LAKELAND, Fla. -- Southeastern men's basketball dropped a Sun Conference matchup Saturday afternoon, falling 96–70 to Florida Memorial inside The Furnace. The setback moves the Fire to 18–3 overall and 7–2 in league play, as Southeastern saw its home winning streak come to an end.
The Fire struggled to find an offensive rhythm early, as Florida Memorial opened the game shooting efficiently and controlling the pace. Southeastern was limited to 30 first-half points while the Lions connected on better than 54 percent from the floor to build a 47–30 halftime advantage. Despite creating extra possessions with offensive rebounds, the Fire were unable to convert consistently, particularly from the perimeter.
SEU showed improved energy coming out of the locker room, scoring 40 points in the second half and attacking the paint with more urgency.
Daivion Traylor led the Fire with a game-high 20 points and nine rebounds, providing a steady presence inside and at the free-throw line.
Mylo Santos followed with 17 points, while
Anthony Kangah added 12 and
Nathan Mikkelson contributed nine points and five rebounds.
While the Fire continued to battle, Florida Memorial answered each push with timely shooting. The Lions shot over 65 percent in the second half and knocked down seven three-pointers after the break, stretching the margin and preventing Southeastern from mounting a sustained comeback. Turnovers also proved costly, as Florida Memorial turned Fire miscues into 19 points.
Southeastern finished the game with 20 offensive rebounds and 40 points in the paint, showing physicality and effort throughout, but was unable to overcome the Lions' shooting efficiency and depth. The Fire were held to 17.6 percent shooting from three-point range and were forced to play from behind for the entirety of the contest.
The Fire return to action on Wednesday, January 28, traveling to Brunswick, Georgia, for a conference road matchup at the College of Coastal Georgia. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m., as Southeastern looks to respond and regain momentum away from home.
