MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Clinging to a 66-65 lead with just over 16 seconds to play – following a go-ahead tip-in by junior center
Mubashar Ali – Florida Memorial University needed just one more stop to earn a victory over visiting Huntington University.
Unfortunately, the Foresters came down and hit a three-pointer to take a 68-66 lead with 2.8 seconds remaining and that shot ultimately sank the Lions as
Omar Outar missed what would've been a game-winner as time expired, as Huntington University defeated Florida Memorial at the FMU Wellness Center.
Saturday's game, the Lions' last home game of the 2019 calendar year, was a tough one to swallow; not just because of Konner Platt's game-winning three-pointer, but because of how hard FMU fought to get back in the game and even build a lead through the second half.
Trailing 30-17 with just under three minutes left in the first half, FMU turned up its defensive intensity – nabbing three steals to spark a 12-0 run to close out the half and only trail by one going into halftime. The Lions, who will host Talladega University on January 2, kept the run going in the second half, scoring the first five points to complete an elongated 17-0 run and take a 34-30 lead not even a minute into the second half.
Kaleb Darrett, playing in just his second game with the team, made his presence felt on both ends during the run. He finished with 12 points, four rebounds, and two assists in a team-high 37 minutes of action. Ali turned in another double-double performance, finishing with a team-high 19 points and game-high 16 rebounds; while
Quvondo Johnson, also in just his second game back with the team, had a 16-point, 12-rebound double-double – including a clutch pull-up jumper in the final minute.
As the pace of the game slowed down, Huntington and FMU got into a back-and-forth slugfest over a 16-minute span in the second half. The Lions built a 6-point lead with 7:22 left to play, but the Foresters methodically rallied back and even took a 63-60 lead with 1:39 left.
