Men's Basketball 11/12/2021 6:01:00 PM J.T. Wilcox, Sports Information Director

Lions MBB To Play Conference Opener at St. Thomas Saturday

AT A GLANCE
FMU Lions (2-2, 0-0) at St. Thomas Bobcats (2-0, 0-0)
When: Saturday, November 13, 2021
Where: St. Thomas, Miami Gardens, Fla. | Fernandez Family Center
Tip-off: 7 p.m.* (30 minutes following women's game)
Last Meeting: Feb. 20, 2021, Win 71-68
Live Stream: Link
Live Stats: Link

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Florida Memorial University's men's basketball team flexed its muscle in the "Battle of Miami Gardens" this past season – winning all three regular season meetings between the programs – and hopes to extend that winning streak this weekend when it travels less the less-than-a-mile distance east to take on St. Thomas University Saturday night in the Sun Conference opener for both teams in the STU's Fernandez Family Center Gymnasium.

The men's teams are scheduled to take the floor at 7 p.m., but the game will officially tip-off 30 minutes following the conclusion of the preceding women's basketball game between the programs. Saturday's basketball game times were changed – to 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. – to accommodate St. Thomas as it is the host site for the Sun Conference's Volleyball Championship Tournament championship match Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m.

Florida Memorial (2-2) has enjoyed a few days of rest following its Tuesday (Nov. 9) non-counting exhibition tilt against NCAA Division-I foe Stetson University. While the Lions came up short against the Hatters, they stood toe-to-toe with the D-I team, holding as large as a 5-point lead over Stetson in the first half and had an opportunity to potential pull off the upset as they trailed by just three with 2:46 left in the second half.

The two players that have continued to separate themselves as offensive stalwarts this season has been newcomers Brent Holcombe and Corey Benton.

Holcombe, a Miami, Florida native who came to FMU from Loyola University of Maryland, leads the team in scoring through four games – averaging just under 17 points per game while ranking second on the team in total rebounding.

Benton, a former NAIA All-American performer during his time at Columbia International University (S.C.), is scoring 14.3 points per contest while also leading the team in steals and three-point percentage (39.3 percent).

The impact of Benton and Holcombe has spoken highly to the recruiting acumen of head coach Ansat Al-Ameen and his coaching staff, and it has buoyed the Lions on the court as they've looked like a more potent team overall up to this point in the season – all while FMU awaits the return of skilled 7-foot senior Mubashar Ali, who remains out for an undisclosed reason.

Standing across for Florida Memorial Saturday will be a St. Thomas University team that also enters as a rested group – last playing this past Saturday – and a team looking to keep its record spotless and earn its first conference win through the early parts of the season.

The Bobcats (2-0) opened its season with a non-counting exhibition loss at NCAA Division-II Embry-Riddle University (Fla.) before knocking off Florida National University and Edward Waters University this past week. STU has been carried by 6-foot-9 forward Jonas Parker through the first two games of the season. The senior is averaging 21.5 points per game through two and has proven to be a maestro at drawing contact and getting to the free throw line and shoots them at a 83 percent clip.

While Ali's status for the weekend's game is still unclear, rebounding will be key for the Lions Saturday. St. Thomas has hurt opposing teams on the backboard up to this point in the season, but Florida Memorial has the requisite big bodies – 7-foot-1 Nicodemo Majuec, 6-foot-10 Jethro Tshisumpa, 6-foot-8 Holcombe, and 6-foot-7 Jacobi Gordon – to battle the Bobcats oon the boards.

Florida Memorial's guard play will also play a huge role in success that the team has, needing tangible contributions from another backcourt player – like Anfernee King, Carington Campbell, or Aubrey Washington – to complement Benton.

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Instagram: @GoFMULions/@FMU_MBB | Twitter: @GoFMULions | YouTube: Official FMU Lions

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