Men’s Basketball | Wed, Feb. 1, 2023 at 11:35 AM
BRUNSWICK, Ga.- The Coastal Georgia men’s basketball team (4-16, 2-9) will travel to Miami Gardens, Fla. to take on Florida Memorial (12-10, 3-8) at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 2.
The Lions enter Thursday having won their last two games against Keiser and Warner. The Mariners are 1-1 in their last two contests as they beat Ave Maria 66-61 on Thursday before falling to Southeastern on Saturday.
Both teams are fighting for a spot in the Sun Conference Tournament as the season winds down. Florida Memorial sits one game out of sixth place (the final spot in the tournament) while Coastal Georgia sits two games out of that final spot.
The last time these two teams faced off, the Lions edged out an 83-82 win in Brunswick. In that game, all five Mariners starters finished with double-digit points led by Mason McMurray who finished with 22 and Rodney Wiley Jr who finished with 16. Only five Florida Memorial players scored a basket, but Teonta McKeithen’s 28 points led the Lions to victory.
Roster Breakdown:
Nick Jiles has been the heart and soul of the Mariners’ offense this season. He is averaging 15 points and 4.3 assists per game while shooting 40 percent from three and recording 26 steals, all of which lead the team. And despite being a guard, he is averaging 4.4 rebounds per game.
The frontcourt tandem of Mason McMurray and Anthony Duncan has been solid all season as they are averaging 12.1 and 10.6 points per game this season, respectively. McMurray and Duncan are also first and second on the team in rebounds, grabbing 7.7 and 5.0 boards per game. Duncan leads the team with 20 blocks and is shooting 54 percent from the field, which also leads the team.
Torey James and Lorenzo Ferrell started the season late, but have been crucial to the team’s success. Both players can be seen as “tweeners” in that they can play on the wing or down low on both sides of the ball. James and Ferrell are at their best when they are bringing the ball up the floor, but have the ability to help the team in many other ways. James is averaging 10.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game and is coming off his best game of the season, as he dropped 19 points and 9 rebounds against Southeastern. Ferrell is averaging 5.4 points and 4.6 rebounds but also does a lot of things on the defensive end that doesn’t show up in the box score.
Guards Kenny Brown and Rodney Wiley Jr. have been solid all season for the Mariners. They are averaging 7.3 and 7.2 points, respectively, and can score in bunches when given the opportunity. Brown is second on the team in made three-pointers and steals behind Jiles and Wiley Jr. is averaging 2.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists to go along with his scoring.
Layton Veon and Antonio Muller have carved out nice roles for themselves late in the season. Veon is averaging 6.4 points and 4.7 rebounds per game and is a true three-level scorer. Muller, on the hand, adds value on the defensive end with his good on-ball pressure and quick hands. Muller has also shown flashes on the offensive end, when he dropped 11 points against Webber International on Jan. 5.
Scouting Florida Memorial:
The Lions have been in a lot of shoot-outs this season. As a team, they average 85.6 points per game, which ranks second in the Sun Conference, but also allow 85.1 points per game which ranks last in the conference. They do a good job of crashing the offensive glass but allow the most rebounds in the conference. This game will likely come down to efficient and timely shooting.
Tavin Pierre-Philippe leads the team in scoring this season since Teonta McKeithen has been out since Dec. 17. Pierre-Philippe is averaging 12.1 points per game and shooting 48.6 percent from the field. Cam’Ron Wilson is right behind him, averaging 11.8 points per game while also leading the team in blocks and rebounds.
Tariq Humes is also averaging double-digit points at 10.2 per game and shooting an impressive 40 percent from beyond the arc. Miles-Jordan Smartt leads the team in three-point percentage, however, at 42.9 percent while putting up 8.3 pointers per game despite averaging just 13 minutes a game.
Rod Boggan facilitates the offense for the Lions, he is averaging 8.6 points and 3.9 assists per game while also leading the team in steals since McKeithen’s absence.
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