Late Rally Snaps Skid for Tars!

The Rollins College Tars (8-3) had not lost four games in a row since 2005 and this group of players made sure to keep it that way with a late rally in the consolation game of the 37th annual Winter Park Rotary Tangerine Tourney. Dave Diakite hit a back door lay up with 24 seconds left that would prove to be the game winner in a 57-55 win over California (PA) (6-6).  Myk Brown was the only Rollins player in double figures Friday as he tallied 19 points, Jeremy Sharpe added nine and Ian Scott eight for the Tars. The Tars shot 37 percent from the field and continued to struggle from the 3-point line where they were 4-20. The Tars did shoot 84 percent (21-25) at the foul line.
 Cal (PA) had three players tally double figures. Chad Tipton was one rebound short of a double-double for the Vulcans with 15 points and 9 rebounds. Keith Lowe added 12 and was named to the All-Tournament team. Quentin Harding rounded out the double digit scorers with ten for the Vulcans. Cal shot 35 percent from the field in the game and was 6 of 18 (33 percent) from the 3-point line. They shot 77 percent (17-22) from the free throw line. The Vulcans dominated the boards 38-24 but had trouble taking care of the ball with 21 turnovers to go along with just nine assists.
 It would be the Vulcans who would jump out to an 18-7 lead in the first 11 minutes against the cold shooting Tars. Rollins would fight back and cut the lead to five (31-26) at halftime.
 The Tars would come out with renewed energy in the second half and would take a 38-36 lead with 10:45 to go. The game would go back and forth for the next several minutes until Cal would go on a 7-0 run to take a 53-46 lead with 4:22 in the game. It looked as if the Tars were well on their  way to a fourth straight defeat but this team would not be denied on this day. Cal would not hit a field goal the rest of the way and the Tars would get some big buckets from Dave Diakite and Jeremy Sharpe, along with a pair of clutch free throws by Scott Schuette who ran the team for the last 2:25 after Ian Scott fouled out.  Myk Brown (Rollins), Nate Tait (Lake Erie), Rich Austin (Lake Erie), Gavin Field (West Georgia), and Da'Ron Simms were named to the All_Tournament team. Simms was the Tangerine Tournament's Most Outstanding Player. West Georgia (13-1) survived a scare, but defeated Lake Erie (5-5) for the tournament title 58-56.
 Rollins will be back in action Wednesday night when they host the Sailfish on Palm Beach Atlantic. Tip time is set for 7 PM, as always you can listen on 91.5 Fm WPRK Winter Park and worldwide on Rollins Sports.TV

Sliding Into The Storm.

The Rollins College Tars (7-3) thought a trip back to Warden Arena would cure all that went wrong in Las Vegas. Instead, for the first time since 1998 the Tars will not play in the championship game of it's annual Tangerine Tournament. The Storm of Lake Erie improved to 5-4 on the season and will face West Georgia in Friday's championship game. The Tars will face California (PA) in the consolation game at 5 PM.
  Chris Malcolm led five Tars in double figures in their third straight loss. Malcolm tallied 12 points, to go along with seven rebounds, four blocks and two steals. Scott Schuette added 12 points on 7 of 8 from the free throw line. Dave Diakite, Myk Brown and Jeremy Sharpe each tallied 11 in the 79-65 loss.
 The Storm were led by a season high 24 points from Rich Austin. Riley Thomas netted 18, and Jamil Dudley posted 12 for Lake Erie.
  LEC shot 48 percent for the game and 7 of 24 from the 3-point line. The The Tars shot 32 percent from the field and were 5-19 from the 3-point line. The Tars are now 13-54 from three point land during this three game losing skid. The Tars continued to struggle on the glass as they were out rebounded 35-30. Rollins also had 19 miscues that led to 20 Lake Erie points.
 The game would start out played close for much of the first half. The Storm would lead 18-14 before a 7-0 Tars run would give the hosts a 21-18 lead.   The Storm would close the half on 10-1 spurt and carry a 36-31 lead into halftime. Rollins would come out in the second half and get a pair of lay ups in the first 35 seconds to cut the lead to 36-35. That is as close as they would get, as the Storm would pull away with a 20-4 run that would make it 56-39. Rollins would get within nine after a pair of Scott Schuette free throws with 2:25 left but Riley Thomas would nail a big three and the Storm would make their  free throws to "ice it".
 Rollins will host California (PA) in the opener at 5 PM tomorrow, followed by Lake Erie and West Georgia in the championship game ay 7 PM. West Georgia used a 22-2 spurt to a 12 point win in the opener Thursday. As always you can catch all the action on Rollinssports.com and WPRK Winter Park.

 

Tars Set To Host LEC in Tangerine Opener.

The Rollins College Tars (7-2) try and snap a brief two game losing slide Thursday when they host the Lake Erie Storm in the opener of the 37th annual Winter Park Rotary Tangerine Tournament at Warden Arena. Rollins who was number 10 in the NABC Division II coaches poll will look to get back to their winning ways after dropping a pair of  contests in the Great Western Shootout in Las Vegas. The first being a 80-61 loss to Western Washington, before a 88-80 loss to Central Washington. Chris Malcolm was a bright spot for the Tars out west. He made the All Tournament Team, including a career high 28 points in the game against Central Washington. The Tars come into Thursday's contest with all five starters averaging double figures on the season. Jeremy Sharpe leads the way at 13.6 points a contest, Myk Brown adds 12.6 a night and Dave Diakite tallies 10.8 a game. Chris Malcolm (10.7 ppg) and Ian Scott (10.3 a night) round out the double digit scorers for a Tar team that averages 70.7 points a contest while allowing 64.4 points a night.
 Lake Erie comes in with a record of 4-4 on the season. They are fresh off a 62-60 thrilling win over Northwood (Mich) last time out. The Storm are led by Richard Austin. The Sophomore from Cleveland,OH paces LEC averaging 13.8 points and 6.9 rebounds a contest. Riley Thomas (Cardington,OH)  comes in chipping in 10 points a contest.  Nate Tait (South Euclid,OH) comes into Winter Park averaging 9.1 points a game. The Storm average 63.8 points a contest.
The line: Rollins by 10

Three Point Barrage Sinks Tars.

Coming into the Great Western Shootout, the Rollins College Tars (7-2) were allowing just 59 points a game. In each of the past two contests the Tars opponent has surpassed the 80 point plateau. Friday night it was Central Washington (7-3) who put 88 points on the Tars in a 88-80 win over tenth ranked Rollins.
 The Wildcats hit 13 of 32 attempts (41 percent from the 3-point line.). They were led by four players in double figures on the evening. Brandon Magee (20 points) and Jordan Colby (15) accounted for ten of the Wildcats 13 3-pointers. Lacy Haddock chipped in 13, including 2 of 4 from three. Kevin Davis added 12 points for Central Washington.
 The Tars were led by a career high 28 points from  all tournament team member Chris Malcolm, along with six rebounds. Jeremy Sharpe poured in 18, while Myk Brown netted 12 in the loss.
 The Wildcats shot 46 percent from the field to 45.9% for the Tars. The Tars were just 6-19 (32 percent) from three, as opposed to the 41 percent of the Wildcats. CWU shot 17-22 (73 percent) from the foul line to the Tars 18-26 (69 percent). CWU won the rebounding battle 37-33. CWU had 20 turnovers to 18 for the Tars.
 It was the Wildcats who jumped out to the early 8-2 lead in this one. CWU led for a majority of the first half but only took a one point lead (37-36) into halftime. The Wildcats would stretch that lead to nine points before the Tars would battle back and cut it to a one point game with nine minutes to go. The next 1:20 would belong to Magee and Troy Gross. The duo stretched the lead to nine with 6:25 to go. The Tars would cut the lead to three on a Ian Scott layup with just under four minutes left, but that is as close as they would get.
 The Tars will be back home for the Winter Park Rotary Tangerine Tournament December 29th and 30th. The Lake Erie Storm will be the opponent on the 29th, with California (PA) and West Georgia rounding out the tournament field.

Tars Look To Rebound From First Loss in Day Two of Great Western Shootout.

The Rollins College Tars (7-1) will look to rebound both literally and figuratively from Thursday's loss to Western Washington when they face the Wildcats of Central Washington (6-3) in  day two of the Great Western Shootout in Las Vegas.
 The Tars lost 80-61 to the Vikings in the opener on Thursday. Dave Diakite led the way with 14 points, while Myk Brown added ten. The Tars were doomed by 16 turnovers and going just 27-42 at the free throw line. All nine Rollins players who saw action scored at least three points. The Tars came into the tournament as the tenth ranked team in the country and led by Jeremy Sharpe (14.4 ppg). The Senior from Saint Louis had just four in the loss Thursday. Myk Brown came in averaging 13 a game and scored ten vs the Vikings. Ian Scott and Chris Malcolm each came into the tourney averaging ten a game. Scott had nine  to go along with seven rebounds Thursday, while Malcolm had six points and two rebounds after being saddled with foul trouble most of the night. A Rollins team that came in allowing just under 60 points a game allowed 80 to the Vikings.  The Vikings out rebounded Rollins 39-30.
 The Wildcats come into Friday at 6-3 on the season. They were a 85-75 loser to Alabama Hunstsville in the nightcap yesterday. Kevin Davis led CWU with a double-double (21 points and 14 rebounds), while Lacy Haddock chipped in 14. Jordan Colby (11 points) and Jody Johnson (10) rounded out the double digit scorers from the Wildcats. Central Washington shot 44 percent as a team and went just 8-25 from three point land. The Wildcats struggled at the foul line, going 11-25 (44 percent) in the game. The Wildcats come in with a balanced attack. Six players average double figures on the season. Tyler Toussant (14.6 ppg) and Kevin Davis (13.2 a contest) pace the Wildcats. Brandon Magee  and Lacy Haddock contribute 11.3 and 10.9 points a game respectively. Jody Johnson (10.1 ppg) and Jordan Colby (10 a game) round out the double digit scorers. The Wildcats average 85.2 points a game as a team while allowing just over 71.
The line: Tars by 4

Turnovers, Missed Free Throws Doom Tars in Loss.

The tenth ranked Rollins College Tars (7-1) suffered a 80-61 loss to the Vikings of Western Washington (11-1) in the opening day of the Great Western Shootout in Las Vegas,Nevada. The Tars were doomed by 16 turnovers and 15 missed free throws (27-42) in the loss. Rollins was led by 14 points from David Diakite. The UCF transfer was 7 of 12 at the foul line in the game. Myk Brown was the only other Tar in double figures with ten points. Rollins shot 40 percent (16-40) from the floor and struggled from the 3-point line (2-16).
 The Vikings who reeled off a ninth straight win and stopped the Tar win streak at seven in the process had three players in double numbers. John Allen paced the Vikings with 20 points including 4 of 8 from the 3-point line. Zach Hennifin posted a double-double (18 points and 10 rebounds), while Rory Blache chipped in 12. The Vikings shot 45 percent from the field and were 14-28 (50 percent) from three point territory. The Vikings were 10-13 at the foul line and out rebounded the Tars 39-30.
 The first three minutes were played pretty evenly, a pair of Brett Chance free throws tied the game at five in the early going. Six turnovers by the Tars would spark a 17-2 run for the Vikings as Western Washington would take a 22-7 lead. The Tars would go nearly seven minutes without a field goal before a Scott Schuette jumper would make it 22-9 nearly nine minutes in. The Tars would cut the lead to ten on a pair of occasions, the last making the halftime score 38-28 in favor of the home standing Vikings.
 The Vikings would roll in the second half. The lead would grow to as many as 25 before the Tars would cut into it late. The second day of the tournament will be tomorrow.
 Rollins will look to bounce back when they face Central Washington. Tip time is set for approximately 8 PM. Western Washington will face Alabama-Hunstsville in the 6 PM contest. As always you can cacth all the Tars action on 91.5 WPRK Winter Park and round the world at Rollins Sports.com

Tenth Ranked Tars to Face Western Washington in Opener of Great Western Shootout.

