FMU Hopes To Avenge Earlier Loss, Hosts Keiser Thursday

AT A GLANCE
FMU Lions (4-7, 4-4) vs. Keiser University Seahawks (8-6, 4-4)
When: Thursday, January 14, 2021
Where: Florida Memorial, Miami Gardens, Fla. | FMU Wellness Center
Tip-off: 8 p.m.* (30 minutes following women's game)
Last Meeting: Jan. 4, 2021, Loss 65-69
Live Stream: Link
Live Stats: Link

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Florida Memorial University's men's basketball team put a foot in the ground and changed its course this past weekend with an impressive win, now it will be looking to carry momentum into Thursday's home game against Keiser University.

The game is scheduled for an 8 p.m. start, but tip-off will be 30 minutes following the conclusion of the preceding women's game between the schools. Also, fans will not be permitted to attend the game inside the FMU Wellness Center per university health and safety protocols. Fans will be able to view the game for free via an online live stream.

FMU (4-7, 4-4 The Sun Conference) snapped a two-game losing streak this past weekend with an 81-71 victory over visiting College of Coastal Georgia. It was arguably the Lions' best performance of the season, as they played a selfless and cohesive brand of basketball.

Sam Mack Jr. had another breakout offensive performance, racking up 29 points on 11-for-17 shooting while adding 3 assists and 2 steals. Aside from Mack's big night, the Lions also got 12 points from Terence Clayton; 9 points from Muhammad Gilchrist; 8 points each from Aubrey Washington and Mubashar Ali; and a season-high 15 rebounds from Cheikh Kebe.

What surely made Florida Memorial head coach Ansar Al-Ameen smile was the fact that his team cut down on its turnovers this past weekend – something that has been quite a big thorn in his squad's paw throughout this season.

In Keiser University, the Lions will be facing in a team that has lost its past two games – including a 5-point loss to the same Coastal Georgia team that FMU just beat by 10.

The Seahawks are typically buoyed by junior guard CoreVon Lott. Averaging almost 19 points per game while shooting 46 percent from three-point range, Lott has proven himself to be a potent offensive force. However, the Lions did a number on Lott defensively in their meeting a week and-a-half ago, holding him to just 13 points as he shot just 1-of-4 from deep.

Florida Memorial did a lot of good things in the first meeting against Keiser – like winning the rebound battle and shooting better percentages overall from the field – where it ran into trouble was with its turnovers. The Lions gave the ball away 21 times against the Seahawks the first time and those turnovers led to 20 points.

Al-Ameen has gotten solid production and ball control from Clayton as the team's starting point guard recent and hasn't seen much of dip when turning to guards Murrad Berrien and Washington off the bench. It was against Keiser that Clayton recorded his season-high point total (16) and it was also the night that Gilchrist knocked down 5-of-7 three pointers en route to recording his season-best 20 points.

Success for the Lions will once again likely lay in their ability to play cohesively while limiting turnovers. FMU has multiple options – Mack, Gilchrist, Washington, and Ali – that can provide offensive production on a given night, the focus again must be on stymieing Lott while also doing a better job of slowing down KU's Shaquille Harris, who scored a game-high 21 points against the Lions on Jan. 4.

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