Florida Memorial University Athletics issued the following announcement on Oct. 29.
In a moment that most kids visualize and practice for from the time they pick up a basketball – knocking down a game-winning three-pointer at or near the final buzzer – Florida Memorial University freshman guard Carington Campbell lived that moment as he knocked a heavily-contested three-pointer with less than five seconds remaining to lift the Lions to a 67-65 win over visiting University of Fort Lauderdale Thursday night in the FMU Wellness Center.
Campbell's shot – which was set up by a dish from Corey Benton – splashed cleanly through the net, sending the nearly 350-fan home crowd into a frenzy.
Fort Lauderdale quickly inbounded the ball and tried to race up court for one last shot, but Eagles guard Benez Woodard drove into the lane and threw up an awkward floater over the outstretched arms of FMU's 6-foot-10 center Jethro Tshisumpa that clanged off the rim as the final buzzer sounded.
Fans rushed the court in celebration of the dramatic win, as Campbell's shot – his only made three-pointer Thursday – gave Florida Memorial its first season-opening victory since the 2014-15 season.
A tightly contested battle throughout that had seven lead changes and eight ties through the second half, it was games like Thursday's that seemed to slip away from the Lions this past season due to a couple of "swing plays" down the stretch. FMU head coach Ansar Al-Ameen's revamped his roster, especially at the guard position, and it has already paid tangible dividends.
While Campbell's clutch shot will be the talk of the campus for the weekend, it was solid play from backcourt mates Benton and Anfernee King that buoyed the Lions (1-0) Thursday.
King, a junior transfer from Xavier University of Louisiana, tied for the game-high with 13 points. Benton, a senior transfer and former NAIA All-American at Columbia International University (S.C.), finished with 11 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds in 33 minutes of action.
Lions 6-foot-7 forward Jacobi Gordon added 12 points – including a late free throw that pull Florida Memorial within one (64-65) with 38 seconds left – and a team-high 8 rebounds. Also, Tshisumpa chipped in with 6 points, 7 boards, and 3 emphatic blocks.
University of Fort Lauderdale, an independent NAIA program also located in South Florida, was able to hang with FMU throughout thanks to their defensive pressure – which forced 22 Lions turnovers – and thanks to an active whistle from the officials. The teams were called for a combined 56 fouls and both spent large chunks of each half in the bonus, but the fouls on Florida Memorial led to 28 free throw attempts for the Eagles and resulted in two FMU players fouling out.
While it wasn't as sharp of a performance as the Lions would've hoped for, they can go to the film room and the practice court with a win under their collective belts as they prepare to hit the road for a five-day road trip to Alabama – where FMU will play three games in that span, beginning with a November 3rd matchup with Talladega College.
Original source can be found here.
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