The tenth ranked Rollins Tars (7-0) will face Western Washington (10-1)  on Thursday evening at the South Point Arena in Las Vegas,Nevada.  The Vikings lone loss was 80-71 to Chestnut Hill back in early November.
 The Tars have traditionally fared well in the Vegas tournament, whether it be the High Dessert Classic (through 2010) or Great Western Shootout since. The Tars won a pair of games in last year's event and were led by MVP Nick Wolf (currently playing in Madrid).
 This year's Tars have reeled off seven straight wins to start the year and cracked the top ten this week. In the Tars last contest Ian Scott and Jeremy Sharpe netted 13 points each while Chris Malcolm had 12 points and a career high 14 rebounds in a hard fought 66-63 win over Southeastern. The Tars come into the shootout averaging 70.7 points a contest, while giving up just 58.9 a game. Jeremy Sharpe leads four Tars who average double figures on the season at 14.4 points a contest. Myk Brown chips in 13 points a game, while Ian Scott and Chris Malcolm score ten points each a night. Malcolm leads the team in rebounding (8.1 ppg) and blocked shots (19 for the season). Scott leads the team in assists (4.86 a game) and steals (3 a game).
  The Vikings of Western Washington come into Thursday on a eight game win streak. They have two signature wins (number 3 BYU Hawaii and Number 19 Seattle Pacific). The Vikings are coming off an easy 106-61 win over Quest B.C on Monday. The Vikings high powered offense averages 86.5 points a contest, while they reject 7.8 shots a game as a team. Rory Blache paces the Vikings at 15.7 points and 7.2 rebounds a game. John Allen chips in 14.8 a night, while Richard Woodworth and Rico Wilkins round out the double digit scorers at ten points a game.
The Line: Western Washington by 1

Tars Topple Fire, Stay Perfect.

The Rollins College Tars (7-0) just keep finding ways to win. The 13th ranked Tars battled thru another injury (this time Ian Scott tweaking his back in the first half) and poor shooting to hang on for a 66-63 win at Warden Arena Friday.
 Ian Scott and Jeremy Sharpe led Rollins with 13 points each. Scott after missing nine minutes of the first half with a back injury. The story on this night in Winter Park though was Chris Malcolm. The Senior transfer from Winthrop had his second career double-double with 12 points to go along with a career high 14 rebounds. Malcolm also added five blocked shots on the night. The Tars shot 39 percent from the floor and did not shoot it well from the 3-point line shooting just 24 percent (7-29). The Tars did a better job of taking care of the ball in this one turning the ball over 16 times. Rollins struggled at the foul line shooting 65 percent (17-26).
 The Fire who are ranked 16th in the NAIA poll fell to 9-6 on the year. Povillas Gadys had 12 points to lead Southeastern. Malcolm Pollock netted 11 off of the Fire bench. The Fire shot 41 percent from the field and 29 percent from three point range. They turned the ball over 15 times and each team had 37 rebounds.
 The game started off in the Tars favor as they jumped out to an 18-4 lead in the early going. An injury to Ian Scott that caused him to miss eight minutes of the first half and a switch to a zone defense by Fire coach Jon Dunlap made things tough on the Tars. After the Fire took a brief 22-20 lead, the Tars closed the half with a 29-26 lead.
 The Fire would control the opening stages of the second half and take a five point lead with 13:38 to go. Rollins would counter as Scott Schuette would hit a pair of three pointers to give the Tars a five point lead with 9:26 to play. The Tars were stretch that lead to seven before the Fire would fight back once again to go up 59-57 with four minutes to play. Ian Scott would then be fouled and after a Fire technical make three of four free throws to give the Tars the lead. Scott and Sharpe would "ice" the victory late as the Tars stayed perfect.
 Rollins will take a perfect record to Las Vegas for the Great Western Shootout. The Tars will meet host Western Washington at 6 PM on Thursday at South Point Arena. As always you can catch all the action at RollinsSports.com

13th Ranked Tars Host Fire Friday.

The 13th ranked Rollins College Tars (6-0) fresh off a 84-78 win over then #22 Florida Southern welcome the Southeastern University Fire to Warden Arena on Friday. The win over the Mocs vaulted the Tars from 25th to 13th in the NCAA Division II poll this week. The Tars are off to their best start since a 10-0 start to the 2007-08 campaign. The Tars have picked it up of late from both the floor and three point range. Rollins is shooting 52 percent from the floor and 44 percent from the 3-point line in the past three games. Protecting the ball has been an issue for the home team. Rollins has turned the ball over 18.3 times a game thus far, including 25 in the win over Southern. The Tars are led in scoring by Jeremy Sharpe. The Senior from St. Louis comes into Friday's contest averaging 14.7 points per game.  Myk Brown is netting 13.3 a night, while Dave Diakite averages 11.3 points and 5.8 rebounds a night. Ian Scott rounds out the double figure scorers averaging 10.3 points a contest. Scott will continue to log heavy minutes after going all 40 versus Florida Southern. Brett Chance will once again not be able to go with a knee injury.
 Southeastern (9-5) will be playing the second night of a back to back. The Fire fell 82-64 to Florida A&M on Thursday. Chris Carlyle scored 12 points off the bench to lead the Fire. The Fire did have a big win earlier in the season when they took care of Warner University 93-72. The Fire are 1-4 against DII opponents on the season. The lone win was over Tampa. The Fire have faced three SSC teams thus far. They defeated Tampa (66-45), but lost to Eckerd (90-83) and St.Leo (64-53). The Fire are led in scoring by Malcolm Pollock who scores 13.8 points a night. Dwayne Johnson adds 12.4 a contest. Dyami Thurman rounds out the double digit scorers at 10.8 a night. The Fire averaging 78 points a contest while allowing 70 a night.
Line: Rollins by 12

Bench Bunch, Scott's Career Day Spark 25th Ranked Tars Win Saturday!

The 25th ranked Rollins College Tars improved to 6-0 on the season and 2-0 in the Sunshine State Conference with a hard fought 84-78 win over 22nd ranked Florida Southern 4-2 (0-1 SSC) at Warden Arena Saturday.
 Ian Scott had a career high 19 points, to go along with seven assists and four steals in the win. The Tars point man played all 40 minutes as Brett Chance was unable to play after suffering a knee injury in practice on Friday. Jeremy Sharpe netted 17 points (all in the second half) after only playing two minutes in the first half after picking up a pair of fouls. Myk Brown added 15 points, while Dave Diakite posted 11 points and eight rebounds before fouling out with seven minutes to go.  With the injury to Chance, the Tars strictly freshman bench came up big in this one. Jeff Dirkin (seven points, five rebounds in 21 minutes), Chris Uhle (five points, two rebounds in eight minutes), and Scott Schuette (two points, three rebounds) in 26 minutes got their  first real taste of conference action Saturday. The Tars shot 56 percent from the field in the game, while going 7 of 17 from the 3-point line. The Tars shot 68 percent (23-34) from the foul line. Rollins won the boards battle 35-28, while turning the ball over 25 times.
  Kevin Capers had a game high 22 points to lead the Mocs. Seth Evans netted 16 points, while Dominic Lane added 15 in the loss. The Mocs shot 46 percent for the game. Southern turned the ball over 17 times.
 The game got off to a rough start, with turnovers being the story in the first eight minutes as it was tied at 10. After a Mocs hoop gave them a brief 12-10 lead, Dave Diakite sparked an 11-1 run with a dunk and a 3-pointer to put the Tars up 23-13. The rest of the half would be played evenly as a pair of Chris Uhle free throws would give the home team a 38-26 lead at the intermission.
 The game would stay evenly played thru the first ten minutes of the second half, until the Mocs would cut into that lead on a pair of Capers free throws that made it 59-51. The Tars would be up nine after a three by Jeremy Sharpe made it a nine point Tar lead again. After a foul and a Dave Diakite technical would disqualify the transfer from UCF Seth Evans would can four free throws to cut the Tar lead to 65-60. A quick 6-0 spurt by the Tars would remove most doubt (80-70) with 2:29 to go. The Tars would make enough free throws late to "ice it" and stay a top the conference.
 Rollins will be back in action Friday when they host Southeastern University. Tip time is set for 7 PM at Warden Arena.

22nd Ranked Mocs Come Calling For Tars Saturday.

The#25 Rollins College Tars (5-0) put a perfect record on the line when they entertain the 22nd ranked Mocs of Florida Southern At Warden Arena. This will be a battle of a pair of ranked teams, the co-SSC champs two years ago, the preseason pick to win the conference (Rollins) and finish second Florida Southern,as well as traditional perennial powers. It will be the first meeting between the two schools since the Mocs eliminated the Tars in the first round of the NCAA tournament a year ago.
  Rollins comes into the game fresh off a defensive clinic in a 60-36 thrashing of Tampa at the Bob Martinez Center. The defensive-minded Tars had 16 steals in the win over Tampa. Dave Diakite, Ian Scott, Brett Chance, and Jeremy Sharpe had three steals each in the victory. Chris Malcolm also was effective on the defensive end with four blocked shots. The Tars are led in scoring by Jeremy Sharpe (14.2 ppg), Myk Brown (13.0 ppg) and Dave Diakite (11.4 points a night).
 The Mocs come into the contest with a 4-1 mark. The lone loss for Florida Southern was to South Florida. The Mocs also come in with three players averaging double figures on the season. Seth Evans leads the way at 16.8 ppg. This number includes a very impressive 26-27 (96.3 percent) at the foul line. Kevin Capers averages 13.8 a night, while Brett Bailey chips in 13.6 a contest.
 The game will tip at 4 PM and can be heard on 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park and round the world at Rollins Sports.TV
The line: Rollins by 3

Opening Statement!

The 25th ranked Rollins Tars improved to 5-0 on the season and 1-0 in the Sunshine State Conference with a 60-36 thrashing of the Spartans in the conference opener for both teams at the Bob Martinez Sports Center.
 The Tars were paced by 12 points from Ian Scott. Scott also had three of the Tars 16 steals on the evening. Dave Diakite also tallied double figures scoring 11 points for the Tars. Jeremy Sharpe chipped in nine, while Brett Chance came off the bench to score eight. Diakite, Sharpe, and Chance also had three steals each in this one. The Tars zone defense held Tampa to 28 percent shooting, including 1 of 14 from the three point line ,while Rollins shot 42 percent for the game.  The 36 points were Tampa's lowest output since a game against Northwestern in 1983.
 Terrell Pritchett and Ashton Graham had eight points each to lead the Spartans (2-4 0-1 SSC). Tampa struggled at the foul line going 7-12 (58 percent). The Spartans won the battle on the boards 38-32. UT turned the ball over 24 times to 16 for the Tars. Rollins had eight blocked shots to 4 for Tampa. Chris Malcolm had four blocked shot for the Tars.
   The game started at a very slow pace with neither team able to buy a basket. A Jeremy Sharpe three with 11 minutes to go in the opening half would give Rollins a 10-8  lead. The Tars would stretch that lead to 13-10 on a Brett Chance lay up and then would go "ice cold"from the field for the next six minutes. Brett Chance would give the Tars offense the  jump start it needed when he would bank in a half court shot off of a Jeff Dirkin steal to give the Tars a 24-18 halftime lead.
 Rollins would go scoreless the first 3:20 of the second half, but then would take command the rest of the way. A once close game turned into a laugher after a 19-4 Tars run stretched an eight point lead to 23 (45-22). Tampa would get no closer than 19 points the rest of the way.
 The Tars will be back in action with a key Sunshine State Conference battle when they square off with the 22nd ranked Florida Southern Mocs at the Alfond Sports Center. As always you can catch all the action on 91.5 FM WPRK and round the world at rollinssports.com. Tip time is set for 4 PM.

