Lady Lions Look To “Right The Ship” Saturday Against Ave Maria

AT A GLANCE
FMU Lions (6-7, 6-6) vs. Ave Maria Gyrenes (4-9, 1-6)
When: Saturday, January 23, 2021
Where: Florida Memorial, Miami Gardens, Fla. | Wellness Center
Tip-off: 2 p.m.
Last Meeting: Nov. 18, 2020, Win 83-69
Live Stream: Link
Live Stats: Link

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – After a three-game stretch like the one Florida Memorial University's women's basketball team just had – where it surrendered double-digit leads and ultimately fell – perhaps a home game against a sub-.500 team is just what the doctor ordered.

The Lady Lions will be looking to snap its three-game snide and possibly regain some confidence and momentum as they host Ave Maria University Saturday afternoon in the FMU Wellness Center.

Saturday's women's game, which is set to tip at 2 p.m., will be the opener in a standard Sun Conference women-men doubleheader. Per University health and safety protocols, fans will not be allowed to attend the game. However, the game will be broadcast live online and can be viewed for free.

Also, this weekend's women's game will be the Lions' We Back Pat" game. In support of legendary NCAA women's basketball coach Pat Summitt, who passed away after a valiant fight with Alzheimer's disease in June of 2016, and the Pat Summitt Foundation as it continues to raise awareness for the effort to end the disease.

The team will wear "We Back Shirts" shirts during pregame and the coaches will wear purple in honor of those battling Alzheimer's disease.

Florida Memorial (6-7, 6-6 The Sun Conference) dropped its second game within a week's time to Keiser University this past Thursday. The Lions took an 11-point lead into the second half but saw its offensive production take a huge dip – shooting 5-for-23 in the third and fourth quarters – as the Seahawks were able to rally back and hand ultimately hand FMU a 74-66 loss.

Junior guard Keaynna Tolbert led all scorers with 27 points Thursday, adding to her conference-leading per-game total, while also shooting a team-best 50 percent from the field. While the Lions did get 11 points each from Heather Durand and Jamari Tillman – who made her return to the lineup Thursday after missing the previous game for an undisclosed reason – no other player with more than two shot attempts shot better than 33 percent from the field.

Coming in Saturday is an Ave Maria University team that is also riding a three-game losing streak, as the Gyrenes (4-9, 1-6) have had a tough go at it against Sun Conference opponents this season. Florida Memorial handed Ave Maria a 14-point defeat earlier this season (Nov. 18), and all three of the Gyrenes' losses during its recent losing streak have been by an average of 13 points.

Tolbert had her way with the Ave Maria defense in the earlier meeting between the teams, pouring in a season-high 35 points on 15-of-22 shooting from the field while also grabbing 13 rebounds in 32 minutes. Tillman also had a solid offensive night, notching 18 points.

FMU should find similar success against the Gyrenes Saturday, even if head coach Gregory Stanback is forced to play with a shorthanded roster – something he's had to do for much of the season.

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