The Rollins Tars (9-3) dropped a third straight game after a much better effort than yesterday against a very good Angelo State team. The result was a 87-76 win for the Rams.
The sixth ranked Rams (12-0) placed five players in double figures on the afternoon. Stedman Allen and Omari Gudul each tallied double-doubles on the day. Allen had 16 points and 10 rebounds- while Gudul had 13 points and 13 rebounds. Leading scorer on the season Tre Bennett added 12- Thomas Tshikaya added 11- and- Prince Foster added 10. The Rams shot 44 percent from the field and 26 percent (6-23) from the 3-point line. They shot at a 79 percent clip (15-19) from the free throw line. The Rams crushed the Tars in the rebounding battle 50-31. The Rams had 20 assists and 15 turnovers.
#16 Rollins played a solid first half but could not recover after a tough beginning to the second. Only two Rollins players scored in double figures Saturday, after just one on Friday. Jeff Merton bounced back after a subpar performance on Friday night to lead the Tars in scoring with 19 points- while Mike Bedulskis added 15 to go along with seven rebounds. Jack Fleming added nine, while Joey Galvis scored eight. The Tars shot 43 percent from the floor in the loss. They shot 39 percent (10-26) from the 3-point line. The team shot 78 percent (14-18) from the free throw line. For the second straight game the Tars had trouble with turnovers. The ratio was better than yesterday though. Yesterday it was seven assists to 21 turnovers, while today the Tars had 14 assists and 18 turnovers.
The game got off to a quick start for both teams. Quay King would open the scoring for ASU on the opening possession. The Tars would lead 11-9 early. A offensive rebound and putback by Allen would knot the game at 11. The two teams would trade baskets for much of the first half and after a Fleming 3-pointer would be off the mark the Tars would go into the locker room down one (37-36.)
The second half would start like the first did with a King 3-pointer. The Rams would take control after a 12-2 run. The turnovers would catch up with the Tars in the second half as well as the lack of rebounding and they would trail by as many as 22 (70-48) at the 7:05 mark. To the Tars credit they would not go away though. Rollins would get to within 10 at the four minute mark but that is as close as they would get.
After taking a break for the holidays Rollins will be back in action January 2nd when they travel to Miami Shores,Fla. to battle pre-season SSC favorite Barry. Tip time is set for 4 PM. You can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com and locally on 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park.
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Friday, December 18, 2015
Tars Look To Bounce Back In Vegas Saturday.
The Rollins Tars (9-2) will look to bounce back after what was there toughest night of the year in a 73-51 loss to #7 Tarleton State Friday night. Things will not get any easier out in Las Vegas as they will face #6 Angelo State. Angelo State was a sweet 16 team a season ago and could set the school record for best start to a season in program history with a win Saturday.
As always you can catch all the action on the Geico Sports Tars Network at RollinsSports.com and on 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park.
The Tars are coming off their worst all-around performance of the year. They had 21 turnovers and really struggled shooting the ball in the loss to Tarleton State. Sam Philpott (13 points) was the only Tar in double figures in this one. Mike Bedulskis and Jeff Merton followed closely with eight points each. Merton was limited to 21 minutes and was plagued with foul trouble before fouling out for a second straight game with 10:03 to go. A Rollins teams that averages 80+ points a game was held to just 51 by the Rams.
Sharif Almulla (17.3 points per night-) and Jeff Merton (15.3 points per game) were the Tars leading scorers coming into this trip. Deion Clark also came in averaging double figures (10.7 a night.) They will need contributions from any/ and all of these three guys to hang with the Rams Saturday afternoon.
The Rams (10-0) are looking to make history with a victory. That would give the team the best start in school history set in 2013. Last week Angelo State held off Lubbock Christian 70-68 and drubbed McMurray 115-68.
ASU has a high octane offense that comes in averaging 94.5 points per game. They also lead there conference in free throw shooting, shooting at a 78 percent clip. They are also leading the Lone Star State Conference in assists (18.1 a game) and Steals (9.4 a contest.)
The Rams are very balanced offensively. Tre Bennett leads the way at 17.3 per night- Shelton Boykin scores 16.8- and Stedmann Allen puts up 16.1 a game in just 24 minutes of action a night.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com: Angelo State by 15
As always you can catch all the action on the Geico Sports Tars Network at RollinsSports.com and on 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park.
The Tars are coming off their worst all-around performance of the year. They had 21 turnovers and really struggled shooting the ball in the loss to Tarleton State. Sam Philpott (13 points) was the only Tar in double figures in this one. Mike Bedulskis and Jeff Merton followed closely with eight points each. Merton was limited to 21 minutes and was plagued with foul trouble before fouling out for a second straight game with 10:03 to go. A Rollins teams that averages 80+ points a game was held to just 51 by the Rams.
Sharif Almulla (17.3 points per night-) and Jeff Merton (15.3 points per game) were the Tars leading scorers coming into this trip. Deion Clark also came in averaging double figures (10.7 a night.) They will need contributions from any/ and all of these three guys to hang with the Rams Saturday afternoon.
The Rams (10-0) are looking to make history with a victory. That would give the team the best start in school history set in 2013. Last week Angelo State held off Lubbock Christian 70-68 and drubbed McMurray 115-68.
ASU has a high octane offense that comes in averaging 94.5 points per game. They also lead there conference in free throw shooting, shooting at a 78 percent clip. They are also leading the Lone Star State Conference in assists (18.1 a game) and Steals (9.4 a contest.)
The Rams are very balanced offensively. Tre Bennett leads the way at 17.3 per night- Shelton Boykin scores 16.8- and Stedmann Allen puts up 16.1 a game in just 24 minutes of action a night.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com: Angelo State by 15
Tars Outmanned By #7 Tarleton State Friday.
