LAKELAND, Fla.—The Southeastern University men's basketball team split their two games last week, moving their record to 8-3. The Fire will now get ready to host the SEU Invitational this weekend when they square off against No. 15 University of Saint Francis on Friday and Toccoa Falls College on Saturday. Both games are scheduled for 2:00 pm tip-offs.
The Fire couldn't close out the Webber Warriors on Thursday in their 83-76 loss, giving up a 14-point lead with 11:23 remaining in the game.
Southeastern bounced back with a road win over No.18 Warner on Saturday. With the game tied at 65 with 9:00 left in the game, the Fire used a 15-5 run over the next seven minutes of play to pull away from the Royals and get back in the win column.
Senior Blake Morrow led Southeastern with 20 points and closed the game from the free throw line, converting all eight of his attempts in the win over Warner. Junior Karl Jeanty continued to impress for the Fire as he averaged a double-double last week with 12.5 PPG and 10.5 RPG. Jeanty's 17 rebounds against Webber marked his season high.
As a team the Fire are still among the leading rebounding teams NAIA Division II as they are ranked 6th in total rebounds per game (45.9), 9th in defensive rebounds per game (32), and 10th in offensive rebounds per game (13.9). Southeastern also boasts the 10th best defensive field goal percentage, limiting their opponents to just 39% from the field.
Up first for the Fire this week is No. 15 University of Saint Francis. The Cougars visit The Furnace with a 11-2 overall record. After starting the year 9-0, the Cougars have gone 1-2 over the last three games with each loss by only one point. The Fire are looking for their first win over Saint Francis as they have lost the previous three matchups. In last year's 71-62 loss, Isaiah Moody totaled 12 points, one rebound, and three assists. The Cougars are led by sophomore Antwaan Cushingberry who is averaging 11.7 PPG, 3.5 APG, and 1.2 SPG. Saint Francis looks to score from beyond the arc as they are ranked 6th in total 3-PT FG made (141) and 7th in 3-PT FG percentage (40%).
On the following day, Southeastern hosts NCCAA opponent Toccoa Falls College. The Screaming Eagles travel to Lakeland with a 3-12 overall record and are currently on a five-game losing streak. Toccoa Falls is led by sophomore Michael West who leads the team in PPG (13.5) and APG (3.7). Freshman Jaden Young is another key contributor as he comes into this game averaging 12 points and leads the team with five rebounds per game.
Be sure to follow @SEUFireMBB on Twitter for updates on Southeastern men's basketball.
