AT A GLANCE
FMU Lions (5-13, 2-7) at Warner University Royals (15-6, 4-5)
When: January 23, 2020
Where: Warner University, Lake Wales, Fla. | Turner Athletic Center
Tip-off: 7:30 p.m.* (30 minutes following women's game)
Last Meeting: Nov. 23, 2019, Loss 71-52
Live Stream Video & Stats: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/warner/
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Morale victories can ring quite hollow.
It doesn't matter that to Florida Memorial University's men that they were "right there" in their past three games, it only matters what the end result was.
The Lions will look to put a foot in the ground and change course Thursday when it travels to face Sun Conference rival Warner University in the Turner Athletic Center.
Florida Memorial's men are scheduled to take the floor at 7:30 p.m., but the game will tip-off 30 minutes following the conclusion of the preceding women's game in the conference doubleheader.
FMU (5-13, 2-7 Sun Conference) has dropped its past three games by a total of 21 points – including a six-point overtime loss at College of Coastal Georgia after leading by five points with less than 40 seconds left in regulation. The Lions also stood toe-to-toe with No. 14 Keiser University this past Saturday – holding the lead over the ranked team through the first 11 minutes of the second half.
In its first meeting with the Royals (15-6, 4-5), who ranked No. 21 at the time, FMU led by eight at halftime and stretched that lead out to 12 early in the second half before Warner University rallied back and ultimately defeated the Lions 84-73.
Florida Memorial will look a lot different from the first meeting with Warner, though. The Lions will have guards
Quvondo Johnson and
Kaleb Darrett in the lineup. In their six games this season, Johnson and Darrett have combined to add 31 points to the scoreboard on a nightly basis with Johnson also adding an average of eight rebounds.
Having Darrett and Johnson should help as FMU contends with Warner's top guards, Darryl Mercer and Maxwell Benoit. Benoit, the Royals' leading scorer this season, hit the Lions for a game-high 19 points (8-for-11 from the free throw line) in their first meeting. Mercer was right behind with 13 points. Johnson and Darrett are both physically capable of slowing down Mercer and Benoit defensively while also making the Royals guards work harder on the defensive end themselves.
An x-factor for the Lions will also be the shooting of senior guard
Jordan Martin. Martin, who scored 60 points in a two-game span this past week, continues his streak of games with at least one three-pointer made (currently at nine straight games) while knocking at least one shot from downtown in 17 of the Lions' 18 games this year.