After a quick 9-0 start to the season the Rollins Tars have hit a rough patch the last two games. Friday for the first time this season they looked like the team that was picked to finish ninth in the SSC. It was going to be hard enough for the Tars in this one when the season began. It got even tougher when Alex Blessig broke his finger and could not go. All these things added up in Las Vegas Friday night to a 73-51 loss to Tarleton State in the opening game of the South Point Holiday Classic.
The Texans improved to 9-1 on the season. They were led by Michael Hardge who scored a game high 21 points. Charles Hill scored 18- and leading scorer on the season E.J Reed added a double-double (11 points and 10 rebounds.) The Texans shot 44 percent as a team in this one. They were 7-25 (28 percent from the 3-point line.) Free throw shooting was not strong for the Texans as they shot 56 percent (14-25.) On the other hand they dominated the glass, out rebounding Rollins 44-30. The Texans had 12 assists and turned it over 17 times.
#16 Rollins (9-2) really struggled offensively in this one. Only one player (Sam Philpott 13 points would tally double figures in scoring.) He was followed closely by Mike Bedulskis (eight points.) Jeff Merton also scored eight but struggled for the second straight game before fouling out with 10:03 to go. Merton, the Tars second leading scorer at 15.3 a game would only mange to play 21 minutes Friday. The Tars struggled in all facets, especially shooting on Friday night. They shot 35 percent from the floor, went 5-20 (25 percent) from the 3-point line- and the top free throw shooting team in the nation shot just 61 percent (14-23) from the free throw line. The Tars had just seven assists and turned the ball over 21 times in the loss.
The game would get off to a decent start for the Tars. The two teams would trade baskets in the early going and Rollins would lead 11-9 just over six minutes in. The game would stay highly contested the rest of the opening half before the Texans would close the half with a 19-6 run in the last 8:50 to open up a 16 point lead (37-21) at the intermission.
The Texans would keep the lead at 17 five minutes into the second stanza. The Tars would get to within 13, but that is as close as they would get on this night.
The Tars will look to get back on the winning track Saturday when they conclude the South Point Holiday Classic against #6 Angelo State. Tip time for tomorrow's contest is set for 2 PM. You can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com and locally on 91.5 FM WPRK.
The Texans improved to 9-1 on the season. They were led by Michael Hardge who scored a game high 21 points. Charles Hill scored 18- and leading scorer on the season E.J Reed added a double-double (11 points and 10 rebounds.) The Texans shot 44 percent as a team in this one. They were 7-25 (28 percent from the 3-point line.) Free throw shooting was not strong for the Texans as they shot 56 percent (14-25.) On the other hand they dominated the glass, out rebounding Rollins 44-30. The Texans had 12 assists and turned it over 17 times.
#16 Rollins (9-2) really struggled offensively in this one. Only one player (Sam Philpott 13 points would tally double figures in scoring.) He was followed closely by Mike Bedulskis (eight points.) Jeff Merton also scored eight but struggled for the second straight game before fouling out with 10:03 to go. Merton, the Tars second leading scorer at 15.3 a game would only mange to play 21 minutes Friday. The Tars struggled in all facets, especially shooting on Friday night. They shot 35 percent from the floor, went 5-20 (25 percent) from the 3-point line- and the top free throw shooting team in the nation shot just 61 percent (14-23) from the free throw line. The Tars had just seven assists and turned the ball over 21 times in the loss.
The game would get off to a decent start for the Tars. The two teams would trade baskets in the early going and Rollins would lead 11-9 just over six minutes in. The game would stay highly contested the rest of the opening half before the Texans would close the half with a 19-6 run in the last 8:50 to open up a 16 point lead (37-21) at the intermission.
The Texans would keep the lead at 17 five minutes into the second stanza. The Tars would get to within 13, but that is as close as they would get on this night.
The Tars will look to get back on the winning track Saturday when they conclude the South Point Holiday Classic against #6 Angelo State. Tip time for tomorrow's contest is set for 2 PM. You can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com and locally on 91.5 FM WPRK.
Thursday, December 17, 2015
#16 Rollins Battles Seventh Ranked Tarleton State In Vegas Friday.
The #16 Rollins College Tars will battle the seventh ranked Tarleton State Texans in the opening game of the South Point Holiday Classic Friday at 4:15 PM. You can catch all the action live on 91.5 FM WPRK and worldwide on RollinsSports.com.
The Tars (9-1) are coming off a tough 67-62 loss to Eckerd, in a game they controlled much of the way. They went 24-55 from the field and shot 27 percent from the 3-point line in the loss. Deion Clark led the Tars with 21 points in the game. Sharif Almulla added 13- while Mike Bedulskis had 12.
As a team Rollins continues to be the top free throw shooting team in the nation (86 percent-) they are also fourth in steals per game (11.5-) and 15th in shooting percentage (shooting 51 percent on the year.)
Almulla leads the Tars in scoring (17.6 points per game-) Jeff Merton adds 15.3 a contest- while Clark rounds out the double digit scorers at 10.7 a night. James Ferrell leads the team in assists at 4.5 per game- while Bedulskis grabs nearly five rebounds a contest.
The Texans (8-1) have reeled off four straight wins, after a brief stay at #1 in the country earlier this season. They are strong at both ends of the floor. As evidenced by the fact they average 86.7 points a night- while they allow 66.4 on the defensive end.
