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Florida Memorial University Athletics

Scoreboard

FMU player
Charles Bethel Jr.
93
Winner Florida Memorial University FMUM 5-8, 5-5 TSC
92
St. Thomas STUMB20 5-6, 4-5 TSC
Winner
Florida Memorial University FMUM
5-8, 5-5 TSC
93
Final
92
St. Thomas STUMB20
5-6, 4-5 TSC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 F
Florida Memorial University FMUM 38 44 11 93
St. Thomas STUMB20 45 37 10 92

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | J.T. Wilcox, Sports Information Director

Washington Hits Game-Winner, FMU Tops St. Thomas In Overtime

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Trailing 92-90 with seconds remaining in overtime, Florida Memorial University senior center Mubashar Ali charged up the up looking to possibly win the game with a drive to the basket, instead the 7-foot center kicked the ball out to guard Aubrey Washington, who put up an in-rhythm corner three that smoothly went through the net right before the final buzzer sounded – giving the Lions a 93-92 victory over host St. Thomas University Tuesday afternoon in STU's Fernandez Family Center.
 
There was a single second left on the clock after Washington's clutch shot, but St. Thomas' full court desperation heave went completely awry – sealing FMU's second win in the "Battle of Miami Gardens" this season.
 
Washington's game-winning three-pointer not only was his only made shot from beyond the arc Tuesday, it was his lone bucket on the night. Having missed his previous three shots from long range – and previous five shots overall – the senior shot the final shot with supreme confidence.
 
Tuesday's game, which was a bit of scheduling misnomer as the men's teams played the opening game of the Sun Conference doubleheader instead of the women, was a seesaw battle through the final five minutes of regulation and into overtime.
 
Florida Memorial, which will travel to face Keiser University this coming Thursday, actually built as large as a 13-point lead with less than five minutes left in the second half but saw the Bobcats claw their way back with a 15-2 run in a three-minute span. St. Thomas even took the lead in the waning moments of regulation, but left the door open for the Lions when Dejean Christian made just one of his two free throws with seven seconds left, leaving the score 82-80.
 
A similar situation happened again in overtime, when Christian split a pair of late free throws – only giving the Bobcats a 92-90 lead instead of a three-point advantage, which set the stage for Washington's late-game heroics.
 
Twice, however, the Lions (5-8, 5-4 The Sun Conference) had to make clutch shots to avoid defeat. Before Washington's overtime game-winner, it was Ali who helped Florida Memorial stave off what would've been its second-straight loss.
 
With his team down 82-80 with three seconds remaining in the second half, Ali once again raced up the court, this time deciding to pull up for a three-pointer of his own. Instead of contesting Ali, St. Thomas defenders fouled the big man in the act of shooting, sending him to the free throw line with the chance to possibly win the game.
 
Ali made the first, missed the second, and sank the third – tying the game at 82.
 
Ali set new season-highs in free throws made (16) and free throws attempted (20) Tuesday as he finished with a game-high 24 points to go along with a game-high 17 rebounds – recording his sixth double-double on the year.
 
Two other Lions topped the 20-point mark Tuesday. Senior Sam Mack Jr. scored 22 points while going a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line and senior forward Cheikh Kebe finished with 21 points (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field) and 7 boards.
 
Muhammad Gilchrist added 12 points for FMU while Terence Clayton chipped in with 9 points and 2 steals.
 
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