Men's Basketball 3/10/2022 9:41:00 AM J.T. Wilcox, Sports Information Director

FMU MBB Set To Make Third NAIA National Tournament Appearance, Traveling To Face Faulkner University In Opening Round Friday

AT A GLANCE
FMU Lions (17-10) at Faulkner University Eagles (Ala.) (24-6)
When: Friday, March 11, 2022
Where: Faulkner University, Montgomery, Ala. | Tine W. Davis Gym
Tip-off: 8 p.m.
Last Meeting: Nov. 6, 2021, Loss 64-75
Live Stream: Link
Live Stats: Link
Tickets: General Admission $15 (Purchase)

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – As March has become synonymous with college basketball – calling it March Madness, referring to the large infatuation with the often dramatic single-elimination basketball tournaments that play out through the month – Florida Memorial University will start what it hopes is a lengthy march through the NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship Tournament when it travels to Montgomery, Alabama to face Faulkner University (Ala.) in the tournament's opening round Friday night at 8 p.m. ET.

The Lions, selected as a 13-seed in the Naismith quadrant of the NAIA tourney bracket, will take on the 4-seed and opening round host Eagles in Faulkner's Tine W. Davis Gymnasium.

5-seed Georgetown College will face 12-seed Huntington University in the other opening round matchup at Faulkner Friday with the winners from Friday's two games facing each other Saturday evening for a trip to the "sweet 16" in Kansas City, Missouri – site of the NAIA National Championship Finals.

About The Lions (17-10)

FMU earned its spot in the NAIA National Tournament by capturing the 2022 Sun Conference Tournament championship – receiving an automatic bid as a conference tournament champion.
The Lions began the SUN tourney as the 5-seed and made a magical run to the final by knocking off rival St. Thomas University (No. 4), tournament host and No. 1 seed Warner University before toppling 3-seed Ave Maria University 118-115 in a double-overtime thriller in the championship game.
Senior guard Corey Benton was named Tournament Most Valuable Player for his performance in the title game – scoring 18 of his 29 points over the two overtime periods, including a game-tying three-pointer at the end of the first OT and the go-ahead bucket in the second overtime.
It was 6-foot-9 senior forward Brent Holcombe that led the team in scoring against AMU, as he finished with a season-high 31 points and game-high 12 rebounds.
Florida Memorial won its second Sun Conference Tournament championship in program history.
Also, the Lions will be making their third-ever appearance in the NAIA National Tournament. Their first two appearances (1997 and 2007) came when the NAIA separated teams in Division-I and Division-II – with FMU classified as the latter.
Florida Memorial head coach Ansar Al-Ameen, in his fourth season leading the program, is making his first appearance in the NAIA National Tournament.
The Lions faced Faulkner University earlier this season, falling 75-64 to the Eagles during the Jimmy Faulkner Classic.

Scouting Faulkner (24-6)

Faulkner received an at-large bid into the NAIA National Tournament after it fell to Talladega College (Ala.) in the semifinals of the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) Tournament.
The Eagles were ranked No. 15 in the final NAIA Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll.
FU shared four common opponents with the Lions this season – both teams lost to Talladega (FMU once, FU three times); both defeated Middle Georgia State University (FMU once, FU three times), and defeated University of Fort Lauderdale. The teams diverge in their matchups with Thomas University (Ga.), Faulkner split its two meetings with TU while Florida Memorial swept the Night Hawks during the regular season this year.
Faulkner has four players averaging double-digit point totals this season, led by its backcourt duo of Jalon Perry (17.8) and C.J. Hines (16.6).
An efficient offensive team, the Eagles shoot 47.4 percent from the field on average this season while also shooting 35.8 percent from three-point range.
FU is a guard-heavy squad, often playing four-guard lineups with its tallest player measuring 6-foot-4 in Isaiah Brooks. It will use 6-foot-10 senior center Jamel Cleveland in spots, but he only averages 9.1 minutes per game.

Series History

Florida Memorial trails the all-time series against the Eagles 0-3.
The previous three meetings – and Friday's – will all have been played on Faulkner's home floor.
The Lions have lost all three meetings be 10 points or more.
In the first matchup earlier this season, Holcombe scored a game-high 25 points and grabbed a team-high 9 rebounds.
Hines scored 24 points to lead four Eagles players that finished in double figures during the first meeting.
FMU shot 36.5 percent from the field while Faulkner hit 53.4 percent of its shots from the field back in November.

Keys To Victory

Lions senior guard Eric Hester (6-foot-3), senior forward Cheikh Kebe (6-foot-9), and junior forward Jacobi Gordon (6-foot-7) all must have productive games on both ends of the floor. All will decisive height advantages and possess the natural talent to make tough shots offense and be plus defenders on defense.
Because Faulkner tends to shoot so well, available rebounds will be at a premium – making the battle on the backboards that much more important.

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

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