Four Texans average double figures on the season. E.J. Reed paces them at 21.7 points a night. Malcolm Hamilton scores 13.9 a contest- while Charles Hill scores 13.4 a game. Michael Hardge rounds out the double digit scorers at 10 a game.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsbooks.com: Tarleton State by 7.5
The Tars (9-1) are coming off a tough 67-62 loss to Eckerd, in a game they controlled much of the way. They went 24-55 from the field and shot 27 percent from the 3-point line in the loss. Deion Clark led the Tars with 21 points in the game. Sharif Almulla added 13- while Mike Bedulskis had 12.
As a team Rollins continues to be the top free throw shooting team in the nation (86 percent-) they are also fourth in steals per game (11.5-) and 15th in shooting percentage (shooting 51 percent on the year.)
Almulla leads the Tars in scoring (17.6 points per game-) Jeff Merton adds 15.3 a contest- while Clark rounds out the double digit scorers at 10.7 a night. James Ferrell leads the team in assists at 4.5 per game- while Bedulskis grabs nearly five rebounds a contest.
The Texans (8-1) have reeled off four straight wins, after a brief stay at #1 in the country earlier this season. They are strong at both ends of the floor. As evidenced by the fact they average 86.7 points a night- while they allow 66.4 on the defensive end.
Four Texans average double figures on the season. E.J. Reed paces them at 21.7 points a night. Malcolm Hamilton scores 13.9 a contest- while Charles Hill scores 13.4 a game. Michael Hardge rounds out the double digit scorers at 10 a game.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsbooks.com: Tarleton State by 7.5
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Eckerd Knocks #11 Rollins From The Ranks of the Unbeaten.
The Eckerd College Tritons used a late surge to knock off Rollins 67-62 at Warden Arena Saturday afternoon. The win by the Tritons stretched there win streak to nine games. They improved to 9-1 overall and 4-0 in the SSC. While the Tars are now 9-1 and 2-1 in the SSC, as there nine game win streak came to an end.
The Tritons were paced by Drushaun McLaurn with 27 points- Trevor Young added 12- while Kevin Walsh chipped in 11. The Tritons shot 44 percent from the field in the win. They shot 25 percent (4-16) from the 3-point line. EC shot 68 percent (17-25) from the free throw line. The Tritons dominated the rebounding battle 37-26. They had just six assists and 17 turnovers.
The Tars had three players in double figures paced by Deion Clark with 21- Sharif Almulla scored 13- and Mike Bedulskis scored 12. The Rollins starters scored 60 of the team's 62 points in the loss. Rollins shot 44 percent from the floor- struggled from the 3-point line where they shot 27 percent (6-22.) The Tars shot 80 percent from the foul line (8-10.) They had 11 assists and turned it over 15 times.
The first half was nip and tuck in this one. The lead changed hands four times to go along with five ties. The Tars led by as many as six in the opening half, while the Tritons briefly held a couple one point advantages. The Tars scored five of the last six points in the opening half to take a four point lead (30-26) into halftime.
The Tars opened the second half with a 16-4 run that saw them stretch the lead to 16 (46-30) after five minutes. The game would change at the 12:51 mark when Jeff Merton picked up his fourth foul. The Tritons would pull to within three (55-52) at the 5:06 mark with Merton on the bench. At the 3:40 mark the Tritons would take a 57-55 lead, before a Almulla old fashioned 3-point play would give Rollins the lead back. After the Tritons retook the lead 60-58 Clark would knot the game at 60. But McLaurn would come thru for the Tritons down the stretch and will them to the victory.
Rollins will be back in action Friday in Las Vegas at the South Point Holiday Classic when they face Tarleton State at 4 PM. You can catch all the action on 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park and worldwide at RollinsSports.com
Other SSC Scores:
Palm Beach Atlantic 99 Florida Southern 96
Barry 87 Saint Leo 85
Lynn 83 Armstrong State 79
Long Beach St.87 Tampa 60
SSC Standings:
Eckerd 4-0 (9-1)
Rollins 2-1 (9-1)
Florida Tech 2-1 (7-2)
Barry 2-1 (7-2)
Florida Southern 2-2 (4-6)
Saint Leo 2-3 (6-4)
Nova Southeastern 1-2 (3-4)
Lynn 1-3 (5-3)
Tampa 0-3 (3-6)
The Tritons were paced by Drushaun McLaurn with 27 points- Trevor Young added 12- while Kevin Walsh chipped in 11. The Tritons shot 44 percent from the field in the win. They shot 25 percent (4-16) from the 3-point line. EC shot 68 percent (17-25) from the free throw line. The Tritons dominated the rebounding battle 37-26. They had just six assists and 17 turnovers.
The Tars had three players in double figures paced by Deion Clark with 21- Sharif Almulla scored 13- and Mike Bedulskis scored 12. The Rollins starters scored 60 of the team's 62 points in the loss. Rollins shot 44 percent from the floor- struggled from the 3-point line where they shot 27 percent (6-22.) The Tars shot 80 percent from the foul line (8-10.) They had 11 assists and turned it over 15 times.
The first half was nip and tuck in this one. The lead changed hands four times to go along with five ties. The Tars led by as many as six in the opening half, while the Tritons briefly held a couple one point advantages. The Tars scored five of the last six points in the opening half to take a four point lead (30-26) into halftime.
The Tars opened the second half with a 16-4 run that saw them stretch the lead to 16 (46-30) after five minutes. The game would change at the 12:51 mark when Jeff Merton picked up his fourth foul. The Tritons would pull to within three (55-52) at the 5:06 mark with Merton on the bench. At the 3:40 mark the Tritons would take a 57-55 lead, before a Almulla old fashioned 3-point play would give Rollins the lead back. After the Tritons retook the lead 60-58 Clark would knot the game at 60. But McLaurn would come thru for the Tritons down the stretch and will them to the victory.