Tars Open SSC Play at Tampa Wednesday.

The Rollins College Tars (4-0) will start their quest for a three-peat in the Sunshine State Conference when they travel to the Bob Martinez Sports Center in Tampa on Wednesday. Rollins has won each of the last two Sunshine State regular season titles and broke into the national Division II rankings this week at number 25. The Tars are led by Jeremy Sharpe (15.5 points a game), Myk Brown (14.5 per contest), while Dave Diakite chips in 11.5 a night. Chris Malcolm has also been solid, averaging nine points and eight rebounds a contest. The Tars lead the conference in steals at 11.8 a night, and are second in blocks (five a game). On the defensive end the Tars opponents are shooting just 38 percent on the season thus far.
  Tampa (2-3) is coming off a split in the Eckerd College Classic.  After a 70-50 loss to Shaw, the Spartans gained the split with a 53-44 win over Puerto Rico-Bayamon. Tampa comes into Wednesday's contest at the bottom of the SSC in scoring at just 50.2 points a game. They only have one player averaging double figures (Ashton Graham 11.8 ppg). Osby Kelly and Jon Riles add 8.4 and 7.8 points a night respectively. Defensively the Spartans only allow 56.2 points a game. One of the big problems for UT thus far has been foul shooting (57.3 percent).
The line: Rollins by 12

Tars Turn Back Hot Shooting Piedras.

The Rollins College Tars (4-0) knocked off the Gallitos of Puerto Rico Rio-Piedras (0-2) 81-70 on Wednesday afternoon at Warden Arena. With the win Rollins completed a 3-0 home stand.
  The Tars were led by Myk Brown who netted 21 points to lead the way. Jeremy Sharpe added 17 on the strength of 5 for 9 from the three point line. Dave Diakite added 12 points and six rebounds, while Brett Chance chipped in 11 off the Tars bench.
 Hector Maldanado led all scorers with 33 points, including 9 of 20 from three point land. 20 of Maldanado's 33 were in the opening half. Ramon Matos also tallied 14 for the UPRP. Joseph Vegerano added 14 assists.
 Both teams shot the ball extremely well especially in the opening half. It was Piedras who opened up an eight point lead seven minutes in. After even basketball for the next couple minutes the Tars would go on a run of their own and take a 21-20 lead after back to back Jeff Dirkin buckets. The Gallitos would make it 39-31 behind the hot shooting of Maldanado. Then it would be Myk Brown's turn, the Tars would take a 44-41 halftime lead after Brown would score the last ten points of the half.
 The second half would begin with Piedras scoring the first five points to regain the lead. The Tars would answer with a 10-0 run sparked by a Sharpe three. The lead would grow to as many as 14 as the Tars would cruise to the 11 point win.
 Rollins shot 58 percent in the game and 55 percent (11-20) from long range. The Tars won the battle of the boards 30-23. Piedras shot 49 percent from the field The Gallitos ended the game 14-34 (31 percent) from long range. They were just 5 of 20 in the second half. Piedras had 20 turnovers, while the Tars had 19. The Tars shot 71 percent at the foul line as opposed to 57 percent for Rio-Piedras.
  The Tars will take a break for the Thanksgiving holiday and jump right into conference play when they head to the Bob Martinez Sports Center to face Tampa November 30th.

Rollins Wraps Up Home Stand Wednesday.

The Rollins College Tars (3-0) coming off a hard fought 75-67 overtime win over Webber International Monday, will wrap up a three game home stand Wednesday when they welcome Puerto Rico Rio Piedras (0-1) to Warden Arena for a noon tip.
 The Tars come into the contest perfect on the young season. Jeremy Sharpe leads the way averaging 15 points a game. The Senior from Saint Louis scored seven  of his 22 points points in the extra session on Monday. Sharpe also is averaging 5.7 rebounds a game. Three other Tars come into today's contest averaging double figures. Myk Brown is tallying 12.3 points a contest while Dave Diakite puts up 11.3 a game. Chris Malcolm rounds out the double digit scorers, he is averaging a near double-double with 10.7 points and 9.3 rebounds a contest.
 The Gallitos (0-1) lost their season opener 97-79 at the hands of Florida Southern Saturday. Hector Maldanado led the way with 26 points for Piedras. Josseph Vegerano and  Angel Acevedo each put up 17 points for UPRP in the opener. The Gallitos shot 44 percent for the game but went 7 of 26 from the three point line.
The line: Rollins by 19

Taken To The Brink!

The Rollins Tars (3-0) knew the Webber International Warriors were going to be a pesky bunch coming into Monday night's contest at Warden Arena and they would need an extra session to take care of the visiting Warriors 75-67.
 Four Tars scored in double figures on the night. Jeremy Sharpe scored seven of his 22 points in the overtime. Brett Chance had a career high 14 points, while Dave Diakite and Ian Scott had 11 points each. Chris Malcolm also made an impact. Malcolm had 9 points, 11 assists and 3 blocks, including a pair of blocks in the extra session on the same possession with the game still in doubt.
  The Warriors (2-7) who have played four division one opponents thus far this season were led by 21 points from Johnson Mesidor. David Swan netted 18 for Webber.
  The Tars  led by 12 at the break (38-26) after shooting 50 percent in the opening half.  The lead would stay at 12 for the next four minutes. Rollins would then go thru a offensive lol and Mesidor and Swan would get hot from three point land and the Warriors would be up 50-48 with eight minutes to go. The Tars looked to regain command leading 59-54 after a good defensive stretch with 2:19 to go. The Tars would not score the rest of the way and the Warriors would score the last five points to force overtime. The Tars would have a chance on the last possession but Myk Brown missed a reverse layup and Chris Malcolm's put back did not go.
 In the OT Sharpe would hit a three, then Swann would hit a 3-pointer of his own to tie the game. Sharpe would hit a fade away jumper to give the Tars a 64-62 lead they would not give up. Chris Malcolm would have a pair of blocks, Dave Diakite a thunderous dunk, and Ian Scott would seal it at the foul line.
Rollins shot 41 percent for the night while the Warriors shot 40 percent. The Tars were 9-23 from three point land while the Warriors were 8-27. Rollins went 20-28 (71 percent) while Webber International was 5 of 8 (63 percent) at the foul line. The Warriors won the battle on the boards 42-37. Rollins had 13 miscues as opposed to 16 for the Warriors.
 Rollins will wrap up this brief three game home stand Wednesday when they face Puerto Rico-Piedras at noon at Warden Arena. As always you can catch all the action on 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park and round the wold at Rollinssports.tv.

Tars Continue Brief Home Stand Monday.

The Rollins College Tars (2-0) will continue a brief three game home stand Monday night when they welcome Webber International (2-6) to the Alfond Sports Center.
  The Tars are coming off a 15 point win over Warner University on Friday night. The Tars have been paced in this young season by Myk Brown (14.5 ppg). David Diakite and Jeremy Sharpe each come into Monday's contest averaging 11.5 points a night. This is the second of three games in the current three game home stand for the Tars. Ian Scott continues to impress on the defensive end as he added another 4 steals in the 66-51 win. Chris Malcolm had his first career double-double in the home opener (14 points and 12 rebounds).
  The Warriors (2-6) have dropped six straight after winning the first two games of the year. They are led by David Swan (15.8 ppg). Gabriel Rutledge leads the Warriors at 13.2 rebounds a contest, while Troy Simmons is dishing out 3.5 assists a game. The most recent loss for the Warriors was 84-61 at the hands of Georgia Southern.
Line: Rollins by 20

Malcolm's Career Night Powers Tars Past Warner.

Chris Malcolm  had his first career double-double scoring 14 points and grabbing 12 rebounds, both career highs as the Rollins Tars (2-0) defeated the Warner Royals (4-2) 66-51 in the Tars home opener. Malcolm stuffed the stat sheet adding 5 blocks and 4 dunks to his career night (Malcolm did have a 9 block game to set the school record last season). Three others Tars scored double figures on Friday night. Jeremy Sharpe had 13 points and 5 rebounds, while Dave Diakite and Myk Brown each scored double figures for the second straight game (10 a piece).
 The Royals were paced by a pair of players in double figures. Ian Wilhelm paced the Royals with 16 points on the strength of 4 3-pointers. Malcolm Campbell chipped in 13 for Warner.
 The first nine minutes were a back and forth affair for these two teams. After the Tars trailed 12-10 they would go on a 14-5 run to make it 24-15 Rollins with 6:20 in the opening half after a three by Jeremy Sharpe. The Royals would close the half on a mini spurt and it would be 30-25 at the half.
 Rollins would come out "red hot "in the second half while the Royals went "ice cold". Eight minutes into the second half the Tars opened up a 20 point lead (50-30). The Tars lead would balloon to 26 after a traditional three point play by Brett Chance all but sealed it. The Royals would not get any closer than the final 15 point margin.
 The Tars shot 44 percent in the game.  Rollins shot 31 percent (7-22) from the three point line. The Tars were 5-8 at the foul line. They had 15 assists to go along with 15 turnovers. Rollins won the battle of the boards 37-34. The Tars also had 7 blocks and 11 steals (4 by Scott and 3 by Diakite).
 The Royals shot 38 percent for the game and just 6-23 (26 percent) from the three point line. The Royals just connected on just 7 of 12 (58 percent) at the foul line. Warner had just 8 assists on 25 made baskets and 22 turnovers.
 The Tars will be back in action Monday night when they battle Webber International. Tip time at Warden Arena is set for 7:30 PM.

Tars Welcome Warner to Warden Friday.

The Rollins Tars (1-0) start the home portion of there  2011-12 season when they welcome the Warner University Royals (4-1) to Warden Arena in Winter Park.
 The two time defending conference champs are coming off a solid defensive effort in a 63-47 road win over Palm Beach Atlantic in West Palm Beach. The Tars were led by a trio of players in double figures. Myk Brown who is the team's leading returning scorer from a year ago scored 19 points, newcomer David Diakite scored 13 and grabbed 7 rebounds, while Jeremy Sharpe posted a 10 point evening. Since Tom Klusman took over the program 32 seasons ago the trademark of the Tars has become a stiffing zone defense. The zone was on full display in the opener when Rollins held the Sailfish to just 18 percent second half shooting.
 Warner comes into the contest with a high flying offense that is averaging almost 97 points a contest. The Royals have eclipsed the century mark twice this season. Each time was against Trinity College. The Royals lone loss was at the hands of Edward Watters by a 78-71 score. Malcolm Campbell leads the Royals thru the first five contests averaging 18 points. Bryce Kachinski is averaging 15 a night, while David Westberry scores 13 a game to go along with six assists a contest.
The line: Rollins by 13

New Look Tars Stymie Sailfish in Opener.

