AT A GLANCE
FMU Lions (7-15, 4-9) vs. St. Thomas University Bobcats (15-5, 8-5)
When: Saturday, February 8, 2020
Where: Florida Memorial, Miami Gardens, Fla. | FMU Wellness Center
Tip-Off: 4 p.m. *30 minutes following women's game
Last Meeting: Dec. 7, 2019, Loss 91-94
Live Stream Video & Stats: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/fmulions/index.htm
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Losing to a rival can really stick in your craw. And losing to a rival during homecoming is about a big a "no-no" as there is.
So, when Florida Memorial University's men take their home floor against neighborhood and conference rival St. Thomas University Saturday afternoon, they'll be looking to not only to avenge their early-season loss to the Bobcats but also play for the pride of their school as it hosts its annual homecoming game.
Saturday's game, which is set to tip at 4 p.m. or 30 minutes following the conclusion of the women's game, is expected to be quite the spectacle – with a full day of homecoming events surrounding the game and an expected near-capacity crowd FMU's Wellness Center for what will be Florida Memorial's final basketball homecoming game.
As FMU has rebirthed its football program, the school will be transitioning to hosting its homecoming during the fall football season – with an anticipated date of October 10, 2020 as the first football homecoming date.
The Lions, who will be looking to win consecutive games for the first time this season, are entering Saturday's game both confident and well-rested.
Florida Memorial (7-15, 4-9 Sun Conference) cashed in on its upset bid, knocking off No. 20 Southeastern University on its home floor this past Saturday (Feb. 1), then enjoyed nearly a week's worth of rest.
The Lions also welcomed the healthy return of 7-foot junior center
Mubashar Ali and junior guard
Kaleb Darrett this past weekend. Ali – who missed a pair of games with concussion-like symptoms – returned to the starting lineup and poured in 17 points while Darrett came off the bench and added 12 points and six rebounds.
With Ali and Darrett back in the fold and
Jordan Collins playing with newfound confidence as he's averaging 21.5 points per game over the past two games, the Lions should be ready to stand toe-to-toe with a St. Thomas University team that narrowly got the best of FMU in their first meeting.
The Bobcats (15-5, 8-5 Sun Conference) edged Florida Memorial 94-91 in an overtime game back in December, but has proven themselves to be a quality team throughout the year. St. Thomas is led by senior guard Justin Brown, who's among the Sun Conference's leading scorers with his 22.4 points a night.
It'll work in FMU's favor that it will have junior guard
Quvondo Johnson in the lineup against the Bobcats. Johnson, who's averaging 15 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in his 10 games this season, wasn't on Florida Memorial's active roster during the first meeting and should give Lions head coach
Ansar Al-Ameen another defender to throw at Brown as well as an offensive threat to go after Brown on the other end of the floor.