Rollins will be back in action Friday in Las Vegas at the South Point Holiday Classic when they face Tarleton State at 4 PM. You can catch all the action on 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park and worldwide at RollinsSports.com
Other SSC Scores:
Palm Beach Atlantic 99 Florida Southern 96
Barry 87 Saint Leo 85
Lynn 83 Armstrong State 79
Long Beach St.87 Tampa 60
SSC Standings:
Eckerd 4-0 (9-1)
Rollins 2-1 (9-1)
Florida Tech 2-1 (7-2)
Barry 2-1 (7-2)
Florida Southern 2-2 (4-6)
Saint Leo 2-3 (6-4)
Nova Southeastern 1-2 (3-4)
Lynn 1-3 (5-3)
Tampa 0-3 (3-6)
#11 Rollins-Eckerd Renew Rivalry With Added Incentive Saturday.
The 11th ranked Rollins Tars and Eckerd Tritons will renew there rivalry on Saturday afternoon at 2 PM at Warden Arena. This time around the teams will battle with the winner walking away in first place in the Sunshine State Conference. You can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com and on 91.5 FM WPRK.
Last time out, Rollins (9-0 2-0 SSC) rallied from 15 points down late and came away with a thrilling 75-74 win over Nova Southeastern at the Don Taft University Center. Joey Galvis drilled what proved to be the game winning 3-pointers with five seconds left.
Galvis and Jeff Merton paced the Tars with 20, and 19 points respectively in that game. Each of them drilled six 3-pointers in the contest. Sharif Almulla added 18 points and five assists- while Deion Clark scored 12 to go along with nine rebounds.
The Tars come into Saturday leading the nation in free throw shooting (86.3 percent.) They also are fifth in steals per game (11.6,) fifth in scoring margin (19.6,) eighth in 3-pointers made per game (11.2,) and ninth in field goal percentage (Shooting at a 51 percent clip.) The Tars come into Saturday scoring 89.8 points per night.
Rollins has a pair of players averaging double figures on the season. Almulla leads the way at 18.1 points per night- while Merton scores 16.1 a contest. Mike Bedulskis leads the team in rebounding at 4.9 per game.
Eckerd (8-1 3-0 SSC) comes in having won eight straight. The Tritons are coming off a 81-58 pounding of Tampa last time out. Kevin Walsh led the Tritons with 11 points in that victory- while Oby Kyei had 10.
The Tritons come into Saturday putting up 85 points a night. They allow 70.7 points per at the other end.
Kerrick Stevenson leads the team offensively, scoring 14.9 points a game- he is the only Triton to average double figures. Kyei ranks fifth in rebounding at 7.3 per game.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com:Rollins by 6
Other SSC lines:
Florida Southern-5@Palm Beach Atlantic
Barry-2 @Saint Leo
Long Beach St. -26 vs Tampa
Standings:
Eckerd 3-0 (8-1)
Rollins 2-0 (9-0)
Florida Tech 2-1 (7-2)
Saint Leo 2-2 (6-3)
Florida Southern 2-2 (4-5)
Barry 1-1 (6-2)
Nova Southeastern 1-2 (3-4)
Lynn 1-3 (4-3)
Tampa 0-3 (3-5)
Last time out, Rollins (9-0 2-0 SSC) rallied from 15 points down late and came away with a thrilling 75-74 win over Nova Southeastern at the Don Taft University Center. Joey Galvis drilled what proved to be the game winning 3-pointers with five seconds left.
Galvis and Jeff Merton paced the Tars with 20, and 19 points respectively in that game. Each of them drilled six 3-pointers in the contest. Sharif Almulla added 18 points and five assists- while Deion Clark scored 12 to go along with nine rebounds.
The Tars come into Saturday leading the nation in free throw shooting (86.3 percent.) They also are fifth in steals per game (11.6,) fifth in scoring margin (19.6,) eighth in 3-pointers made per game (11.2,) and ninth in field goal percentage (Shooting at a 51 percent clip.) The Tars come into Saturday scoring 89.8 points per night.
Rollins has a pair of players averaging double figures on the season. Almulla leads the way at 18.1 points per night- while Merton scores 16.1 a contest. Mike Bedulskis leads the team in rebounding at 4.9 per game.
Eckerd (8-1 3-0 SSC) comes in having won eight straight. The Tritons are coming off a 81-58 pounding of Tampa last time out. Kevin Walsh led the Tritons with 11 points in that victory- while Oby Kyei had 10.
The Tritons come into Saturday putting up 85 points a night. They allow 70.7 points per at the other end.
Kerrick Stevenson leads the team offensively, scoring 14.9 points a game- he is the only Triton to average double figures. Kyei ranks fifth in rebounding at 7.3 per game.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com:Rollins by 6
Other SSC lines:
Florida Southern-5@Palm Beach Atlantic
Barry-2 @Saint Leo
Long Beach St. -26 vs Tampa
Standings:
Eckerd 3-0 (8-1)
Rollins 2-0 (9-0)
Florida Tech 2-1 (7-2)
Saint Leo 2-2 (6-3)
Florida Southern 2-2 (4-5)
Barry 1-1 (6-2)
Nova Southeastern 1-2 (3-4)
Lynn 1-3 (4-3)
Tampa 0-3 (3-5)
Friday, December 4, 2015
Galvis Late 3-pointer Lifts Tars To Stunning Victory!
For a team that started out the year picked to finish ninth in the Sunshine State Conference the Rollins Tars sure don't look like it. This time it was a comeback from 13 points down with five minutes to go and eight in the last 1:28 capped off by a Joey Galvis 3-pointer that proved to be the game winner with five seconds left. The Tars would win 75-74 at the Don Taft University Center and improve to 9-0 on the season. The nine wins by Rollins equals their win total from a season ago.