The Rollins College Tars (1-0) used there zone defense to hold down Palm Beach Atlantic (0-1) in a 63-47 season opening win at Rubin Arena in West Palm Friday night.
 The Tars were led by three players in double figures. Myk Brown paced the Tars with 19 points, David Diakite added 13 and Jeremy Sharpe netted 10.
 Marcus Hardy led PBA with 15 in the loss. Matthew Gierl also scored in double figures with 12.
  Rollins shot 43 percent from the field and went 6-22 from the three point line. The real story of the night though was the Tars zone defense holding the Sailfish to 27 percent shooting. The Sailfish were 3-26 from the three point line and shot just 7- 39 overall in the second half.
 It was PBA that jumped out to the early 4-0 lead. The Tars would answer right back and go on a 12-2 run after a Sharpe three to take a 12-6 lead. PBA would cut that lead to one (12-11) but again the Tars would answer with a 18-8 run this time to open up a 30-19 lead. PBA would cut that lead to seven (32-25) at halftime.
 The Tars put the game away early in the second half. A 20-3 burst to open the half and give the Tars a 53-28 lead would remove all doubt in this one. Rollins will be back in action Friday November 18th when they battle the Royals from Warner University at Warden Arena. Tip time is set for 7 PM and you can always catch all the action on 91.5 WPRK and worldwide at:
www.RollinsSports.com

Player Profiles 2011-12!!

Starters:
Ian Scott (#21)
Mount Dora,Fla. (Mount Dora High School)
6-3 170 Guard
Senior
Scott goes into his second year as the Tars starting point guard. Saw his scoring average climb from 5.7 to 6.2 points a game last season. He also averaged 2.6 assists and 1.6 steals a contest. He started all 31 games for the Tars.
This is what he had to say about his role going into the season:
"My leadership role will be more intense being that we have so many new players coming to the team. I will be expressing my leadership both vocally and through my actions on and off the court."
When asked about this season's senior class:
"This year's senior class is very strong. We have Jeremy Sharpe. Then there are Myk Brown and Chris Malcolm who both transferred from Division I schools.  They all bring different assets to our team."
When asked about this year's goal as a team, Scott added:
"The goals are the same every year:
win the conference, win the conference tournament and win the NCAA tournament."
Scott is still best known for his defensive prowess. Brown had this to say about his fellow back court mate.
"Ian has always been a player of intense energy for as long as I have known him. I feel like that aspect of his game is why he is so solid on the defensive end. His length and athleticism are also exceptional."
Jeff Dirkin agreed:
"I believe Ian is our best defender especially at the guard position. His movements in our defense are second nature and he has a knack for getting an honorable mention."
Trip McFall knows Scott better than anyone having to face him in practice every day.
"I still believe Ian is the best defender because of his experience as well as energy."
Pete's take: The catalyst for this year's Tars


Myk Brown (#32) 
Gainesville,Fla. (PK Yonge High School)
6-4 210 Guard
Senior
Brown is coming off a solid junior campaign. he averaged 12.3 points a game, shot 32 percent from the three point line and 84 percent at the foul line. He had this to say about what the Tars lost from a year ago.
"We obviously lost a lot from last year's roster, but I feel like the additions we have this year are just as good. The dynamic of the team has definitely changed and it should be an exciting year."
Scott had this to say about Brown:
"Myk is able to attack the rim and knock down a jump shot."
McFall had this to say about Brown:
" The best pure shooter on the team is Myk Brown. The way Myk has been shooting it lately has been great."
Kyle Schneider agrees:
"Myk is the best pure shooter, as well as the best at creating his own shot."
Pete's take: Brown is an excellent shooter and gets to the line at will.


Chris Malcolm (#34)
Orlando,Fla. (Timber Creek High School)
6-8 220 Center
Senior
Malcolm is coming off an injury plagued season. He was bothered by a broken wrist for much of last season. He still played in 28 of the Tars 31 games averaging 3.8 points, 3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks a game. He set the school record with 9 blocks in a single game versus Saint Leo in Mid February. Malcolm provided me with a little insight of what it was like to play through pain much of the season and how the wrist feels now.
" Going into the season my wrist is holding up really well, I was surprised that it feels as good as it does. It is healed but the range of motion is not totally back. "
"Yes it made last year difficult because I did not have complete use of my dominant hand."
When asked about the expectations for the upcoming season:
"I expect this year to start off slow because of so many new faces, but once everyone is clicking with the offense it should be a great year. "
Pete's take: Having a healthy Malcolm will help this season tremendously, especially on the defensive end.


Jeremy Sharpe (#0)
St.Louis,Mo. (Christian Brothers Academy)
6-6 180 Forward
Senior
Sharpe is back with the Tars after deciding not to play basketball last season. The last season Sharpe played (2009) he appeared in 29 games (26 starts). He averaged 12.3 points a contest.
"My expectations as far as myself are  to help the team win in as many ways as I can, to be a complete player and basically to just win."
When asked about the athletic ability on this team:
"This is the most athletic team I have ever been a part of. "Sharpe said"
Scott had this to say about Sharpe:
"Jeremy is a strong player who can score in many different ways."
Pete's take: Pure scorer who can go for 30 on any given night


David Diakite (#42)
Washington D.C. (National Christian Academy)
6-6 215 Forward
Junior
A transfer from UCF, Diakite played in 25 games (18 starts) for the Knights last season. He played 10.5 minutes a night, averaging 3.3 points and 2.2 rebounds a contest.
Scott had nothing but praise for his new teammate:
"The most athletic on our team is David Diakite. He is literally a "freak of nature". He gets off the ground so quickly and jumps extremely high. He is strong and fast."
Jeff Dirkin agreed:
"Dave is a huge addition to our team, and his athleticism will help us at both ends. And in transition look out!!"
Brown is impressed with Diakite's basketball IQ:
"Dave is athletically blessed. He can easily play above the rim and knows how to get himself or a teammate a shot, he really understands the game of basketball.  He is going to bring a lot of excitement to our team as well as another option offensively. Defensively, we will be able to be that much better with the tools and skills that he has."
Pete's take: Can not wait to finally see this kid play. He can jump out of the gym and should be a real asset to this year's Tars.


Bench:
Brett Chance (#15)
Winter Park,Fla. (Lake Howell High School)
6-2 190 Guard
Red Shirt Junior
Chance averaged 4.6 points and 2.2 assists per game last season.  He appeared in all 31 games, coming off the Tars bench. Chance focused on his shooting technique more than anything this off season.
"I focused on my shooting technique this off season more than I ever have in the past and I feel that my form and shot have become a lot better ." Chance said.
When asked about himself as a shooter this is what Chance had to say:
"I wouldn't say I am a pure shooter, because that is not my game. I will shoot the 3 ball but I like to take people off the dribble or hit them with the mid range. "
Pete's take: Look out for Chance this year. he was already a good shooter but with the new form and technique he could be much better. Look for his minutes to increase as the season progresses. 


Scott Schuette (#33)
Lexington,Kentucky (Lexington Catholic)
6-3 190 Guard
Freshman
Schuette is a pure shooter in every sense of the word. McFall really likes the way Schuette shoots the ball.
"The best pure shooter on our team is Myk Brown. I think Scott Schuette is up there too, the young pup from Lexington can really shoot it ,said McFall."
Dirkin agrees:
"Scott is our best pure shooter, as he adjusts to the college game he can help us."
As most great shooters do, Schuette puts  in a lot of time in on his shot.
"During the off season I get up about 500 shots a day. During the season about 200 a day, yes I consider myself a gym rat."
On the biggest transition from high school to college:
"Getting my shot off faster."
On picking Rollins:
"Team, coaches and winning attitude made me want to come here."
Pete's take: Schuette will struggle early on, but as he gets familiar with the college game he will shine.


Chris Uhle (#24)
Ocala,Fla. (Trinity Catholic)
6-11 145 Center
Freshman
Uhle comes into his first season with the Tars looking to do big things. When asked to describe his game this is what Uhle had to say:
"My strengths are low post defense and rebounding as well as my shooting ability. My weakness are my perimeter defense and athleticism. My natural position is center."
Shoots the 3 ball well. Will open up some backdoor cuts for teammates off double teams. Will open up the three point line for teammates when in the game."
Scott added:
" Chris Uhle is a big guy who can knock down the open shot, he is strong and athletic."
Pete's take: Uhle will be a huge addition to the team along with Diakite. Just wait until Uhle knows what spots on the floor these guys want the ball.


Jeff Dirkin (#5)
Oak Park,Illinois (Oak Park High School)
6-8 210 Forward
Redshirt Freshman
Dirkin put in a lot of time on his ball handling skills since last year.
"I have put some serious time into my ball handling since last year and would say I have improved some. I am much better at getting to the basket and finishing.
"Also I worked hard on my jump hook. If I am confident and I have time I can be a threat in the post."
On himself as a scorer:
"I am definetly a 3 point shooter, I imagine most of my points will come off catch and shoot three's, lay ups and put backs.
Pete's Take: Dirkin will be integral coming off the Tars bench. 


Kyle Schneider (#14)
Winter Park,Fla. (Winter Park High School)
5-10 180 Guard
Red Shirt Sophomore
Schneider is coming off major knee surgery last season. He plays hard when on the court. He will push everyone hard in practice.
Pete's take: He will see limited minutes this season.


Redshirts:
Corey Goedde (#4)
Cincinnati,OH (Glen Este High School)
6-1 180 Guard
Freshman
Goedde continues the long line of Rollins players from the queen city. This is what Goedde had to say about those ties:
"I really don't know too much about the ties to Cincinnati. I have just heard about them through people. I would say that this is just a good school with a great location that gets people from all over. Now they can use it as a selling point for kids from that area to make them more comfortable coming down here. I liked the fact that they had Cincinnati ties. It made me feel more connected. My final decision though was that it was the best offer for me so I just took it."
Ian Scott added this about Goedde and fellow teammate James Farrell:
"Corey Goedde and James Farrell are solid guards and with a year of redshirting will be ready for next season.
On his skills as a player:
I have played the two guard and the point guard throughout my career. Naturally I am a point guard because then I can push the ball up the floor and create in transition."
Pete's take: After a year of redshirting, Goedde could be just what the doctor ordered. With Brett Chance and Ian Scott both gone after this season the Tars will be looking for a point guard. 


Trip McFall (#10)
Indianapolis,Indiana (North Central High School)
6-3 195 Guard
Sophomore
McFall will redshirt after having a sold Freshman season a year ago. On his experience from last season:
"I think last year helped me get comfortable in the offseason by getting some quality playing time with some veterans like Wolf, Matt and Nikola. "
On the teams goals for the upcoming season:
"This year we expect to win the conference for the third straight year and be playing our best basketball by the time conference season starts."
Pete's take: McFall will benefit from red shirting in the long run. Expect a big year from Trip next season.


James Farrell (#11)
Winter Park,Fla. (Winter Park High School)
6-0 175 Guard
Freshman
Farrell will also red shirt this season. He had a solid career at Winter Park High School and decided to stay local for college.
"I chose Rollins because it is close to home, has a good basketball program and also a MBA program."
On his biggest transition from high school to college:
"Living on my own and having more responsibility."
On the reason why he decided to red shirt:
"Gives me time to put on weight which is important to me."
Ian Scott added this:
"Corey Goedde and James Farrell are solid guards. With a year of red shirting they will be ready for next season."
Pete's take: Looks like the Tars have a solid crop of guards going forward!

