LAKE WALES, Fla. – Thanks to
Quvondo Johnson's game-high 22 points and nine rebounds, Florida Memorial University rallied from a 14-point second-half deficit to upend host and Sun Conference rival Warner University 75-72 Thursday night in the Turner Athletic Center.
The Lions trailed 50-36 three minutes into the second half but methodically chipped away at the deficit through the next five minutes – using a 15-1 run to tie the game at 51 with just over 12 minutes left to play. Over the course of those final dozen minutes, it was see-saw battle that ultimately swung in FMU's favor after
Jordan Martin sank a pair of free throws to give Florida Memorial a 74-72 lead with 23 seconds left. Warner University came up empty on its final offensive possession of the game and Martin put the game on ice with less than a second left when he knocked down another free throw to cement the final 75-72 margin.
It was a bit of a statement game for Johnson, who shot an efficient 7-of-12 from the field and was a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line Thursday, as he showed himself to be the difference-maker the Lions didn't have at their disposal during FMU's first loss to the Royals earlier this season.
Florida Memorial (6-13, 3-7 Sun Conference) also got 14 points, six assists, and five rebounds from junior guard
Kaleb Darrett – who also wasn't active in the first game against the Royals (15-7, 4-6).
The Lions, who will return home this weekend to host Webber International University on January 25, also got 10 points from
Cheikh Kebe – which helped supplement FMU's frontcourt production since 7-foot junior
Mubashar Ali was saddled with foul trouble and ended up only being able to contribute eight points and four rebounds in 23 minutes of action.
Thursday's win had multiple layers of positivity for the Lions. Not only did they avenge an early-season loss to a conference foe, not only did they snap a three-game losing streak, but they earned their sixth win of the season – surpassing their win total from the 2018-19 season. There have been tangible improvements within the program from Florida Memorial head coach
Ansar Al-Ameen first season to his second, and the Lions' record could have easily been five games better had it been able to secure victories in games in which they held substantial second-half leads.
