Florida Memorial MBB Set To Host Coastal Georgia Saturday

AT A GLANCE
FMU Lions (6-4, 3-1) vs. College of Coastal Georgia Mariners (4-6, 0-4)
When: Saturday, December 4, 2021
Where: Florida Memorial, Miami Gardens, Fla. | FMU Wellness Center
Tip-off: 4 p.m.* (30 minutes following women's game)
Last Meeting: Feb. 11, 2021, Loss 64-71
Live Stream: Link
Live Stats: Link
Tickets: General Admission $5 (Purchase)

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Florida Memorial University will be looking to build some tangible momentum by manufacturing a two-win week when it hosts College of Coastal Georgia Saturday in the FMU Wellness Center.

Saturday's game, the second Sun Conference game for the Lions this week, is scheduled for a 4 p.m. start but it will officially tip-off 30 minutes following the conclusion of the preceding women's basketball game between the programs.

General admission tickets begin at $5 dollars and fans may purchase tickets for the – men's or women's – game online at www.FMUAthletics.com/Tickets or at the Wellness Center ticket window on the day of the game. Admission is free for FMU students with proof of a valid school ID.

The Lions (6-4, 3-1 The Sun Conference) took a step forward in terms of their lot within the Sun Conference with their 78-70 win over Thomas University (Ga.) this past Thursday. Leading by as many as 25 points midway through the second half before settling into the eight-point victory, Florida Memorial head coach Ansar Al-Ameen showed that he has put together a roster – specifically a guard rotation – that can not only compete with but thrive against TSC competition.

Senior guard Corey Benton, a transfer from Columbia International University (S.C.) where he was an NAIA All-American, recorded a double-double of 21 points and 13 assists – both game-highs. Benton orchestrated the Lions' offense, connecting with big men Brent Holcombe and Cheikh Kebe on multiple alley-oops and finding cutters for easy scoring opportunities while also finding his own shots.

Eric Hester, another senior transfer guard who spent time at the University of Florida prior to joining the Lions, gave FMU 17 points and 7 rebounds in his first game back in the lineup after missing the previous five due to an undisclosed injury.

In Coastal Georgia, the Lions are welcoming in a solid program that has been more down than up this season. The Mariners (4-6, 0-4) currently sit below .500 and have yet to win a game against a TSC opponent this season. CCGA began its annual trip to South Florida earlier this week, falling to St. Thomas University 91-69 this past Thursday, and will complete the Miami Gardens two-step Saturday against FMU.

The Mariners are led offensively by 6-foot-9 forward Elijah Goodman. The senior scores 14 points per game on average while grabbing 6.7 rebounds per game this season.

FMU played this past Thursday without the services of 7-foot senior center Mubashar Ali, who missed the game with a lower extremity injury. Ali's status for Saturday is unclear, but it appeared that Al-Ameen found a viable frontcourt rotation playing Kebe alongside Holcombe for extended stretches while using Jethro Tshisumpa and Jacobi Gordon off the bench.

The biggest key to the Florida Memorial's success will continue to be its guard play – getting collective solid play Benton, Hester, Anfernee King, and Carington Campbell – as the Lions look to stay near the front of the pack in the early part of the Sun Conference standing race.

Follow Florida Memorial University Athletics on social media
Instagram: @GoFMULions/@FMU_MBB | Twitter: @GoFMULions | YouTube: Official FMU Lions

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