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Florida National University

Scoreboard

Ziul Gonzalez shooting a three against Ave Maria 2025-26
Anthony Salazar - @anthonysalazarrr
62
Fort Lauderdale UFTL 2-7
72
Winner Florida National (FL) FNU 4-5
Fort Lauderdale UFTL
2-7
62
Final
72
Florida National (FL) FNU
4-5
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Fort Lauderdale UFTL 16 17 15 14 62
Florida National (FL) FNU 14 22 14 22 72

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | Brenda Bogle

A formidable fourth quarter helps FNU close out Eagles

HIALEAH, Fla. (Dec. 5, 2025) — Florida National women's basketball (4-5) relied on a 22-point fourth quarter to knock off a tough University of Fort Lauderdale (2-7) team at Bucky Dent Park. FNU's Jaylyn Laguna and Kaylee Llanos combined for 41 to cash in the Conquistadors' eighth program win against the Eagles.

Despite having just seven players on hand, UFTL utilized its size and attacked the basket with great precision in the first quarter. Ending the frame up 16-14, Khyle Wharton and Amelia Gatson posted eight and five, respectively, to open play in Hialeah, Fla. FNU was able to keep up thanks to five from Llanos and four points from Maria De Gracia Karamanites, with the Conquistadors shooting just 26.3% as a team.

Defensively, FNU had no issues poking the ball away, heading into the second with eight steals and forcing nine UFTL turnovers. This momentum helped FNU end the half up 36-33, behind a stellar 56.3% shooting performance from the field. Laguna was an essential part of this run, knocking down a pair of threes in rhythm and finishing at the rim for 14-second half points. 

The Eagles hung around, however, with Wharton and Gatson connecting on seven shot attempts in the quarter. Wharton, specifically, found her shot at the elbows for nine heading to the break. 

When play resumed in the second half, neither team could truly assert itself in the fast-paced, high-tempo tug of war of the third. FNU got to the free-throw line after UFTL got in the bonus, going 6-8 from the charity stripe. Llanos relied on the line for three of her eight in the frame while Ziul Gonzalez added three to her four first-half points. The Conquistadors still did not have an answer for UFTL's two forwards, as Wharton and Gaston accounted for 14 of UFTL's 15 in the period. 

The fourth saw UFTL finally hit a wall and struggle to get the ball across the half-court line against FNU's full-court press. The Eagles turned it over nine times and fell behind, thanks in part to a seven-point burst from guard Gonzalez. De Gracia was also critical to FNU's late 10-point lead with eight in the fourth and four critical boards in the final minutes. Stifling defense and a 7-9 performance at the free-throw line helped FNU outscore the Eagles 22-14 when it mattered most, denying the Eagles their first-ever program win over FNU. 

Four Conquistadors ended the night in double figures, and Laguna paced the team with 22. De Gracia had a double-double of 13 points and 15 rebounds to go along with a team-high four assists. Llanos ended another great night with 19 points and eight steals, while Gonzalez used a stellar fourth to end the evening with 14 points and five boards. 

Up Next: A rematch against New College of Florida is on deck for FNU, with tip-off in Bradenton, Fla., set for 2 p.m.
 
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