MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. | Florida Memorial University will kick off round one of the SUN Conference Tournament hosting their crosstown rival St. Thomas at the FMU Wellness Center. The Lions are looking for their third conference championship in five seasons, having won the title in the 2021-22 and the 2023-24 seasons. In his first season as head coach, Joshua Mendoza led the team to an 18-10 record and 10-6 conference record, earning the Lions the No. 4 seed. He talked about what it means to host round one in his first year as head coach.

"For this to be my first year as a head coach and have the ability to host the playoffs is rewarding," said Mendoza. "Not because of what I've done but because of what these players and staff have done. We've had to overcome so much this season both on and off the court. Resilient would be a good word to describe this group."

FMU will look to rekindle the magic from earlier this season, where they won five straight games by double-digits. The last time FMU faced STU was on Valentine's Day, where they fell to the Bobcats 87-80. The last postseason game against STU came in round one of the 2024-25 tournament, where the Lions defeated the Bobcats 67-65 to move to the semi-finals. FMU defeated the Bobcats in the SUN Conference Tournament finals in the 2023-24 season to claim their third SUN Conference championship.

"Not because of what I've done but because of what these players and staff have done," said Mendoza "We've had to overcome so much this season both on and off the court. Resilient would be a good word to describe this group."

Round one of the SUN Conference Tournament kicks off on Tuesday, February 24, at 7:30 p.m. at the FMU Wellness Center.

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