FMU Looking To Build Momentum With Win Over Coastal Georgia Saturday

AT A GLANCE
FMU Lions (5-4, 5-3) vs. College of Coastal Georgia Mariners (5-4, 3-3)
When: Saturday, January 9, 2021
Where: Florida Memorial, Miami Gardens, Fla. | FMU Wellness Center
Tip-off: 2 p.m.
Last Meeting: Feb. 13, 2020, Loss 53-63
Live Stream: Link
Live Stats: Link

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Florida Memorial University's women's basketball team avoided the "trap game" – staving off a gutsy yet winless Thomas University team this past Thursday – and can win its third straight game when it hosts College of Coastal Georgia Saturday in the FMU Wellness Center.

Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. and will be the opening bout in what will be a women-men doubleheader. Fans will not be permitted to attend the game, per university COVID safety protocols, but can watch the game free online via live stream.

Florida Memorial (5-4, 5-3 The Sun Conference) crossed back over to the positive side of the .500 mark with its victory over Thomas and climbed within just a half-game of Webber International for the No. 3 spot in the conference standings.

Destiny Marin powered the Lions Thursday, setting new personal season-highs in points (21), three-pointers made (5) and total field goals made (8). Marin's hot shooting was quite auspicious in its timing since the team's usual leading scorer – junior guard Keaynna Tolbert – was saddled with foul trouble through the first half and played just 22 minutes (her second-lowest minute total of the season).

Marin's performance was boosted by Chantel Barnett's 17 points and freshman center's Giselle Garcia's first career double-double of 10 points and 11 boards. Also, even with the foul trouble, Tolbert scored 14 points in the second half to finish 16 and help the Lady Lions pull away from Thomas.

FMU head coach Gregory Stanback has continued to stress the importance of defense to his team this season and that message will be no different heading into Saturday's matchup with the Mariners.

Even though Coastal Georgia (5-4, 3-3) has been up and down over since winning three straight games back in early November. After losing to Southeastern on Nov. 16, the Mariners alternated wins and losses over its subsequent four games. By pattern, CCGA is due a win since it fell to Southeastern University this past Saturday, but the Lions will be looking to put the Mariners on their first two-game losing streak of the year.

To do that, FMU will need to slow down Coastal Georgia's Kaliyah Little. While her stature (measuring 5-foot-5) could be described in her last name, Little has big talent – leading the Mariners with 14.4 points per game. 5-foot-11 senior guard Solrun Gisladottir spaces the floor for the Mariners with her three-point shooting, as she shoots it a 41.5 percent clip and knocks down an average of three shots from deep per game.

The Lions have the requisite talents to matchup up with Little, namely Jamari Tillman – who has shown solid two-way skills – and can use either Heather Durand or Cheyanne Whitfield to stay at home on Gisladottir.

Florida Memorial will need to make sure it can keep CCGA's 5-foot-9 Quira Porter out of the paint on both ends of the floor. Also, the Mariners can throw 6-foot-4 junior Elle Baker on the floor and she'd tower over FMU's tallest player (5-foot-11 Anjelie Tirone) and could present problems on ends of the floor; but Stanback could counteract that by speeding up the tempo of the game by employing a pressing defense – something he's done a lot this season.

Tolbert – and Tillman – could also try to get Baker – and Porter – in foul trouble with drives to the basket, something they've both excelled at this season, which means free throw shooting could ring paramount for the Lions Saturday.

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