Galvis led the Tars (9-0 2-0 SSC) with a game high 20 points- Jeff Merton scored 19- while Sharif Almulla scored 18. Deion Clark just missed a double-double (12 points and nine rebounds.) Merton and Galvis each nailed six 3 pointer's on the day, none bigger than the Galvis game winner. The Tars shot 39 percent from the floor on the night. The first time this season they shot below 40 percent. They shot 41 percent (15-37) from the 3-point line. The top free throw shooting team shot 75 percent (12-16) from the foul line. They had 20 assists and 14 turnovers.
Nova Southeastern (3-4 1-2 SSC) was paced by Chris Page who scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half before fouling out with 16 seconds left. Mike Chalas nailed five 3-pointer's en route to his 15 points. Harrison Goodrick posted a double-double (14 points and 13 rebounds-) while Nick Pendergast added 11. The Sharks shot 46 percent from the floor- they shot 38 percent (11-29) from the 3-point line. NSU shot 85 percent (11-13) at the free throw line. They dominated the boards out rebounding the Tars 43-30. NSU had 17 assists on the night to go along with 23 costly turnovers.
Both teams started out the game cold and it would be the Sharks who would lead 5-0 two minutes in. Rollins would bounce back and tie the game at 8 with 14 minutes in the opening half. Rollins would then get hot from the 3-point line and open up a 10 point lead (22-12) at the 10:30 mark. NSU would counter with a 17-5 run of their own to take a 29-27 lead with 1:42 in the half. The Tars would get a 3-pointer from Almulla and then Clark would beat the buzzer to give them a three point halftime lead (32-29.)
Rollins would stretch the lead to seven (36-29) after a Clark dunk but the Sharks would have a huge response this time. A 21-2 NSU run would give them a 12 point lead (50-38) at the 11:20 mark. A Galvis 3-pointer at the 9:22 mark would get the Tars back to within four. The Sharks would then stretch the lead back out to 14 with 6:02 to go. The Tars would not go away and make it a seven point game at the four minute mark. Merton, who kept the Tars in the game down the stretch with his four 3'pointer's would nail his sixth of the night with 44 seconds to go to pull the Tars to within two (74-72.) With 16.6 seconds left James Ferrell may have had the biggest play of the night when he drew an offensive foul from Page, which consequently fouled him out of the game. Galvis would nail what would prove to be the game winner from the left wing with five seconds left. The senior from Tampa was not done yet as Galvis would steal the ensuing inbounds pass and kick out to Ferrell as time expired.
Rollins will now be off until December 12th when Eckerd will come to Warden Arena. Tip time is set for 4 PM Saturday and as always you can catch all the action on 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park and round the world at RollinsSports.com
Other SSC Scores:
Florida Tech 99 Florida Southern 93
Eckerd 81 Tampa 58
Lynn 97 Saint Leo 91
SSC Standings:
Eckerd 3-0 (8-1)
Rollins 2-0 (9-0)
Florida Tech 2-1 (7-2)
Saint Leo 2-2 (6-3)
Florida Southern 2-2 (4-4)
Barry 1-1 (6-2)
Nova Southeastern 1-2 (3-4)
Lynn 1-3 (4-3)
Tampa 0-3 (3-5)
Galvis led the Tars (9-0 2-0 SSC) with a game high 20 points- Jeff Merton scored 19- while Sharif Almulla scored 18. Deion Clark just missed a double-double (12 points and nine rebounds.) Merton and Galvis each nailed six 3 pointer's on the day, none bigger than the Galvis game winner. The Tars shot 39 percent from the floor on the night. The first time this season they shot below 40 percent. They shot 41 percent (15-37) from the 3-point line. The top free throw shooting team shot 75 percent (12-16) from the foul line. They had 20 assists and 14 turnovers.
Nova Southeastern (3-4 1-2 SSC) was paced by Chris Page who scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half before fouling out with 16 seconds left. Mike Chalas nailed five 3-pointer's en route to his 15 points. Harrison Goodrick posted a double-double (14 points and 13 rebounds-) while Nick Pendergast added 11. The Sharks shot 46 percent from the floor- they shot 38 percent (11-29) from the 3-point line. NSU shot 85 percent (11-13) at the free throw line. They dominated the boards out rebounding the Tars 43-30. NSU had 17 assists on the night to go along with 23 costly turnovers.
Both teams started out the game cold and it would be the Sharks who would lead 5-0 two minutes in. Rollins would bounce back and tie the game at 8 with 14 minutes in the opening half. Rollins would then get hot from the 3-point line and open up a 10 point lead (22-12) at the 10:30 mark. NSU would counter with a 17-5 run of their own to take a 29-27 lead with 1:42 in the half. The Tars would get a 3-pointer from Almulla and then Clark would beat the buzzer to give them a three point halftime lead (32-29.)
Rollins would stretch the lead to seven (36-29) after a Clark dunk but the Sharks would have a huge response this time. A 21-2 NSU run would give them a 12 point lead (50-38) at the 11:20 mark. A Galvis 3-pointer at the 9:22 mark would get the Tars back to within four. The Sharks would then stretch the lead back out to 14 with 6:02 to go. The Tars would not go away and make it a seven point game at the four minute mark. Merton, who kept the Tars in the game down the stretch with his four 3'pointer's would nail his sixth of the night with 44 seconds to go to pull the Tars to within two (74-72.) With 16.6 seconds left James Ferrell may have had the biggest play of the night when he drew an offensive foul from Page, which consequently fouled him out of the game. Galvis would nail what would prove to be the game winner from the left wing with five seconds left. The senior from Tampa was not done yet as Galvis would steal the ensuing inbounds pass and kick out to Ferrell as time expired.
