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Florida Memorial University Athletics

Scoreboard

FMU player
Charles Bethel Jr.
71
Coastal Georgia CCGA 4-5, 2-4 TSC
81
Winner Florida Memorial University FMUM 4-7, 4-4 TSC
Coastal Georgia CCGA
4-5, 2-4 TSC
71
Final
81
Florida Memorial University FMUM
4-7, 4-4 TSC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Coastal Georgia CCGA 37 34 71
Florida Memorial University FMUM 38 43 81

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

Mack Powers FMU To Big Win Over Coastal Georgia

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Powered by Sam Mack Jr.'s game-high 29 points, Florida Memorial University's men's basketball team played one of its best games of the season, building as large as a 20-point second-half lead before coasting into an 81-71 victory over visiting College of Coastal Georgia Saturday night.
 
While the 29 wasn't Mack's season-high, he did set new season highs in field goals made (11), minutes played (37), assists (3), and steals (2). The Chicago, Illinois native was 11-of-17 from the floor, including 2-for-4 from three-point range, and a perfect 5-of-5 from the free throw line.
 
After holding a slim 38-37 lead at halftime, the Lions – who will have a few days to rest before hosting conference foe Keiser University on Jan. 14 – opened the second half on a 14-2 run and essentially seized complete control of the game. The run was sparked by Terence Clayton, who sank a pair of threes during the two-minute spurt. Mack added an old-fashioned three-point play and Muhammad Gilchrist also knocked down a three-pointer – one of his three on the night – to give FMU a 52-39 lead not even three-minutes into the second half.
 
Florida Memorial's lead continued to balloon through the second half, reaching the 20-point mark (67-47) after Italo Ciccotti made a pair of free throws with just over 10 minutes left to play in the game. Coastal Georgia did its best to cut into FMU's lead, but only drew as close as eight a couple of times in the waning minutes before Clayton knocked down a pair of free throws to seal the final 81-71 margin.
 
Aside from Mack's big night, the Lions' (4-7, 4-4 The Sun Conference) only other player to finish with double-digit points was Clayton – who totaled 12 points. But Florida Memorial head coach Ansar Al-Ameen, who had an extended meeting with his team prior to Friday's practice, did get tangible contributions from multiple players Saturday.
 
Gilchrist finished with 9 points, senior guard Aubrey Washington and senior center Mubashar Ali each chipped in with 8 points; Ali also added 3 blocks; Cheikh Kebe snatched down a game and season-high 15 rebounds; while Murrad Berrien provided the team an emotional spark off the bench while also scoring 6 points and tying for the team-high with 3 assists.
 
Aside from snapping a losing streak for the Lions, Saturday's victory also broke what had become a negative statistical harbinger for the team.
 
In previous three games, FMU had turned the ball over 20 times or more – giving up an average of 20 points per game off those turnovers. Against the Mariners (4-5, 2-4), the Lions had 17 turnovers. A modest improvement, but a step in the right direction for a team that showed it is capable of playing a solid brand of basketball and is in the thick of the Sun Conference standings race.
 
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