Bridger Dawson (#55)
Aspen,Colorado (Aspen High School)
6-8 220 Center
Freshman
On choosing Rollins:
"I wanted to get a tropical feel and when they gave me an offer to play it was perfect."
Ian Scott provided this insight about Dawson:
"Bridger Dawson will be a good player, he has lots of potential and just needs some time to grow."
Pete's take: You can never have enough bigs during the course of a season.

Lacing It Up One Last Time!

It is not the way that he wanted his Rollins College career to end, but at least the location will feel right.
  Nick Wolf will represent the Rollins College Tars in the DII All Star Game in Springfield, Mass. The Senior from Cincinnati will play his final collegiate basketball game of any sort on Friday. Wolf was hoping to bring his ten other Rollins teammates with him to Springfield but a 76-74 loss to Florida Southern in the NCAA DII South Regional in Huntsville, Alabama shattered those dreams.
  Wolf was named NABC All District on Tuesday. The award was the third straight season on the All-District team for the former Cincinnati St.Xavier Bomber. Wolf has been an All American in two consecutive seasons (first Tar ever to do so) and will most likely be named to a third later this week.
  Wolf had a superb 2011 season. He averaged a double-double (21.2 points and 10.1 rebounds a game) his Senior Year. He was a unanimous choice as SSC Player of the Year as voted on by Sports Information directors throughout the conference. Wolf was the Most Outstanding player in both the Great Western Shootout in Las Vegas as well as the Sunshine State Conference Tournament. Wolf added the All-Tournament team at the Winter Park Rotary Tangerine Tournament as well as those honors.
  Wolf ended his Rollins career second all time in points with 2,035 and also second in rebounds with 1,046. Nate Rusbosin and Wolf share the record for most wins by a player in his four years at Rollins (91).
 Here is the list of complete All District First and Second teams:
First Team:
Stephen Blake-Harding
Rashaad Callaway- Tampa
Zane Campbell- Alabama-Huntsville
Josh Magette- Alabama Huntsville
Rion Rayfield- Florida Southern
Nick Wolf-Rollins
Second Team:
Kevin Brown-Harding
Kevin Harris-Valdosta State
Justin Sedlak- Florida Tech
Laithe Massey-Arkansas Tech
Da'Ron Sims-West Georgia
Phil Turner-Delta State
Coach of the Year: Lennie Acuff-Alabama- Huntsville

Foul Line Fails The Tars in Loss to Southern.

The 16th ranked Rollins College Tars  (25-7) saw their season come to a close with a 76-74 loss to the Florida Southern Mocs (23-8) in the first round of the NCAA South Regional in Huntsville,Alabama.
  The Tars who are normally a very good foul shooting team made just 19-32 (59 percent) Saturday. The Tars had a one point lead and Ian Scott at the free throw line with 11 seconds remaining. Scott missed both free throws and FSC reserve guard Dominic Lane nailed a three with 1.9 seconds remaining. The Tars had one last chance but Nikola Baran's three was blocked as time expired. Nick Wolf led three Rollins players in double figures on the day. Wolf scored 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. The Senior from Cincinnati was just  six of 12 at the foul line on the afternoon. Wolf moved into second place all time on the Tars all time scoring list. He ended up with 2,035 points and 1,046 rebounds. Matt Robertson (14) and Nikola Baran (10) also scored in double figures.  At the foul line Wolf was six of 13 and Robertson went three of six. The Tars shot 50 percent (24-48) on the day. They were seven of 17 (41 percent) from the three point line. The Tars won the rebounding battle 33-30 and had 12 turnovers (eight in first half).
 The Mocs advance to tomorrow night's regional semifinal where they will face seventh seeded Stillman.  The Mocs had four players in double figures on the day. Terry Jenkins led the way with 14 points. Damon Ellison netted 13, while Cameron Wooten had 11. Dominic Lane who came into the game averaging 1.8 points a contest went 4-4 from the field including the game winning three for his 11 points. The Mocs shot 47 percent (27-57) from the floor and were also 7-17 (41 percent from three). The Mocs were 15-20 (75 percent) at the foul line. FSC had just 7 turnovers.
  The Tars came out with some energy and led 7-2 after the first three minutes on a Matt Robertson lay up. The Mocs would fight back in the next several minutes and take a 21-18 lead on a pair of Preston Fredrick hoops with 9 minutes left in the opening half. The two teams would go back and forth for the remainder of the half until Nick Wolf would give the Tars a 40-38 lead heading into the locker room.
  The Tars would stretch the lead to six before Southern would fight back and tie it. Rion Rayfield would hit a pair of threes and a Terry Jenkins hoop would put the Mocs up 57-52 .  The Mocs would stretch the lead to eight (62-54) on a Fredrick dunk. The Tars would fight back and tie it at 71 on a Robertson free throw with 2:22 remaining. A Nick Wolf lay up would put the Tars up 73-71 with 1:35 left. The Mocs tied  it on a pair of Terry Jenkins free throws. With 41 seconds left Nick Wolf would hit one of two  free would throws and give the Tars a one point lead. After a empty Southern possession the Tars would have a chance to ice it with Ian Scott at the line and 11 seconds remaining. Scott missed both free throws which set up Lane's heroics. The Tars would have one last shot but Nikola Baran's shot was blocked as time expired.

Tars- Southern To Play Rubber Match Saturday in Huntsville.

The 16th ranked and 3rd seeded Rollins College Tars (25-6) will open play in the NCAA South Regional hosted by the University of Alabama Huntsville when they take on the Florida Southern Moccasin's (22-8) at 1 PM eastern Saturday. The Mocs come in as the sixth seed in the region.
 The Tars come into Saturday's contest riding a four game win streak. The Tars are led into the regional by three players having stellar season's. National Player of the Year candidate, Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year and Sunshine State Conference Tournament Most Outstanding player Nick Wolf comes into the game averaging 20.9 points and 10.1 rebounds a game. Wolf comes in with 2,006 points and 1,036 rebounds. Wolf needs just 26 points to take over second place on the Tars all time scoring list. Wolf is also tied with Nate Rusbosin with 91 wins in his Rollins career and a win Saturday would make him the winning est player in Tars history. Matt Robertson averages 14.6 points and 6.1 rebounds a night in his Senior season. Myk Brown averages 12.2 points a night but has been quiet in the past five contests.
  The Tars are 11-12 all time in regional play in school history. A year ago the Tars defeated Alabama Huntsville (this year's host) and Barry before falling in the regional final to Valdosta State.
  Florida Southern comes in to the regional after finishing in second place in  the SSC regular season and falling to Eckerd 70-69 in a thriller at the Clemente Center on the campus of Florida Tech in the Sunshine State Conference tournament. The Mocs are led by four players in double figures. Rion Rayfield leads the way at 15.8 points a game. The brothers Jenkins have had solid seasons as well. Terry scores 14.8 points a night while Brandon adds 13. Damon Ellison socres 10.8 points a contest. The Mocs were 16-2 at home on the season but just went 6-6 on the road (5-4) or at neutral sites (1-2). The Mocs average 81.5 points a contest. They are a solid free throw shooting team at 78.3 percent. The Mocs are very good from three. They hit 43 percent from the three point line led by Terry Jenkins (43.9 percent) and Rayfield (43.3 percent).
The line: Rollins by 5

Back To Back Tournament Champs!

Tournament Most Outstanding Player Nick Wolf had 26 points and 10 rebounds to power the top seeded Rollins Tars (25-6) to a 75-69 win over the Eckerd Tritons at the Clemente Center in Melbourne. Wolf averaged 24 points and 9 rebounds in three tournament games. The Senior from Cincinnati became the first player in Rollins history to score 2,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds in a career. Matt Robertson added 12 points. He was also a member of the All Tournament team. Nikola Baran chipped in 11 points for Rollins who earns the SSC's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
 Lance Kearse led Eckerd with 21 points. John Harper netted 14 for the Tritons (22-8) in a losing effort. Tampa's Rashaad Callaway, Florida Southern's Rion Rayfield and Kearse were also members of the All-Tournament team.
   The first half was played fairly evenly by both teams. The Tars opened up a seven point lead (21-14) with nine minutes in the opening half. EC would fight back and get the lead down to three before Ian Scott would nail a three at the halftime buzzer to put the Tars up 34-28.
 It would be the Tritons that would come out with energy in the second half. The Tritons would take a 41-40 lead after the opening five minutes of the half. Dale Carn would then be ejected from the game as the fourth referee would catch him after a video review throwing a elbow below the waist. The game would stay even as the Tritons and Tars would be knotted at 54 with 6:48 remaining. Rollins would then go on a 9-2 run capped by a Nikola Baran three pointer that made it 65-56 with 3:33 to go. About a minute earlier a scary moment occurred for Tars fans when Wolf would take a shot to the mouth that would require 8 stitches. Wolf would be right back in the game about a minute later. The Triotns would make one final push in the closing minute after being down 10 (69-59). Woody Taylor and Harper would each hit a three before two Ian Scott free throws would seal it for the Tars. It was Rollins second straight conference title and fourth all time.
  Rollins earned the third seed in the South regional in Hunstsville,Alabama. The Tars will face a familar foe when they battle the Mocs of Florida Southern Saturday. The regional matchups look this way:
(1) Alabama-Huntsville vs (8) Clark-Atlanta
(4) Arkansas Tech vs (5) Benedict
(2) Harding vs (7) Stillman
(3) Rollins vs (6) Florida Southern
 The South regional will begin Saturday in Hunstville. Times yet to be announced. As always you can catch all the action on RollinsSports.com

Tars Seek Second Straight Conference Title Sunday.

The Rollins College Tars (23-6) look to win the conference tournament title for the second straight year Sunday at the Clemente Center on the campus of Florida Tech. The Tars reached the title game by defeating Barry 83-62 on Wednesday and then the top seeded Tars knocked off Tampa 67-62 on Saturday night. The Tars are heading to the final behind the play of four Seniors. Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year Nick Wolf had 25 points on Saturday. Alex Castillo, Nikola Baran and Matt Robertson had 10 points each. Castillo has come on strong late in the season. The Senior played 30 minutes on Saturday off the bench. Castillo logged 26 minutes in the opening round win over Barry. Wolf, Robertson and Baran also scored in double figures against Barry.
  The third seeded Tritons (22-7) upset second seeded Florida Southern 70-69 to reach the finals. Eckerd needed overtime to turn back Lynn in the opener Wednesday. Sunday's final is a rematch of last season's semifinal won by the Tars. The Tritons are led by John Harper. The point guard led EC with 11 points Saturday. Three other Tritons (Quincy Okolie, Dale Carn, and Lance Kearse) scored in double figures with 10 points each.
 In the opening round win over Lynn it was Kearse who scored a career high 22 points. Harper added 17 while Okolie netted 15.
  The Tars swept the regular season series with the Tritons. In the first meeting a 70-69 win by Rollins Myk Brown scored a game high 20 points. Nick Wolf had 14 for the Tars. In the second meeting Brown netted 22 points, while Matt Robertson and Wolf added 12 points each.
   In the two losses vs the Tars Harper and Carn led the way for the Tritons. Harper scored 21 and 15 points in the two meetings. Kearns added 16, and 14 in the two contests.
  The final will begin at 3:30 and be broadcast on Brighthouse channel 47 in the Orlando area. As always you can catch all the action worldwide at RollinsSports.com and locally on 91.5 WPRK Winter Park.
The line: Rollins by 4

Tars Outlast Tampa Saturday.