Rollins will now be off until December 12th when Eckerd will come to Warden Arena. Tip time is set for 4 PM Saturday and as always you can catch all the action on 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park and round the world at RollinsSports.com
Other SSC Scores:
Florida Tech 99 Florida Southern 93
Eckerd 81 Tampa 58
Lynn 97 Saint Leo 91
SSC Standings:
Eckerd 3-0 (8-1)
Rollins 2-0 (9-0)
Florida Tech 2-1 (7-2)
Saint Leo 2-2 (6-3)
Florida Southern 2-2 (4-4)
Barry 1-1 (6-2)
Nova Southeastern 1-2 (3-4)
Lynn 1-3 (4-3)
Tampa 0-3 (3-5)
#17 Rollins Set To Face Nova Friday Niight.
The last time the Nova Southeastern Sharks and Rollins Tars squared off was in the opening round of the Sunshine State Conference tournament last season. The Sharks would end the Tars season in a hard fought overtime game that day. The two teams will renew acquaintances when they battle at the Don Taft University Center on Friday night. You can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com and on 91.5 FM WPRK. Robert Siegel and Juan Bernal will have the call from the "Shark Tank."
Rollins (8-0) was dominant the last time out in a 85-68 victory over previously unbeaten Embry-Riddle. The Tars were led by a career high 33 points from Sharif Almulla. The most points by a Tar since Jeremy Sharpe had 32 against Nova in 2009. Four other Tars scored in double figures in the win. Sam Philpott and Jeff Merton each scored 12- while Deion Clark added 11- with Joey Galvis scoring 10.
The Tars continued to be solid offensively shooting 56 percent from the field. They shot 52 percent (13-25) from the 3-point line and continued to be tremendous at the free throw line (14-15.) The Tars defense held a Embry-Riddle team that came in averaging more than 91 points a game to just 31 percent shooting.
Rollins is the top team in the SSC allowing just 69.8 points per game. They are second in the conference on the offensive end where they are putting up more than 91 points per night. The Tars also lead the conference in point differential, as they are beating opponents by 21.9 points a game thus far this season.
Almulla who is coming off the career high 33 comes into Friday averaging 18.1 points per night- he is one of three Tars averaging double figures. Merton comes in at 15.8 a contest- while Philpott also is scoring double figures.
NSU comes in with a 3-3 record on the season. They are coming off a 98-79 win over Palm Beach Atlantic Wednesday at the "Shark Tank." Nova shot the ball extremely well in that one, as they shot 52 percent from the field. They also shot 50 percent (15-30) from the 3-point line.
The Sharks were paced by Chris Page who had six 3-pointer's en route to his 30 points. B.J Edwards, Troy Spears, and Harrison Goodrick added 14 of their own.
The Sharks come into Friday's contest scoring 81 points a game, but have struggled on the defensive end where they have given up 84 a night.
Paige leads the Sharks in scoring at 22.7 points per game. He is the only NSU player averaging in double figures on the season. Goodrich and Casey Carroll each score 9.8 a night.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsbooks.com: Rollins by 4
Other SSC lines (all other games Saturday.)
Tampa+8 @Eckerd
Saint Leo+4.5@Lynn
Florida Tech+10.5@Florida Southern
Rollins (8-0) was dominant the last time out in a 85-68 victory over previously unbeaten Embry-Riddle. The Tars were led by a career high 33 points from Sharif Almulla. The most points by a Tar since Jeremy Sharpe had 32 against Nova in 2009. Four other Tars scored in double figures in the win. Sam Philpott and Jeff Merton each scored 12- while Deion Clark added 11- with Joey Galvis scoring 10.
The Tars continued to be solid offensively shooting 56 percent from the field. They shot 52 percent (13-25) from the 3-point line and continued to be tremendous at the free throw line (14-15.) The Tars defense held a Embry-Riddle team that came in averaging more than 91 points a game to just 31 percent shooting.
Rollins is the top team in the SSC allowing just 69.8 points per game. They are second in the conference on the offensive end where they are putting up more than 91 points per night. The Tars also lead the conference in point differential, as they are beating opponents by 21.9 points a game thus far this season.
Almulla who is coming off the career high 33 comes into Friday averaging 18.1 points per night- he is one of three Tars averaging double figures. Merton comes in at 15.8 a contest- while Philpott also is scoring double figures.
NSU comes in with a 3-3 record on the season. They are coming off a 98-79 win over Palm Beach Atlantic Wednesday at the "Shark Tank." Nova shot the ball extremely well in that one, as they shot 52 percent from the field. They also shot 50 percent (15-30) from the 3-point line.
The Sharks were paced by Chris Page who had six 3-pointer's en route to his 30 points. B.J Edwards, Troy Spears, and Harrison Goodrick added 14 of their own.
The Sharks come into Friday's contest scoring 81 points a game, but have struggled on the defensive end where they have given up 84 a night.
Paige leads the Sharks in scoring at 22.7 points per game. He is the only NSU player averaging in double figures on the season. Goodrich and Casey Carroll each score 9.8 a night.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsbooks.com: Rollins by 4
Other SSC lines (all other games Saturday.)
Tampa+8 @Eckerd
Saint Leo+4.5@Lynn
Florida Tech+10.5@Florida Southern
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Tars Make Short Work of Eagles Behind Almulla's Career Night.
The question going into #17 Rollins matchup with Embry-Riddle at the ICI Center Wednesday night was would the Tars be rusty after a eight day layoff since the last game they played or would they be rested. The Tars answered that question loud and clear in a game that they dominated from start to finish. In the end it was a 85-68 win that improved the Tars to 8-0 on the season. Embry-Riddle fell to 5-1 on the year.
