MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. | Florida Memorial scored over 100 points for the third straight game, this time squeezing by a tough Fort Lauderdale team by the score of 109-100 at the FMU Wellness Center during homecoming week. The win marks the third straight victory for the defending Sun Conference Champions.
The Lions produced five scorers in double-figures, led by shooting guard Miles Jordan-Smartt, who finished with a team-high 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field. The New Orleans native also buried two 3-pointers, grabbed three boards and dished out three assists while teammates Tariq Humes and Tavin Pierre-Philippe played major roles throughout the game, both adding 15 points apiece for Florida Memorial. Humes was locked in all night, shooting 4-of-6 from the field as he nailed 3-of-4 from downtown. The Detroit native converted all four of his free throw attempts while producing four assists, three boards and two steals in just 16 minutes for FMU.
Fort Lauderdale jumped out on top early, generating an 11-2 run to open the game. As a result, FMU Head coach
Ansar Al-Ameen subbed in a fresh five which sparked an 8-0 run, including five points from Jordan-Smartt.
However, Eagles post player Jongkor Unguec made his presence felt in the post, finishing with a game-high 28 points and 10 rebounds as Fort Lauderdale enjoyed a one-point lead at the break.
The Lions came alive in the second half, scoring nearly 70 points as a team with production from numerous players. The team's leading scorer, Cam'Ron Wilson, generated 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field and grabbed six boards along with three blocks and one steal.
Jacobi Gordon contributed in crunch time as he chipped in with 11 points, connecting on seven of his 13 free throw attempts.
Down the stretch, it was guard play that saved the Lions as Pierre-Philippe made continuous plays on the defensive end, finishing with four rebounds, four crucial blocks, two steals and two assists while nailing 9-of-10 from the charity stripe. Fellow guard Rod Boggan also proved to be a spark for FMU, scoring nine points in 22 minutes of action to go along with six marvelous dimes and three steals.
In the final moments of the game, following a three-pointer from Humes, Jordan-Smartt slipped past three defenders and connected on a perfect finger roll lay-up to seal the deal for Florida Memorial, who were pushed to the brink by a hungry Eagles squad in search of its first win.
"When coach put me back in the game, I just asked God to help me finish strong for my teammates," said Jordan-Smartt. The humble guard from Louisiana missed only three shots all contest.
The Lions return to action on Tuesday, November 8 as they host Florida National. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. at the FMU Wellness Center.
