LAKELAND, Fla. - After a tough stretch of games in the middle of January, the Fire have turned things around in their last couple of outings and now find themselves in the hunt for a playoff spot. Currently slated seventh in the conference, the Fire will take on the top ranked team in the Sun Conference, as well as, a team on the playoff bubble.
Game 27: Southeastern University (13-13, The Sun Conference 4-9) vs. Florida Memorial University (14-6, 10-2 The Sun Conference)
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Game 28: Southeastern University (13-13, The Sun Conference 4-9) vs. Johnson & Wales University (10-13, The Sun Conference 5-7)
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Previous Game Against the Lions: On January 21st, the Fire took on Florida Memorial University inside their brand new Wellness Center. The Fire started off leading the game, but fell victim to a 29-4 run in which the Lions scored on 14-20 possessions. Going into the half, the Fire were down 45-29 but put together an electrifying 20 minutes in which they scored a total of 49 points. When the final buzzer sounded the Fire fell to the Lions 78-81. Jeremy Oppenheimer and CJ Reese combined for 55 of the Fire's 78 total points while the Lions' own Kody Williams tallied 21 points, only missing one shot in the process.
The Guards: After a six-game slide, the Fire are back in the winning column. In their last two performances against Thomas and Ave Maria, the Fire sealed much needed wins. The guards Oppenheimer and Reese have been the dynamic duo that have aided in the Fire's key wins. A freshman from Zephyrhills, Florida, Oppenheimer is averaging 19.5 points and is shooting 46% from the floor in the past two games.
Reese, the junior transfer from College Park, Georgia averaged 24 points, 5.5 assists, and a shooting percentage of 60% from the floor in the past two Fire wins.
The Human Eraser: Wesley Johnson is a force to be reckoned with in the paint. The 6-8 transfer from Charleston Southern has claimed 37 victims by way of blocks which ranks 24th in all of Division II NAIA basketball. Johnson averages 1.48 blocks per game which contributes to the average total of 3.5 the Fire collect per contest.
The Lions: Florida Memorial has been a team that has surprised many people this season. Ranked 23rd in the latest NAIA Coaches Poll, the Florida Memorial Lions sit atop the Sun conference standings. Led by head coach Artis Maddox, the Lions have posted their first winning season since the 2006-07 campaign.
The Lions' offense is led by Charlie Nedd-Araujo who averages 20.5 points per game. The sophomore guard is a formidable perimeter shooter ranking fifth in all of Division II NAIA basketball in three pointers made per game (3.65).
Second chance opportunities is an area in which the Lions thrive. As a team, the Lions rank 8th in all of the NAIA in offensive rebounding. The Lions have three glass cleaners on their team that dominate the boards. Nedd-Araujo, Jaelyn Johnson-Coston, and Davon Williams are three men that have collected 100+ rebounds.
Previous Game Against Johnson & Wales: The Fire were able to capture a convincing 85-52 win over the Wildcats. Harrison Hebert could not be stopped by the Wildcats going 6-8 from beyond the arc and scoring a career high 20 points.
While Gino Fils-Alme and Tevis Robinson had solid contributions for the Wildcats with 14 and 11 points respectively, it was not enough to top the Fire inside the Furnace.
The Suarez Show: Currently on a two-game slide, the Wildcats are seated on the Sun Conference Tournament bubble in sixth place. Ricardo Suarez has been contributing in all aspects of the game. The senior from Miami, Florida leads the team in four of the five major statistical categories with the most impressive being his rebounding total of 161. Suarez is averaging staggering numbers with 13.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.
Playoff Picture: The definitive road into the Sun Conference Tournament will be if the Fire are able to capture wins in all three of their remaining regular season games. However, there is an outside chance that the Fire make it into the tournament by going 2-1 but they will need help from other teams in the conference. If the Fire capture two wins but fall a game, Johnson & Wales University must lose all four remaining games ending on a six game slide. Ultimately, coach R-Jay Barsh and the Fire want to take destiny into their own hands and secure wins in the remaining contests.
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