AT A GLANCE
FMU Lions (4-9, 1-3) vs. Southeastern University Fire (11-5, 4-1)
When: Saturday, January 4, 2020
Where: Florida Memorial University | FMU Wellness Center
Tip-off: 4 p.m.* (30 minutes following conclusion of women's game)
Last Meeting: Feb. 14, 2019, Loss 72-118
Live Stream Video & Stats: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/fmulions/index.htm
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Often, after a team captures a big win, you'll hear the coach of the victorious team say that they want to see how their team "handles success".
They want to see if their team will build on the good things that went into earning that win or will they get caught up bathing in their press clippings and rest on rest on their laurels only to fall flat the next time out.
Florida Memorial University men's basketball coach
Ansar Al-Ameen will see what version of his team he'll get when they host Sun Conference rival Southeastern University Saturday afternoon in the FMU Wellness Center.
The Lions (4-9, 1-3 Sun Conference) earned their first win of the new decade this past Thursday, when they thoroughly handled No. 24 Talladega College in a 97-82 win. While that victory showed exactly what Al-Ameen's team is capable of, the good feelings that came from the January 2nd win would ring hollow if they didn't follow it up with a strong performance on Saturday, with a large expected home crowd thanks to it being free admission for fans thanks to a New Year's promotion.
Florida Memorial's success can be tied to the addition of junior forward
Quvondo Johnson and what his skillset brings to the Lions' frontcourt. Since rejoining the team in the middle of December, Johnson has posted double-doubles in two of the three games he's played, the latest being a 25-point, 11-rebound performance against Talladega that he punctuated with a thunderous windmill dunk late in the second half.
Johnson, who Coach Al-Ameen said had a "C-plus game" against Talladega, admitted himself that he's still rounding into his peak form and is still picking up the small nuances of the playbook as well as building even better on-court chemistry with teammates.
Standing in Florida Memorial's way Saturday will be a Southeastern University team that has shown itself to be an offensively capable squad. The Fire (11-5, 5-1) averages just over 86 points per game this season and have topped the 100-point mark three times this year. Fire senior guard Blake Morrow leads the team with 21.5 points per contest, but hasn't played in Southeastern's past four games. Fellow senior guard Jeremy Oppenheimer has been stepping up in Morrow's absence.
Florida Memorial will need to play to its strength, which is its size in the frontcourt against the Fire Saturday. As he is in most places he goes, FMU junior center
Mubashar Ali will be the tallest man in the room. Ali, who is among the country's leaders in total rebounds this season, showed how effective and efficient he can be, going 8-for-10 from the field as he scored 21 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in the Lions' win over Talladega.
6-foot-5 senior guard
Jordan Martin can shoot over defenders on the perimeter (to the tune of going 5-of-9 from three-point range Thursday) and the x-factor is 6-foot-9 forward
Cheikh Kebe, who has the physical tools to affect the game on both ends of the floor.