The Rollins College Tars (24-6) beat the Tampa Spartans (22-7) for the second time this season and improved to just 2-7 all time in the Sunshine State Conference Tournament vs the Spartans with a 67-62 win in Melbourne Saturday,
 The Tars held the Spartans scoreless over the game's final 5:04 and advanced to Sunday's championship game. The Eckerd Tritons will be the opponent as they squeaked by Florida Southern 70-69 in the other semifinal. Rollins was led by SSC Player Of The Year Nick Wolf. Wolf netted 25 points on 10-14 shooting including three three pointers. Wolf also had eight rebounds. Three other Tars scored in double figures as well. Matt Robertson, Alex Castillo and Nikola Baran chipped in 10 points each. Rollins shot 19-37 (51 percent) for the game and hit 90 percent of their free throws (26-29). The Tars went 3-11 from three point land.
  Anthony Griffis led Tampa with 23 points. Rashaad Callaway added 17 points on five of 10 three point shooting. UT shot 45 percent from the field and the Tars out rebounded the Spartans 30-18.
  It was Tampa that jumped out to the early lead going ahead 14-3 in the early going. The turning point of the half would come with 8:28 remaining when Callaway picked up his second foul with the Spartans up by 11. The Tars closed the first half on a 20-3 run and led 33-27 at halftime. The Tars used that momentum that they carried into the locker room to go up by 15 (48-33) with 13:34 to go. The Spartans behind the three point shooting of Callaway and Townsend would go on a 21-5 run and regain the lead 54-53. After a pair of Alex Castillo free throws the Tars would have a brief lead before Tampa would go up 62-57 with 5:04 to go. The Tars closed out the game scoring the final ten points for the win.
 The Tars are in the championship game for a second straight year. Last season it was 66-59 the Tars beating Barry. This is Rollins tenth trip to the title game. The Tars defeated Eckerd twice during the regular season. The first a 70-69 win in Winter Park before winning 71-60 in St.Pete. Tip time for the title game is set for 3:30 PM.

Top Seeded Tars head to Melbourne For Showdown with Tampa Saturday.

The Rollins College Tars look to reverse some bad fortune in the SSC tournament semifinals Saturday at the Clemente Center on the campus of Florida Tech at 7:30. The Tars are just 1-7 all time against Tampa in the SSC tournament. The Tars have only not reached the finals one time  when they were the top seed of the tournament (1992).
  The Tars (23-6) rolled past Barry in the quarterfinals on Wednesday 83-62. Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year Nick Wolf led the Tars with 21 points including three of three from the three point line in the opener. Rollins coach Tom Klusman also was named SSC coach of the Year Thursday. Matt Robertson who made the All SSC second team added 13 points while Nikola Baran drained 4 of 7 three pointers en route to his 12 points. Chris Malcolm came up big off the bench scoring 10 points and grabbing six  rebounds.
  Tampa (22-6) made sure that the hosts from Florida Tech were not involved in the weekends action. The Spartans behind 33 points and 12 assists from Rashaad Callaway defeated Florida Tech 91-73. The Spartans just like the Tars hit 15 three's in Wednesday's win. Glynn Hunter (13 points), Callum Townsend and Fred Woods (11 each) also scored in double figures for the fourth seeded Spartans.
  Rollins and UT split a pair of games during the regular season. Each team protected it's home court. The Spartans won January 2nd in Tampa while the Tars returned the favor a month later in Winter Park. Wolf averaged 17 points and 12 rebounds a game for the Tars in the two meetings. Anthony Griffis scored 17 a game for the Spartans in the two contests. The winner will face the winner of Saturday's first semifinal between second seeded Florida Southern and third seeded Eckerd.
  The Line: Rollins by 4.5

21st Ranked Tars Make Short Work Of Barry, Tampa Next.

The Rollins College Tars (23-6 13-3 SSC) removed all doubt early in a 83-62 thrashing of Barry in the first round of the Sunshine State Conference Tournament. The Tars shot the ball extremely well on the evening. With Barry poised to stop Nick Wolf early the Tars used some solid three point shooting to build a 25-7 lead after the first ten minutes. The lead would grow to 42-18 by halftime. It would be all Tars in the second half as they would lead by as many as 39 (70-31) in the second half. Nick Wolf led the Tars with yet another double-double. He had 21 points and 10 rebounds. Wolf was 3 from 3 from three point land. Three other Tars tallied double figures on the evening. Senior Matt Robertson had 13 points for the Tars. Nikola Baran drained four triples for his 12 points. Chris Malcolm added 10 points off of the Rollins bench. The Tars shot 50 percent  from the field (28-56). They also made good on 44 percent from three point range (15-34). Rollins made good on 12-14 (86%) at the foul line. They out rebounded Barry 36-30. The Tars had 19 assists and just 8 turnovers.
  Barry saw their season end at 9-18. Three Buccaneers paced them as has been the case all season. Zach Trapp led Barry with 19 points on 5 of 7 from three point land. Evan White netted 13 and Willie Whitfield added 10 points and 9 rebounds. Barry was never in the game as they shot 40 percent (23-58) for the game. They hit 48 percent of the threes they took (11-23). Barry was just 5-9 at the foul line and had 9 miscues to go with 11 assists.
  The Tars will advance to the semifinals at Florida Tech on Saturday night as they will face fourth seeded Tampa (23-6 11-6 SSC). The Spartans and Tars split a pair of meetings in the regular season. Tip time at the Clemente Center is set for 7:30 Saturday night.  Second seeded Florida Southern will face third seeded Eckerd in the other semifinal.

Tars Begin Title Defense Wednesday.

The 21st ranked and top seeded Rollins College Tars (22-6 13-3 SSC) will begin the defense of the Sunshine State Conference title when they take on a familiar foe. The Barry Buccaneers (9-17 5-11 SSC) will come to Warden Arena as the 8th seed Wednesday. The Tars defeated Barry in the championship game a season ago at Nova Southeastern to claim the school's third conference tournament title. In all three instances the Tars defeated Barry (1992, 2006 and 2010). The Tars are 27-28 all time in the conference tournament. They have a record of 11-4 as the top seed and are 16-7 in the quarterfinals. 1991 was the only season that Rollins did not reach the finals when they were the top seed.
  The Tars are led by All American Nick Wolf. The Senior from Cincinnati comes into the tournament averaging 20.6 points and 10.1 rebounds a game. Wolf is riding a streak of 95 consecutive games that he has scored in double figures. He is third in Rollins history with 1,934 points. Wolf is second all time grabbing 1,008 rebounds and 10th in Tars history with 321 assists. He is also second in Tars history with 88 victories. Matt Robertson had a solid Senior campaign. The Senior from Birmingham averaged 14.8 points and grabbed 6.2 rebounds a game. Myk Brown averaged 13 points a game. The Junior from Gainesville was last season's tournament Most Outstanding Player.  The Tars come into the tournament with a undefeated record vs Nova (2-0) and Lynn (1-0). They lost once to Florida Tech (3-1) and have had problems with Florida Southern (0-11) and Tampa (1-7).  Ian Scott led the Tars with 51 steals while Chris Malcolm blocked 41 shots.
  Barry comes into this one as a heavy underdog. The Buccaneers only went 1-9 on the road this season. Willie Whitfield leads Barry with averages of 15.5 points and 10.7 rebounds a game. Zach Trapp netted 11.2 a contest, while Evan White netted 10.7 a night. The Bucs come in averaging just 64.9 points a game as a team. They allowed 69.5 a contest. Barry shot 43% from the field and 32% from the three point line on the season. They struggled at the foul line shooting just 65.6%.
  Rollins won both regular season meetings easily. In the first contest on January 5th the Tars rolled to a 76-50 win. In the return meeting at Barry on February 9th the Tars rolled 70-54.
The line: Rollins by 17

Brown Could be Instrumental in Tars Tournament Run

Myk Brown has had some ups and downs in his Rollins College career. The 6 foot 4 Junior from Gainesville,Florida by way of VCU was the most outstanding player in the Sunshine State Conference Tournament as the Tars took the title a year ago. Tars fans are hoping for a repeat performance starting on Wednesday when the Tars open the 2011 Conference Tournament at home vs Barry. Barry is the team that the Tars defeated for the tournament title a season ago. The Tars were the regular season champs with a record of 22-6 overall and 13-3 in the SSC.
  Brown had a game a season ago in the first meeting with Florida Southern last January where he exploded for 18 points in just 5 minutes. If this game proved anything it is that when he is hot Brown can be as good as anyone on offense. This season Brown is the third leading scorers for the 18th ranked Tars. He comes into the tournament averaging 13.1 points a game although he did miss a couple games with the lingering effects from a concussion. Brown is the second leading foul shooter in the SSC shooting at a 82 percent clip. Not bad for a guy who started playing organized basketball when he was in the seventh grade.
  Brown went on to PK Yonge High School in Gainesville. Brown gives a lot of the credit to the coaching staff for his success.
"They put in a lot of time to help me improve my game and get to the next level" Brown said.
  As for his role on the team at Rollins this is what he had to say.
"My role in the offense is to score and get other people involved. The Princeton offense (that the Tars run) involves everyone on the team. Everybody has to be on the same page" Brown added.
  As for his role in the Tars zone defense this is what Brown had to add.
" In the zone defense I have to give all my energy and really try to pressure the ball and make the offense feel uncomfortable in order to be successful". "Brown said".
  On a team that has a very solid crop of Seniors (Matt Robertson, Nick Wolf, Nikola Baran and Alex Castillo), it could be the two Juniors (Myk Brown and Ian Scott) who determine how far this team will ultimately go. It all starts Wednesday night at Warden Arena.

Regular Season Champs!

The Rollins College Tars (22-6 13-3 SSC) led by Seniors Nick Wolf, Alex Castillo, Nikola Baran and Matt Robertson on Senior day rolled to a 93-68 win over Lynn at Warden Arena Saturday.  The Tars won the conference title outright for the first time since the 2005-06 season. The Tars won a share of the title a year ago.
 Nick Wolf continued his superb season scoring 23 points, grabbing 6 rebounds and dishing out 6 assists. Matt Robertson had 16 points while Alex Castillo netted 14. Nikola Baran hit a pair of threes and scored 8. Myk Brown also scored in double figures with 11. The Tars shot 70 percent from the field (30-43) and went 25-33 at the free throw line. The Tars who came into the game 4 of 37 from three in the last two losses, went 5-11 from the three point line. The Tars had 22 assists and 13 turnovers.
  Lynn fell to 7-19 overall and 5-11 in the SSC. They were led by Rodney Kennedy with 15 points. He was one of four players in double figures for the Fighting Knights. Josh Garcia added 13 while Chris Watson and Chris Hall netted 11 each. Lynn shot 40 percent from the field and were out rebounded 27-19. The Knights had 12 assists and 18 turnovers.
  The Tars jumped out to a 26-11 lead in the first eleven minutes and never looked back. The Tars would get a three from Nikola Baran right before the half that would make it 52-28 Tars at the break. Rollins would lead by as many as 35 in the second half and roll to the 93-68 win.
  The defending champion Tars will host 8th seeded Barry Wednesday night in the opening round of the SSC tournament.  Here are the pairings for the tournament beginning Wednesday:
(8) Barry at (1) Rollins
(5) Florida Tech at (4) Tampa
(7) Nova Southeastern at (2) Florida Southern
(6) Lynn at (3) Eckerd
  The Semifinals and finals will be held at Florida Tech Saturday and Sunday.