The Tars (8-0 1-0 SSC) were paced by a career high 33 points from Sharif Almulla. The 33 points scored by Almulla were the most by a Rollins player since Jeremy Sharpe had 32 on January 17,2009 against Nova Southeastern. Four other Tars scored in double figures for the Tars. Jeff Merton and Sam Philpott each chipped in 12- Deion Clark netted 11-while Joey Galvis added 10.
As they have for the first eight games of the season Rollins continued to be efficient offensively. It is hard to believe after eight games as well as this team has played they were picked ninth in the SSC preseason. They shot 56 percent from the field in the victory- went 13-25 from the 3-point line(52 percent)- and the team that leads all of Division II in foul shooting percentage coming in shot 93 percent (14-15) at the free throw line. Rollins had 17 assists and 15 turnovers.
The Eagles (5-1) were led by 22 points from Joe Gonzalez- Daniel Kiesling added 15- while Dillon Graham scored 12. ERAU shot 32 percent from the field in the loss. They shot 30 percent (11-37) from the 3-point line- they shot at a 85 percent clip (11-13) at the free throw line. The Eagles won the rebounding battle 39-34. They had 16 assists and 12 turnovers.
The Tars ran out to a huge lead. Almulla would set the tone early as he would nail a 3-pointer to open the scoring. It would be a 11 point Tars lead (13-2) after another Almulla 3-pointer at the 16:34 mark. The senior from Timber Creek High School would score 10 of the first 13 points for the Tars. Rollins would keep their foot on the gas and stretch the lead to 21 (29-8) a little more than halfway thru the opening stanza. They would lead by 29 with a minute left in the half and would lead by 26 (51-25) at the intermission.
Rollins saw Almulla scored 23 of his 33 in the opening half. He was 8 of 11 from the field-to go along with 5 of 6 from the 3-point line. Merton and Galvis both added 10. They shot 61 percent as a team and went nine of 16 from the 3-point line. While they held the Eagles to 27 percent shooting on the defensive end.
The second half saw the Eagles make a few modest runs but the Tars would cruise to victory.
Rollins will be back in action Friday night at 5:30 when they head to the "Shark Tank" to battle Nova Southeastern. You can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com and on 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park.
Other SSC Scores:
Barry 109 Lynn 101
Eckerd 104 FIT 100 (OT)
Saint Leo 91 Florida Southern 89
SSC Standings:
Florida Southern 2-1 (4-3)
Eckerd 2-0 (7-1)
Rollins 1-0 (8-0)
Saint Leo 2-1 (6-2)
Florida Tech 1-1 (6-2)
Nova Southeastern 1-1 (3-3)
Barry 1-1 (6-1)
Tampa 0-2 (3-4)
Lynn 0-3 (3-3)
#17 Tars Travel To Embry Riddle Wednesday.
Up seven spots in the NABC Division II coaches poll from a week ago the Rollins Tars will travel to Daytona Beach to battle the Eagles of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University on Wednesday night. Tip time is set for 7:30 PM at the ICI Center and you can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com and on 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park.
Rollins (7-0) comes into the game after defeating Puerto Rico Mayaguez 93-81 the last time out. The Tars were led by a 20 point evening from Sharif Almulla- Jeff Merton (13 points-) and Sam Philpott (11) also scored in double figures in that one. The Tars shot better than 50 percent from the field, went 11-26 from the 3-point line- and- were a solid 22-27 from the free throw line. Merton comes into Wednesday averaging 16.3 point per game-) while Almulla (16.0 Ppg) and Philpott (10.6) also average double figures through seven games.
Rollins has been solid in all offensive categories in the early season. They are 18th in all of Division II offensively averaging more than 92 points per game. The Tars are sixth in field goal shooting (53.2 percent-) fifth in steals (12.1 per contest) and lead all of Division II in free throw percentage (86.7 percent.)
Embry-Riddle also comes in with an unblemished record (5-0.) The last time out was a 92-79 win over Tampa inside the Bob Martinez Center. Ognien Miljkovic paced the Eagles with 25 in the victory- with Reed Ridder posting a 22 point night.
Like the Tars, Embry Riddle comes in with a high powered offense. ERAU is averaging 91.4 points a night offensively, while giving up 73.8 at the other end. Two areas the Eagles have dominated the opponent are on the glass (+10.8 rebounding margin) and from the 3-point line where they are shooting 45 percent as a team.
Miljkovic is leading ERAU in scoring averaging (18.9 points per evening-) he is joined in double figures by Ridder (18.0 ppg-) Dillon Graham (15 per evening-) and Dalton Barnes (12.0 per contest.)
The Eagles and Tars have only met seven previous times with the Tars winning five. The last meeting was December 1,1999 with the Tars edging the Eagles 74-71 at the ICI Center in Daytona.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com: Embry Riddle by 1.5
Other SSC lines: Lynn +7@Barry
FIT+10@Eckerd
Florida Southern Even@Saint Leo
Palm Beach Atlantic +3.5@Nova Southeastern
Current SSC Standings:
Florida Southern 2-0 (4-2)
Rollins 1-0 (7-0)
Eckerd 1-0 (6-1)
Florida Tech 1-0 (6-1)
Saint Leo 1-1 (5-2)
Nova Southeastern 1-1 (2-3)
Barry 0-1 (5-1)
Lynn 0-2 (3-2)
Tampa 0-2 (3-4)
Rollins (7-0) comes into the game after defeating Puerto Rico Mayaguez 93-81 the last time out. The Tars were led by a 20 point evening from Sharif Almulla- Jeff Merton (13 points-) and Sam Philpott (11) also scored in double figures in that one. The Tars shot better than 50 percent from the field, went 11-26 from the 3-point line- and- were a solid 22-27 from the free throw line. Merton comes into Wednesday averaging 16.3 point per game-) while Almulla (16.0 Ppg) and Philpott (10.6) also average double figures through seven games.
