MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Momentum is intangible – but it can be quite substantial.
Trailing 46-36 with 15:24 left in the second half, the game's momentum swung in Florida Memorial University's favor as it went on an 18-0 run in a five-minute span which became a 38-4 elongated run as the Lions dismantled visiting Thomas University 81-60 Saturday evening in the FMU Wellness Center.
Florida Memorial's men – arguably – played its best brand of basketball in the second half Saturday – similar to what their FMU women's hoops counterparts did on the same floor earlier the same day. The Lions' lead swelled to as much as 24 in the second half before they coasted into the final 21-point margin.
The Lions erased the deficit and pulled away from the hapless Night Hawks as junior forward
Quvondo Johnson threw down emphatic dunks and senior guard
Omar Outar found his shooting stroke from deep range and knocked down seven three-pointers.
Johnson put his entire offensive repertoire on display Saturday – finishing with a game-high 24 points (9-of-16 from the field), with 12 rebounds, seven assists, and a steal. The Los Angeles, California native was a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line and 2-for-3 from three-point range.
Outar, who saw extra time Saturday because FMU's leading three-point shooter this season senior guard
Jordan Martin missed the game with an undisclosed injury, set a new personal season-high for three-pointers made with his performance.
Outar and Johnson picked a perfect night to put on a show, too. Not only was Saturday the night that Florida Memorial honored its 2019 Sun Conference tournament champion women's volleyball team with its championship rings, Golden State Warriors guard Kyran "Ky" Bowman attended the game as a guest of Lions head coach
Ansar Al-Ameen.
Al-Ameen, who has served as a skills trainer to Bowman and other NBA players, said that Saturday's victory is his favorite of his tenure at Florida Memorial University.
"There was so much good energy out there," Al-Ameen said. "Once things got rolling, the energy became contagious. The guys were sharing the ball, they were playing for each other, they were making the right plays, and they were having fun. It was the first night that we had more assists than we did turnovers and it came on a night where we won the rebound battle."
"This is my favorite win in my two years here at Florida Memorial," Al-Ameen said.
It's easy to see why, as Al-Ameen's team could seem to do no wrong during the final 15 minutes of the game.
Aside from Outar and Johnson, the Lions, who will travel to face Keiser University this coming Thursday (Feb. 20), got a 14-point, 13-rebound double-double from junior center
Mubashar Ali and 11 points from guard
Kaleb Darrett.
Freddy Reeves Jr., who was making his return to FMU's lineup Saturday after missing a handful of games with a lower extremity injury, even contributed intangibly good minutes off the bench – having a substantial impact on the game despite finishing with modest stat line of two points, three boards, and a pair of assists.
Saturday's victory, which marked the first time this season that the Lions (9-17, 6-10 Sun Conference) won consecutive games, kept the wind in FMU's sails as it tries to qualify for the Sun Conference postseason tournament. Florida Memorial now sits in a tie for seventh place with Webber International University in the conference standings, both a full game behind Coastal Georgia and Warner University – who are tied for fifth with 7-9 conference records.
Al-Ameen remains optimistic as his team prepares to play the final two games of the regular season.
"We're just taking care of our business right now," Al-Ameen said of his team trying to win out in its remaining games. "We know we need some help, but we just have to do our job. And we're confident right now. I know we have to go to Keiser next, but they've been struggling recently and we've been a good road team this year, so they're going to have to be ready for us."
