Lady Lions Look To Avoid Back-To-Back Conference Losses, Host Ave Maria Thursday

AT A GLANCE
FMU Lions (10-11, 5-6) vs. Ave Maria University Gyrenes (14-7, 7-4)
When: January 30, 2020
Where: Florida Memorial, Miami Gardens, Fla. | FMU Wellness Center
Tip-off: 6 p.m.
Last Meeting: Nov. 16, 2019, Loss 55-77
Live Stream Video & Stats: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/fmulions/index.htm

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Florida Memorial University's women will be looking to avoid dropping a second consecutive Sun Conference game when they host Ave Maria University Thursday night at 6 p.m. in the FMU Wellness Center.

The Lady Lions (10-11, 5-6 Sun Conference) had their two-game win streak snapped this past Saturday when it lost a 63-61 heartbreaker to Webber International University – dropping FMU's overall and conference records below .500 again.

Florida Memorial currently sits in sixth place in the Sun Conference standings, the final qualifying slot in the conference's championship tournament, and will need to earn victories in their remaining conference games to stave off St. Thomas University – which also has a 5-6 conference record but is 8-13 overall.

Thursday will be the second meeting between the Lions and the Gyrenes (14-7, 7-4). Ave Maria defeated FMU 77-55 in the first meeting, a game in which Florida Memorial senior forward Isis Lane only scored two points despite playing 35 minutes.

Lane leads the Lions in both scoring and rebounding this season and has recorded double-doubles in those categories in the past four games. As impressive as Lane's individual numbers have been, Florida Memorial head coach Gregory Stanback hasn't seen consistent contributions from enough of the rest of his roster.

Airneisha Gamble has shouldered a portion of the offensive load for the Lions. The 5-foot-5 guard has scored at least 10 points in six straight games, including a season-best 23 points in the loss to Webber International, but it has been an up-and-down balance of offensive output otherwise.

Ave Maria enters Thursday game as a team that will be looking to improve their lot in the Sun Conference picture. The Gyrenes, who have a 6-2 record on the road this season, are just one game behind the third-place team in the standings and a game-and-a-half behind the No. 2 team. Sarah Miller leads Ave Maria in scoring this season, averaging just under 17 points per game this year, and is the engine that powers the Gyrenes' offense.

A fifth-straight double-double by Lane and a seventh-consecutive double-digit scoring night for Gamble would be welcomed feats for the Lions Thursday, but their ultimate success will come down to the whether or not they have an efficient shooting night – which will likely mean more offensive output from the rest of the roster.