AT A GLANCE
FMU Lions (3-8) vs. Huntington University Foresters (7-5)
When: December 21, 2019
Where: Florida Memorial University, Miami Gardens, Fla. | FMU Wellness Center
Tip-off: 2 p.m.
Last Meeting: March 8, 2007, Win 67-64
Live Stream Video & Stats: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/fmulions/index.htm
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Just as Dorothy chanted in the American classic movie
"The Wizard of Oz", "there's no place like home".
After playing six of their past seven games away from the friendly confines of the FMU Wellness Center – including a week-long stint away from home – Florida Memorial University will return to their home floor Saturday afternoon when it hosts Huntington University at 2 p.m.
The Lions (3-8), who earned a 101-88 win over HBCU rival Edward Waters College the last time they played in front of their home crowd, will also be looking to capture a victory in their final game of the 2019 calendar year.
Following Saturday's game, FMU will enjoy a nearly two-week holiday break and won't be in action again until after the New Year.
Ending 2019 on a positive note would mean knocking off a Huntington University team that will enter Saturday's game playing its second game in as many days. Still, the Foresters (7-5) are a potent offensive team – scoring nearly 80 points per game with four different players averaging in double figures. Senior guard Konner Platt leads the way, banking 21.8 points per game.
On paper, Florida Memorial has the requisite physical pieces to make Huntington's leading scorer work hard to earn his points – with 6-foot-5 guard
Jordan Martin able to defend on the perimeter and funnel ballhandlers into the paint to face either 6-foot-9 forward
Cheikh Kebe or 7-foot center
Mubashar Ali.
FMU's offensive attack was bolstered recently, too. With the clearance of junior guards
Quvondo Johnson (6-foot-4) and
Kaleb Darrett (6-foot-1), the Lions' backcourt received an infusion of shot-making and athleticism – with Florida Memorial head coach
Ansar Al-Ameen calling Darrett a player "capable of being the best player on the floor at any time".