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Florida Memorial University Athletics

Scoreboard

FMU player
Charles Bethel Jr.
68
St. Thomas Universit STUM
71
Winner Florida Memorial Uni FMUM
St. Thomas Universit STUM
68
Final
71
Florida Memorial Uni FMUM
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
St. Thomas Universit STUM 34 34 68
Florida Memorial Uni FMUM 36 35 71

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

Lions Earn Season Sweep Of Rival St. Thomas, Win On Senior Day

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Should there be any doubt of who won the "Battle of Miami Gardens" in men's basketball during the 2020-21 season, Florida Memorial University can easily point to its perfect sweep of St. Thomas University, as the Lions defeated the Bobcats for the third time this season with a 71-68 victory Saturday in front of a limited number of fans in the FMU Wellness Center.
 
FMU took a 71-68 lead after senior Sam Mack Jr. sank one of two free throws with less than two seconds to play and the Bobcats' desperation heave as the buzzer clanged off the top of the shot clock – sealing the Lions' three-point win.
 
It was Mack that led the Lions in scoring Saturday – fitting as he was one of two seniors honored before tip-off of. The Chicago, Illinois native had one of his most efficient performances of the season – shooting 9-of-12 from the field (2-for-3 from three-point range) to manufacture his team-best 23 points.
 
Aubrey Washington added 19 points for the Lions (7-16, 7-13 The Sun Conference) while Mubashar Ali recorded his 12th double-double of the year – totaling 16 points and 14 rebounds.
 
The other Lions senior honoree, Ebenezer Aboagye started the game and chipped in with 3 rebounds, a block, and a steal.
 
Florida Memorial, which held a 2-point lead (36-34) at halftime, sat tied at 38 with the Bobcats not even two minutes into the second half but took control of the game with a 14-0 run that began with Washington sinking three free throws after being fouled while taking a shot from beyond the arc and was capped by a deep three by Mack.
 
That lead grew to 15 twice during the second half – including a 61-46 advantage with 7:45 left to play – before St. Thomas began to chip away at its deficit. The Bobcats went on a 9-0 sport to get within six and ultimately outscored the Lions 20-8 over a six-minute span to cut FMU's lead to three with 17 seconds to play.
 
With Saturday's victory, Florida Memorial cemented its spot as the No. 7 seed entering the Sun Conference postseason tournament – marking the first time the Lions have made the postseason tourney under head coach Ansar Al-Ameen.
 
Florida Memorial, which got 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists from Cheikh Kebe Saturday, will travel to play No. 2 seed Ave Maria University this coming Tuesday (Feb. 23).
 
Follow Florida Memorial University Athletics on social media
Instagram: @GoFMULions/@FMU_MBB | Twitter: @GoFMULions | YouTube: Official FMU Lions
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