Lions Continue Home Stand, Host Coastal Georgia Saturday

AT A GLANCE
FMU Lions (3-7, 3-4) vs. College of Coastal Georgia Mariners (4-4, 2-3)
When: Saturday, January 9, 2021
Where: Florida Memorial, Miami Gardens, Fla. | FMU Wellness Center
Tip-off: 4 p.m.* (30 minutes following women's game)
Last Meeting: Feb. 13, 2020, Won 86-78
Live Stream: Link
Live Stats: Link

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Florida Memorial University's men's basketball team will have the opportunity to show the measure of its mettle Saturday when it looks to rebound from its first home loss of the season and stay in the thick of the Sun Conference race with a victory over visiting College of Coastal Georgia.

The game is scheduled for a 4 p.m. start in the FMU Wellness Center, however, the actual tip-off will be 30 minutes following the conclusion of the preceding women's basketball game between the programs. Per university COVID protocols, no fans will be allowed to attend the game; but the game will be live streamed online and can be viewed for free.

Florida Memorial (3-7, 3-4 The Sun Conference) had four players score in double figures this past Thursday – including senior center Mubashar Ali's fifth double-double of the season – but couldn't rally back to defeat a heartened Thomas University team.

Aside from Ali's 18 points and 12 rebounds, FMU also got 12 points and 9 boards from 6-foot-9 senior forward Cheikh Kebe, who added to his team-leading three-point shooting percentage (53 percent) by knocking down two of his four shots from beyond the arc.

For the handful of positives that the Lions had Thursday, there was one negative that essentially marred the game and played significant enough role in the outcome of the game. For the third straight game, Florida Memorial shot a better percentage from the field and out-rebounded its opponent but committed 20 or more turnovers. On average this season, the Lions' turnovers have led to just over 20 points per game for opponents.

Taking care of the ball will likely be near the top of Lions head coach Ansar Al-Ameen's scouting report as his team prepares for a College of Coastal Georgia team that's been up and down this season but has proven that it can play a good brand of basketball.

The Mariners (4-4, 2-3) split their past two games – defeating Southeastern University and losing to Ave Maria University – but has the No. 3 overall scoring offense in the Sun Conference and has two players among the conference's top 10 leading individual scorers.

6-foot-3 senior guard Jordan Parks is the engine of Coastal Georgia's offense, averaging just over 17 points a night (No. 5 in the Sun Conference) while also pulling down a team-high 9.8 rebounds per game. His backcourt mate Kenny Brown is right behind with 16.1 points per game (No. 7 in the Sun Conference) and is the team's leader in three-pointers made.

For Florida Memorial, its backcourt – any combination of Aubrey Washington, Muhammad Gilchrist, Terence Clayton, and Murrad Berrien – has been needed to add some scoring punch on any given night; against Coastal Georgia they'll be counted on more for their ability to defend Brown and Parks. Also look for Al-Ameen to throw lengthier defenders – Kebe and Mack – at Coastal Georgia's potent guards.

The Lions will need to continue leveraging their size advantage to win the rebound battle and create easy scoring opportunities around the rim. Coastal Georgia's does have a pair of big men in 6-foot-9 junior Elijah Gooden and 6-foot-8 junior Lee Green, but the 7-foot Ali should still be able to find his shot – even against an outstretched arm. FMU could also use the three big lineup it did against Thomas University, where it played Ali next to Kebe and 6-foot-7 forward Italo Ciccotti.

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