Tars Seniors Look To Capture Crown on Senior Day.

The 18th ranked Rollins Tars four Seniors (Matt Robertson, Nikola Baran, Nick Wolf and Alex Castillo look to capture the conference regular season title when they welcome Lynn to Warden Arena. The Tars lead Florida Southern by one game with one to play. The Mocs will be at Nova Southeastern Saturday.
  Rollins (21-6 12-3 SSC) has dropped two straight. The first at Florida Southern Saturday before falling to Florida Tech on Senior night at Florida Tech Wednesday. The Tars who average 77 points a game as a team while giving up 68 have been held under 70 points in the past two contests. The Tars have struggled from beyond the arc going just 4 of 37 (11%) in the two losses. They were just 1 of 19 vs F.I.T Wednesday.  The Tars are led by a trio of players. Nick Wolf continues to shatter records. The Senior from Cincinnati comes into Saturday's contest averaging 20.5 points and 10.3 rebounds a night. The 20.5 points lead the conference and he is 27th in the nation in scoring in DII. The 10.3 rebounds are 2nd in the conference and 13th in DII. Wolf is third on the all time scoring list and is just 89 points shy of 2,000 for his career. Wolf needs 118 points to tie Daniel Parke for 2nd on the all time scoring list in Tars history. Matt Robertson averages 14.8 points a game. The Senior from Birmingham,Alabama is 3rd in the conference in field goal percentage (43 percent). Myk Brown averages 13.1 PPG. He leads the SSC in free throw percentage, Brown shoots 87% from the line.
  The Fighting Knights come in with a record of 7-18 and 5-10 in the SSC. The Knights have won two straight. They defeated Nova Southeastern 86-73 on Wednesday. They also beat Barry 74-54 in the previous contest. The Fighting Knights come into Saturday's game averaging 73.3 points a game while giving up 73.8. Chris Hall leads Lynn at 14.4 points a night. Josh Garcia, Cameron McCallum and Jimmy Gaskins each tally 11.2 a contest. The Knight struggle from the foul line where they shoot just 65.6%. They are a solid three point shooting team (38%). The Knights biggest problem has been ball security. The Knights have more turnovers (374) than assists (341) this season.
  This is the last regular season game for both teams. The pairing for Wednesday's conference tournament action will be released Saturday night. The Tars remained second in the latest DII South Regional rankings.
The line: Rollins by 10.5

Panthers Too Much For Tars.

The Rollins College Tars (21-6 12-3 SSC) fell for a second straight game with a 77-66 loss to the Panthers of Florida Tech Wednesday.
  The Tars were led by Nick Wolf. The Senior from Cincinnati had 27 points and 12 rebounds. Wolf surprassed the 1,000 rebound plateau Wednesday. Myk Brown added ten points and Matt Robertson had 7. The Tars shot 40 percent from the field but were just 1-19 from three point land. The Tars were 19-25 from the foul line. They had just 11 assists and 14 turnovers.
  Florida Tech (19-10 9-6 SSC) got a big win at the Clemente Center on Senior night. Justin Sedlak led the way with 21 points for FIT. Anthony Jackson scored 20 while Justin Beyer added 18 on six three pointers.Beyer made his first career start and averaged just 1.9 points a game coming in. The Panthers shot 48 percent from the field and 39% from three point land. The Panthers went 11-20 from the foul line. It was 37-34 F.I.T on the boards.
  The first half went back and forth. It was 34-32 Rollins at the intermission. The second half saw the Panthers take over late in the second half. Rollins trailed 62-61 with 4:57 to go before the Panthers would close the game on a 15-5 run for the win.
 The Tars will close out the regular season with a home tilt against Lynn. The Senior night game will be set for 4 PM at Warden Arena. Four Rollins Seniors (Matt Robertson, Alex Castillo, Nick Wolf and Nikola Baran will be honored before Saturday's contest.

Tars Head To Melbourne Wednesday.

The 18th ranked Rollins Tars (21-5 12-2 SSC) look to tie the school record for conference wins Wednesday and win a conference title in the process.
  Rollins is coming off a 75-67 loss to Florida Southern that snapped a 12 game win streak Saturday. The Tars are led by Senior Nick Wolf who just won the conference player of the week for the fifth time. Wolf averages 20.2 points and 10.2 rebounds  a game. Matt Robertson is second on the Tars with 15.1 points and 6.2 rebounds a night. Myk Brown is third on the squad averages 13.3 a night. The Tars come into the game averaging 77.5 points a night while allowing just 68.1 a game.
 Florida Tech comes into the game at 18-10 and 8-6 in the SSC. The Panthers are coming off a two point loss to Eckerd on Saturday. Justin Sedlak is second in the SSC just percentage points behind Nick Wolf at 20.2 points a game. Anthony Jackson nets 12.9 a game while Simon Cummings adds 12.3.  Julius Reed adds 11.9 a contest for the Panthers. Florida Tech averages 78.2 a game while giving up 73.8 a night. The Panthers come into Wednesday's game 14-3 at home.
The line: Rollins by 6

Tars Streak Snapped.

The Rollins College Tars fell to 21-5 overall and 12-2 in the SSC as they fell to the Mocs of Florida Southern (19-7 10-4 SSC) 75-67 at Jenkins Field House Saturday.
  The average fan would not know how intense this rivalry was until attending a game live. The meeting in Winter Park ended with a frustrated Rion Rayfield chucking the ball at Matt Robertson as time expired.  Ian Scott was booed every time he touched the ball Saturday after he and Rayfeld had a skirmish in the first meeting.
  The Tars shot 45% from the field but really struggled from beyond the arc. Rollins was just 3 of 18 from long range Saturday. The Tars won the rebounding battle 37-27 and hit 75% (18-24) from the foul line. Uncharacteristically the Tars had more turnovers (16) than assists (13). Three Tars players scored double figures Saturday. Nick Wolf led the way with 27 points and 11 rebounds. Myk Brown chipped in 11 points while Matt Robertson had 10 despite being in foul trouble most of the evening.
  The Mocs improved to 19-7 and 10-4 in the SSC. Four Mocs scored in double digits Saturday. Terry Jenkins led the way with 20 points including five triples. Brett Bailey had 14 points, Rion Rayfield netted 13 and Brandon Jenkins chipped in 12 for the Mocs who kept their faint title hopes alive. FSC shot 41 percent from the field and 12-33 (36%) from three point land. The Mocs were a big 19-23 (83%) at the free throw line. They had 18 assists to go with just 10 turnovers.
  The Tars will be back in action Wednesday. Once again they will seek the outright conference title when they travel to the Clemente Center at Florida Tech. Tip time is set for 7:30 PM.

Tars Seek Outright Title Saturday.

The Rollins College Tars (21-4 12-1 SSC) look to clinch the outright regular season title at Jenkins Field House when they Battle the Florida Southern Mocs Saturday. The two teams shared the conference title a year ago with Florida Southern getting the top seed. The Tars won the conference tournament as the second seed.
  Rollins is led by a trio of players in double figures. Nick Wolf is averaging a double-double (20 pts and 10 rebounds a night). Matt Robertson has been solid all year long. He averages 15 points and 6 boards a game. Myk Brown is likely to return after missing the past two games due to the lingering effects from a concussion. He averages 13.3 points a contest. The Tars average 78 points a game while allowing just 68. The Tars won the first meeting in Winter Park 79-68 on January 22nd.
  Florida Southern is 18-7 overall and 9-4 in the SSC. The Mocs are 13-2 at home on the year. They have three players that average double figures on the year led by Rion Rayfield (16.2 PPG). Brandon Jenkins nets 12.8 points a game while Terry  Jenkins adds 12.7. Terry did not play in the meeting at Rollins. The Mocs average 75.8 points a game while allowing 72.8 ppg.
The line: Even

Team Effort Leads Tars Past PBA.

The Rollins College Tars (21-4  12-1 SSC)  ran its current win streak to 12 games with a 87-80 win over Palm Beach Atlantic (10-11) at Warden Arena Wednesday. The Tars clinched a tie for the SSC regular season title when Eckerd beat Florida Southern.
  The Tars who were without Myk Brown for a second straight game were led by the last two SSC Players Of the Week. Nick Wolf and Matt Robertson had 20 points each. All five starters scored in double figures for Rollins. Ian Scott (14), Alex Castillo 14 and Nikola Baran 12 scored in double numbers as well. The Tars shot 47 percent from the field on the day. The Tars were 4-12(33%) from three point land. Rollins shot 76% (29-38) from the foul line. The Tars had 17 assists and just 9 turnovers.
  PBA dropped to 10-11 with a third straight loss. David Wood led all scorers with 24 points. Jonathan Lawrence netted 23 and Terrell Terry added 13. The Sailfish won the rebounding battle 33-25. PBA shot 47% from the field and 39% from three point land. The Sailfish were 9-13 (69%) at the free throw line.
 The Tars jumped out to an early 12-2 lead after a Ian Scott layup with 13:03 in the half. PBA cut it to 21-14 on a Terry triple with 7:36 in the half. Rollins would run off the next eight points and lead 36-22 headed to halftime.
 The Tars would start off the second half hot and have the game's biggest lead at 26 (53-27) on a Castillo lay up with 15:04 to go. PBA would make a furious rally and get as close as 6 (77-71) on a Wood trey with 1:04 to go. The Tars would make there free throws to seal it.
  The Tars will be back in action Saturday. They will try and clinch the conference title outright at Jenkins Fieldhouse. Tip time is set for 7:30 PM.

Tars Welcome Sailfish To Warden Arena Wednesday.

The 18th ranked Rollins College Tars (20-4 12-1 SSC) look to atone for one of their four losses Wednesday. PBA (10-10) stunned the Tars back on December 2nd behind a huge game from David Wood.
 The Tars come into Wednesday's game looking for a 12th straight win. A win would tie the Tars for the most conference wins ever in school history. Rollins averages 77.5 points a game while allowing just 67.3 (leads the SSC). Rollins has three players averaging double figures on the season. Nick Wolf continues his record breaking season. He averages 20 points and 10.3 rebounds a game. Wolf needs just 15 points to pass his Uncle Jeff Wolf and move into third place all time in scoring. Matt Robertson is the reigning SSC player of the week and averages 15.1 points and 6 rebounds game. Myk Brown who did not play on Saturday due to a concussion should be back in the lineup Wednesday. Brown averages 13.3 points a night.
The Sailfish limp into Winter Park after a pair of losses. The last was a 85-63 loss to NAIA top ranked Northwood. The Fish do have a win over a DI opponent as they beat Stetson 61-55 earlier this season. David Wood leads the Sailfish at 19.1 points a night. Jonathan Lawrence nets 17.4 a contest. The Fish score 71.8 points a game while allowing 72.5. PBA is just 3-5 away from Rubin Arena on the season.
The line: Rollins by 11

Eleventh Heaven! Tars Continue Win Streak Behind Robertson and Malcolm!

