.m. game on Dec. 30 against the College of the Ozarks.
 
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