Hoping To Clinch Playoff Berth, Lady Lions Travel To Keiser Thursday

AT A GLANCE
FMU Lions (13-13, 8-8) at Keiser University Seahawks (12-14, 6-10)
When: Thursday, February 20, 2020
Where: Keiser University, West Palm Beach, Fla. | Massimino Court
Tip-off: 5:30 p.m.
Last Meeting: Jan. 18, 2020, Won 71-68
Live Stream Video & Stats: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/keiser/

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Florida Memorial University's women could all but clinch their spot in the Sun Conference postseason tournament when they travel to West Palm Beach to face Keiser University Thursday night.

The Lady Lions (13-13, 8-8) currently sit in the fifth spot in the conference standings, a half-game ahead of Ave Maria University, a full game up on seven-seed St. Thomas University, and two games up on eight-seed Keiser. The top six teams qualify for the conference tournament, which will begin February 25, and all will be paying close attention to what happens at 5:30 p.m. on Keiser's Massimino Court.

FMU will enter Thursday's tilt riding the high that comes along with earning a big home victory. Led by senior Isis Lane's career-high 39 points, the Lady Lions overcame a slow start – trailing by two at halftime – to manufacture an 86-58 win. Lane put her full offensive catalog on display this past weekend, as she finally operated in the space that Florida Memorial head coach Gregory Stanback envisioned for the 6-foot-4 transfer from Texas Southern University.

In facing Keiser University (12-14, 6-10) Thursday, FMU will be going up against a team that is literally playing for their playoff lives. The Seahawks still have a mathematical shot at climbing into the Sun Conference's top six, but they would need to top the Lions or else they'd be eliminated from contention.

The Lady Lions did get the best of Keiser in their first game – a January tilt on FMU's home floor – but it was a hotly contested matchup that was tied at 68 with 30 seconds left before Florida Memorial came away with a 71-68 victory thanks to a game-winning layup from Meaurie Pickett and a game-cementing free throw from Danielle Bailey.

Lane had one of her better games on the season against the Seahawks, too. She registered game-highs in points (21), rebounds (16), and blocks (5) while seniors Danielle Bailey and Ashleign Gary finished with 16 and 13 points respectively.

Even though FMU defeated Keiser the first time around, Stanback's team will need to do a better job of slowing down Seahawks guard Emily Patton. Patton led Keiser with 18 points and she was one of four Seahawks players to finish with double-digit point totals.

Florida Memorial's x-factor could be freshman center Ixsamar Gonzalez. As teams have shifted their defensive scheme to slow down Lane, Gonzalez has been able to become a consistent interior threat to score while also giving the Lions an additional shot blocker on the back line of its own defense.