The Rollins College Tars ran there win streak to eleven games with a 86-49 thumping of Saint Leo at Warden Arena Saturday. The Tars improved to 20-4 overall and 12-1 in the SSC. The Lions fell to 10-13 and 1-12 in the SSC.
  Matt Robertson and Chris Malcolm both set career highs on Saturday. Robertson had a career high in points with 27. He eclipsed his previous career high set in the season opener at Valdosta vs Delta State. Chris Malcolm set a school record with nine blocked shots. He broke the previous record of eight set by Frode Loftesness back in 1995. Malcolm added 11 points and 8 rebounds for the 23rd ranked Tars. Robertson hit 5 of 8 from three point range and added 10 rebounds to go with his 27 points. Nick Wolf continued his double digit scoring streak as he added 16 points and 9 rebounds. Wolf needs just 15 points to pass his uncle Jeff Wolf for third on the Tars all time scoring list. He also needs just 29 rebounds to get to 1,000 for his career.  The Tars shot the ball well all night shooting at a 55% clip and going 12-14 at the foul line.  The Tars had 22 assists as a team and only 6 turnovers. The Tars out rebounded St.Leo 37-31.
  Saint Leo struggled all day, as they have for much of the season. Quentin Cullop led the Lions in scoring with 7 points. Five other players added 6. The Lions shot 30% from the field and hit 6-23 from three point land. They were 64% (7-11) at the foul line. The Lions had 12 assists and 10 turnovers.
  Saint Leo took the lead early 8-2 after the first four minutes. Then the Tars took control with a 20-1 run that made 22-9. The eleven straight wins is the longest conference streak in Rollins history, Overall it is the longest since the Tars ran off 14 straight back in the 2002-03 season.
  Leo got the lead down to 10 at 26-16 but the Tars closed the opening stanza on a 14-0 run. The Tars had a 40-16 lead going into halftime. The Tars would cruise in the second half and lead by as many as 41 (81-40).
  The Tars will be back in action on Wednesday. The opponent Palm Beach Atlantic is one of four teams to beat the Tars this season. Tip time at Warden Arena is set for 7 PM.

23rd Ranked Tars to Host Saint Leo Saturday.

The 23rd ranked Rollins College Tars (19-4 11-1 SSC) look to continue there mastery against Saint Leo on Saturday at Warden Arena. The Tars have beaten the Lions 26 straight times. Rollins has won ten straight overall, all in the SSC. The win streak is the longest since a 12 gamer in the 2002-03 season. The Tars  are coming off a 70-54 win at Barry on Wednesday. The Tars come in averaging 77.2 points a night while allowing just 68.1. The Tars also lead the SSC in scoring margin (+9.1). The Tars have three players averaging double figures on the season. Nick Wolf leads the SSC in both points per game (20.1) and rebounds per game (10.3). Wolf has been rock solid all season long. He needs just 31 points to be the Tars third all time leading scorer. Wolf also has a streak of 80 consecutive games in which he has scored double figures. Matt Robertson has had a solid Senior season as well. The Senior from Birmingham averages 14.6 points and 5.8 rebounds a game. Myk Brown who averages 13.3 points a night and leads the SSC as a 87% free throw shooter will not play due to the lingering effects from a concussion suffered earlier this week. Alex Castillo who has been solid of late likely will get the nod in Brown's place.
   Saint Leo has had a season to forget thus far. The Lions come in at 10-12 (1-11 SSC). The Lions have dropped five straight. Saint Leo was a 95-84 loser to Florida Southern on Wednesday. The Lions average 73.8 points a game while giving up 75.0 points per game. The Lions do have a marquee victory on their slate as they knocked off Valdosta State in the SSC/GSC Challenge back in November. The Lions are just 2-6 on the road this season and just 1-5 in conference road games. Two Lions score in double figures on the season. Matt Kendrick averages 12.1 points a contest and 6.5 rebounds a night. Quentin Cullop averages 11.0 a game while Jamal Thompson chips in 9.8.
The Line: Rollins by 13

23rd Ranked Tars Run Win Streak to Ten!

The Rollins College Tars continued their domination of the Sunshine State conference Wednesday with a 70-54 win over Barry in Miami Shores,Fla. The win was the Tars tenth in a row. Rollins improved to 19-4 overall and 11-1 in the SSC. The Tars closest pursuer in the conference is Florida Southern at 8-3. Nick Wolf paced the Tars with 22 points and 9 rebounds. It was the 80th straight game in double figures for the Senior from Cincinnati. Wolf needs just 31 points to pass his uncle Jeff Wolf for third on the all time scoring list at Rollins. Matt Robertson chipped in 14 points on 5 of 8 shooting. Ian Scott was 3-3 from the field and 5 of 6 at the free throw line to net 13. Nikola Baran rounded out the Tars double digit scorers with 10 points including a pair of treys. Rollins had a great night shooting the ball against the best defensive team in the SSC. The Tars shot 54% for the game. They were a red-hot 68% in the second half. The Tars went just 5-20 from three point land. They were 15-20 at the free throw line. The Tars tallied 10 assists and turned the ball over just 6 times. They won the battle on the glass 29-22. The win streak for the Tars is the longest since a ten game streak back in the 2007-08 season.
 Barry fell to 7-14 and 4-8 in the SSC. They shot 41% from the floor. The Buccaneers had a solid night from three point land where they were 10-28 (36%). Barry struggled at the foul line going just 4-8. They had 16 assists and 9 turnovers. Three Buccaneers tallied double numbers on the night. Zach Trapp led the way with 17 points behind a 5-9 effort from long range. Bryan Van Cott netted 11 while Willie Whitfield was held in check with 10 points and 7 rebounds.
 The game started with both teams struggling on offense in the early going. After Ian Scott made two free throws with 14:47 in the first half the game was tied at 5. The Tars would stretch the lead out to 10 (23-13) on a Scott lay up with 5:59 in the half. The Tars would lead 29-17 at the half.
  The Rollins lead would stretch out to 16 early in the second half. Barry would make a run and get the lead down to 6 on a Whitfield free throw with 9:43 left in the game. Then the Tars would take control in the final 9:43 to march on to the 70-54 win.
  The Tars will be back in action Saturday when they welcome the Lions of Saint Leo to Warden Arena. Saint Leo comes in at 10-12 overall and 1-11 in the SSC. Rollins won the first meeting 85-73 at Saint Leo on January 15th. Tip time for Saturday is set for 4 PM.

Red Hot 23rd Ranked Tars at Barry Wednesday.

The red hot Rollins Tars (18-4 10-1 SSC) head to Miami Shores,Fla. to take on Barry at the Barry Student and Health Center on Wednesday evening. The Tars who are back in the national DII NABC Poll at number 23 will look for a 10th straight win Wednesday. The Tars are also 2nd in the most recently released South Regional standings. Rollins is coming off a 71-60 win at Eckerd that they trailed for the entire first half. The Tars average 77.5 points a game while allowing just 68.7 points a game. The Tars also are second in the conference in field goal percentage (48.4%) and free throw percentage (76.8%). Nick Wolf leads the Tars and is coming off his fourth SSC player of the week honor. He leads the conference scoring 20.0 ppg while he is second in rebounding (10.4). Wolf needs 52 points to pass Jeff Wolf for third on the all time scoring list at Rollins. Matt Robertson chips in 13.8 points a night and 5.9 rebounds. Myk Brown is netting 13.8 points a contest.  The Tars won the first meeting with Barry 76-50.
 The Buccaneers have been playing better of late. They come into the contest at 7-13 overall and 4-7 in the SSC. They have won three of the last four. Their last contest was a 61-44 loss to Florida Southern Saturday. Barry is last in the conference at 64.1 points a game. They only allow 67.4 points a night. Willie Whitfield has had another solid year for Barry. He comes in leading the conference in rebounds (10.5 a night). He is seventh in scoring at 15.4 ppg. He leads the conference in field goal percentage at 63.7% and blocks at 2.1 a night. Evan White nets 10.9 a game. Zach Trapp averages 10.8 a night.
The line: Rollins by 12

Tars Win Ninth Straight!

The Rollins College Tars continue to impress. The latest victory for the Tars was a 71-60 win over Eckerd at the McArthur Center. With the win Rollins improves to 18-4 overall and 10-1 in the SSC. The Tritons fell to 15-6 overall and 6-5 in the SSC.
   Three players scored in double figures on the day led by a game high 22 points from Myk Brown. Nick Wolf added 12 points and 11 rebounds on his 22nd birthday. Wolf continued two of his three streaks. The senior from Cincinnati had a double-double for the sixth straight game and continued his run of consecutive games with at least ten points to 79 games. Wolf failed to score 20 points for the first time in his last seven contests. Matt Robertson also added 12 for the Tars. The Tars shot 23-47 (49%) in the game. They shot at a 35 percent clip (6-17) from long range. The Tars shot 79% (19-24) at the free throw line. They had 10 assists along with 12 turnovers.
  The Tritons only had two players in double figures.Dale Carn led Eckerd with 16 points. He just missed a double-double with 9 rebounds. John Harper added 15 for the Tritons. The Tritons shot 22-58 (38%) from the field. They were just 9 of 30 in the second half. The Tritons hit 7 of 17 treys. Harper was 4 of 6 from long range. They were 9-12 (75%) at the foul line. The Tritons won the boards battle 33-32. Eckerd had 12 assists to go with 13 turnovers.
  The Tritons led the entire first half. They were up by as many as 8 (35-27). Matt Robertson scored the last four points of the half to get the Tars within 4. After Eckerd scored the first bucket of the second half the Tars went on a 11-0 burst to take a 44-39 lead. Nikola Baran buried a three to make the lead five. The tars would push that lead out to 10 (57-47) on a Myk Brown trey. Eckerd would get as close as 4 (61-57) before the Tars would seal it at the foul line. The Tars will hit the road as they will take on Barry Wednesday night. Tip time in Miami Shores,Fla. is set for 7:30 PM.

Tars Head To St.Pete Riding Hot Streak.

The Rollins College Tars (17-4 9-1 SSC) head to the McArthur Center to take on the Eckerd Tritons (15-5 6-4 SSC) on Saturday afternoon. Rollins comes into the game riding a eight game win streak. The last was a 78-65 home win over Tampa at Warden Arena. Rollins has won three straight on the road, after starting the conference season with 3 road losses. The Tars come into the game as one of the best foul shooting teams in the country shooting at a 77 percent clip. The Tars come in with three players averaging in double figures. Nick Wolf leads the Sunshine State conference at 20.4 points per game and is second in the conference at 10.4 rebounds a night. Wolf has a streak of 6 consecutive games with 20 points or more. He also has had five straight double-doubles. Wolf has 1,787 points which is third all time in Rollins history. The senior from Cincinnati needs just 65 points to pass his Uncle Jeff on the Tars scoring list. Wolf is just 2 assists shy of 300 for his career while he is second on the Rollins rebounding list with 942 career rebounds. Matt Robertson has also been solid for the Tars averaging 14.7 points and 6 rebounds a contest. Myk Brown comes in at 13.4 points a night. Brown has been bothered by a sore leg of late and has been limited to just 15 and 20 minutes in the last two games.
  Eckerd comes into Saturday's contest winners of four of the past five. The Tritons score 77.6 points a night and allow just 68.1. The Tritons have been tough at home where they have only been defeated once. John Harper leads Eckerd at 13.3 points a night including 43% from three point land. Lance Kearse scores 11.3 points  a game while Dale Carn averages 10.5 points and 5.5 rebounds. The Tritons lead the SSC in field goal percentage at 49%, as well as field goal defense (40%). The Tritons come off a loss at Barry on Wednesday night.
The line: Rollins by 2