DENMARK, SC. (Feb. 8, 2024) – In an overtime thriller, Florida National University’s men’s basketball team (9-12) looks to launch a final attempt to gain a win over Voorhees University (11-14). An inbound pass finds the waiting hands of Gary Adams. Adams launches a near-perfect shot from three that rattles its way to the bottom of the net just as the final buzzer sounds in Denmark, SC. FNU’s bench rushes Adams as he lets out a cheerful roar before being encased by jubilant Conquistadors.
FNU’s 87-84 win over the Voorhees Tigers improved the Conquistadors to 5-2 in Continental Athletic Conference (CAC) play as the Conquistadors look prime to make a deep run in the postseason. Florida National shot an impressive 49.2% from the field with three players landing in double figures versus a very competitive Voorhees squad.
In the first half, the game came to a standstill at 29, as Jovan Debrito dropped 14 in 20 minutes on the court. Debrito went 3-5 from three and brought down three boards. Ray Daniel Parrish was another major contributor with nine points on 4-6 shooting from the floor to go along with three rebounds. Voorhees used their depth as an advantage, with 11 of its first-half points coming from its bench. The Tigers’ length was also on full display as they won the rebound battle 22-15.
When play resumed in the second, Voorhees jumped to a 59-54 lead with 8:29 on the clock. The Tigers continued to keep themselves in control of the lead until Ralph Laurent made back-to-back threes with just over three minutes left to cut the Tigers lead to 70-68. Laurent continued to pour it on with a solid jumper that found the bottom of the net. Despite Parrish knocking down two free throws to give FNU a 74-72 lead, Hector Rosario tied the game on the foul line and eventually sent both teams to overtime.
FNU took an 84-81 lead thanks to Parrish’s execution from the foul line, but Voorhees continued to hang around thanks to a three from Omari Bryson. With the score tied at 84, Adams’ Hail Mary heave garnered FNU a win in its final regular season CAC win.
Parrish posted 30 in the victory along with nine rebounds for a near double-double. Debrito was excellent with 27 points, seven rebounds and two assists. Notably, Laurent’s clutch performance amassed 13 points on 3-4 shooting from three.
Up Next: FNU has one final road game to close out the regular season versus UFTL on Feb. 15.
