LAKELAND, Fla.—Coming off a week in which they took over the top spot in the conference by defeating No. 6 Keiser 69-68 on the road, the No. 21 Southeastern University men's basketball team looks to finish the regular season with a win on Saturday, February 22
nd against Ave Maria and carry their momentum into postseason play.
It took all 40 minutes to decide Thursday's marquee Sun Conference matchup between the Seahawks and the Fire. Southeastern never let Keiser get away from them and finally took the lead with just over four minutes to play. Freshman
Riley Minix drilled a clutch three-pointer to give the Fire a 63-61 lead. The shot was Minix's third 3-PT field goal of the night, helping him reach a game-high 28 points.
Devon Ford was key as well as he was a point shy tying his season-high in points with 14. Ford took advantage of the free-throw line where he went 6-6.
Minix followed up his impressive performance with his best of the season against Johnson & Wales. The freshman compiled 28 points and 21 rebounds, his eighth double-double of the season. His 21 rebounds marked the most by a Sun Conference player in a game this season. Minix was recognized for his efforts by being named the Sun Conference Player of the Week for the first time in his career. Junior
Karl Jeanty put together a noteworthy outing as well, totaling a season-high 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
As a team, the Fire pride themselves in defense and rebounding as they lead the NAIA in defensive field goal percentage (39.8%) and are third in total offensive rebounds (1242) and rebounds per game (44.4).
Ave Maria is looking to end their season on a positive note when they visit Southeastern. The Gyrenes found themselves on the other side of a one-point game against Keiser their last time out, dropping a 66-65 contest at home. Senior guard Leo Behrend led his team with 22 points and nine rebounds. Behrend is deadly from beyond the arc as he is ranked 11
th in the NAIA in 3-PT field goals made this season (87). The Gyrenes as a team prioritize the 3-PT line on both ends of the court. They are first in the country in field goal percentage from three-point range (25%), are fifth in 3-PT FG made per game (11.3), and eighth in total three's made (306).
The Fire made a statement with their 92-72 road win over Ave Maria their last time out. The Fire used a balanced effort to take down the Gyrenes as six players scored in double-digits. Junior
Isaiah Moody came off the bench to total 16 points, four assists, and three steals. Minix and Jeanty each recorded a double-double, while
Jeremy Oppenheimer and
Reggie Mesidor pitched in 13 and 10 points, respectively.
The game is scheduled to tip-off at 7:00 pm in The Furnace.
