Lady Lions Hope To End Regular Season With Victory Saturday

AT A GLANCE
FMU Lions (9-10, 9-9) vs. St. Thomas University Bobcats (17-3, 14-3)
When: Saturday, February 20, 2021
Where: Florida Memorial, Miami Gardens, Fla. | FMU Wellness Center
Tip-off: 2 p.m.
Last Meeting: Jan. 19, 2021, Loss 72-78
Live Stream: Link
Live Stats: Link

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Losing is always frustrating. The volume gets turned up on that frustration when victory was in your sight or even in your grasp and you ultimately end up coming up with the short end of the proverbial stick.

In its two previous meetings with St. Thomas University this season, Florida Memorial University's women's basketball team held double-digit leads over its rival during the fourth quarter but saw the Bobcats rally back and hand it frustrating losses.

The Lady Lions will be looking to prove it can play full 40 minutes of winning basketball, build some momentum as it prepares to head into The Sun Conference postseason tournament and send their senior out with a victory in her final home regular season game when they host St. Thomas University Saturday afternoon in the FMU Wellness Center.

Saturday will be momentous day, not only because it will be Senior Day, but because it will be the first basketball game this season that the university will allow fans to attend. Previously, the university's health and safety protocols prohibited fans from attending, but the increased COVID-19 testing on campus and the consistently negative (healthy) results made school administrators ease restrictions for the season's final game.

Still, only up to 200 Florida Memorial University students will be allowed to attend with proof of a recent negative (healthy) COVID-19 rapid test – via a wristband. FMU faculty and staff will also be allowed to attend with the same wristband restriction. Also, a limited number of family members for the Lions' players will also be allowed to attend. Each person attending the game must wear a face covering while inside the arena and must maintain social distance in the bleachers.

Prior to tip-off of Saturday's game, which is set for 2 p.m., Florida Memorial's women's coaching staff will honor senior center Anjelie Tirone. The Lions' cheerleading team will also honor its seniors during halftime of the women's game and the FMU marching band, "The Roar" is also scheduled to attend Saturday's basketball games.

Pomp and circumstance aside, Florida Memorial will be focused on trying to knock off St. Thomas University Saturday. Especially since the Lady Lions could still move up in the conference standings with a victory. FMU currently sits in the No. 6 spot, a half-game behind College of Coastal Georgia, and could move up to No. 5 if it defeats St. Thomas and Coastal Georgia losses to Warner University.

Moving up to No. 5 would likely mean a first-round matchup at Keiser University while staying in the No. 6 spot would more than likely mean an opening round game at St. Thomas University.

The Lions (9-10, 9-9 The Sun Conference) enter having lost their last game, a 75-73 overtime defeat at College of Coastal Georgia on February 11th. It was second game that FMU had to play without the services of team and conference-leading scorer Keaynna Tolbert. Out with an upper extremity injury, Tolbert's offensive cache was a huge void for the Lions to fill but the team managed to go 1-1 in the games without her and did have other players step up offensively.

Junior Heather Durand had her best offensive game of the season against Thomas University, scoring a season-best 29 points and team-high 11 rebounds, while being one of three Lions players to record a double-double – with Chantel Barnett (18 and 11) and Cheyanne Whitfield (11 and 10).

Despite the loss, FMU head coach Gregory Stanback saw the healthy return of freshman guard Micah Cooper this past weekend. Cooper missed an extended amount of time with a lower extremity injury but returned the lineup and played limited minutes in her first game back.

Because the Lady Lions had an extra handful of days of rest, after its scheduled February 13th game against Thomas University was postponed for health and safety reasons and its February 18th game against Edward Waters College was canceled, Tolbert has been upgraded to probable for Saturday's game.

Destiny Marin (upper extremity) is questionable while Jamari Tillman (lower extremity) remains out.

St. Thomas University (17-3, 14-3) enter Saturday on a seven-game winning streak, having knocked off Keiser University on Thursday. The Bobcats, the No. 2 team in the conference standings, have rallied back from 15-point and 14-point fourth-quarter deficits against Florida Memorial this season. Both times, the Lions had extended scoring droughts and committed multiple turnovers in the fourth quarter while St. Thomas rallied.

The Lions will need Tolbert (if available) to turn in maybe a bit more than the 22 points per game she's averaging against the Bobcats this season while Barnett and Durand work alongside within the scope of FMU's offense.

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

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