Rollins has been solid in all offensive categories in the early season. They are 18th in all of Division II offensively averaging more than 92 points per game. The Tars are sixth in field goal shooting (53.2 percent-) fifth in steals (12.1 per contest) and lead all of Division II in free throw percentage (86.7 percent.)
Embry-Riddle also comes in with an unblemished record (5-0.) The last time out was a 92-79 win over Tampa inside the Bob Martinez Center. Ognien Miljkovic paced the Eagles with 25 in the victory- with Reed Ridder posting a 22 point night.
Like the Tars, Embry Riddle comes in with a high powered offense. ERAU is averaging 91.4 points a night offensively, while giving up 73.8 at the other end. Two areas the Eagles have dominated the opponent are on the glass (+10.8 rebounding margin) and from the 3-point line where they are shooting 45 percent as a team.
Miljkovic is leading ERAU in scoring averaging (18.9 points per evening-) he is joined in double figures by Ridder (18.0 ppg-) Dillon Graham (15 per evening-) and Dalton Barnes (12.0 per contest.)
The Eagles and Tars have only met seven previous times with the Tars winning five. The last meeting was December 1,1999 with the Tars edging the Eagles 74-71 at the ICI Center in Daytona.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com: Embry Riddle by 1.5
Other SSC lines: Lynn +7@Barry
FIT+10@Eckerd
Florida Southern Even@Saint Leo
Palm Beach Atlantic +3.5@Nova Southeastern
Current SSC Standings:
Florida Southern 2-0 (4-2)
Rollins 1-0 (7-0)
Eckerd 1-0 (6-1)
Florida Tech 1-0 (6-1)
Saint Leo 1-1 (5-2)
Nova Southeastern 1-1 (2-3)
Barry 0-1 (5-1)
Lynn 0-2 (3-2)
Tampa 0-2 (3-4)
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
#24 Rollins Runs Win Streak To Seven With Win Over Tarzans.
The 24th ranked Rollins Tars who broke into the polls Tuesday improved to 7-0 on the season with a 93-81 victory over the Puerto Rico Mayaguez Tarzans (0-3.)
The hot shooting Tars posted three players in double figures on the afternoon. Sharif Almulla led the way with 20 points- Jeff Merton added 13- while Sam Philpott netted 11. The Tars shot 59 percent from the field, including 71 percent (15-21 in the second half.) The Tars shot at a 42 percent clip (11-26) from the 3-point line- and shot 82 percent (22-27 from the free throw line.) Rollins had 23 turnovers and turned it over 17 times.
The Tarzans had four players in double figures led by 16 points from Jaime Perez-Jermome Carobello scored 15- Noel Muniz posted 11- while Christian Tirado added 10. UPRM shot 49 percent from the field in the defeat- they shot 37 percent (10-27) from the 3-point line- and at a 72 percent clip (13-18) from the free throw line. The Tartans out rebounded the Tars 30-25. They had 14 assists and committed 20 costly turnovers.
Rollins would get off to a quick start in this one. They took a early 14-3 lead at the first media time out. The Tarzans would then go on a 17-7 run that would cut the Tars lead to three before a pair of Tars 3-pointers by Almulla and Joey Galvis would get the lead back to nine with 7:39 to go in the opening half. The Tars got the lead back to 10 but the Tarzans would go on a spurt to end the half that would see them tie the game at 36 after a Gonzalez 3-pointer. But for the second straight day Merton would hit a big bucket that would send the Tars with some momentum heading into the locker room (this one giving them a 38-36 lead.)
The Tars would regain the double digit lead and cruise to a seventh straight victory. The next game for the Tars will be Wednesday December 2nd when they battle Embry Riddle in Daytona Beach. You can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com and on 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park.
The hot shooting Tars posted three players in double figures on the afternoon. Sharif Almulla led the way with 20 points- Jeff Merton added 13- while Sam Philpott netted 11. The Tars shot 59 percent from the field, including 71 percent (15-21 in the second half.) The Tars shot at a 42 percent clip (11-26) from the 3-point line- and shot 82 percent (22-27 from the free throw line.) Rollins had 23 turnovers and turned it over 17 times.
The Tarzans had four players in double figures led by 16 points from Jaime Perez-Jermome Carobello scored 15- Noel Muniz posted 11- while Christian Tirado added 10. UPRM shot 49 percent from the field in the defeat- they shot 37 percent (10-27) from the 3-point line- and at a 72 percent clip (13-18) from the free throw line. The Tartans out rebounded the Tars 30-25. They had 14 assists and committed 20 costly turnovers.
Rollins would get off to a quick start in this one. They took a early 14-3 lead at the first media time out. The Tarzans would then go on a 17-7 run that would cut the Tars lead to three before a pair of Tars 3-pointers by Almulla and Joey Galvis would get the lead back to nine with 7:39 to go in the opening half. The Tars got the lead back to 10 but the Tarzans would go on a spurt to end the half that would see them tie the game at 36 after a Gonzalez 3-pointer. But for the second straight day Merton would hit a big bucket that would send the Tars with some momentum heading into the locker room (this one giving them a 38-36 lead.)
The Tars would regain the double digit lead and cruise to a seventh straight victory. The next game for the Tars will be Wednesday December 2nd when they battle Embry Riddle in Daytona Beach. You can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com and on 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park.
Monday, November 23, 2015
Rollins To Host Mayaguez in Tuesday Matinee.
The Rollins Tars (6-0) will welcome a Puerto Rican school to Warden Arena for the second time in as many days when they welcome Mayaguez to Warden Arena for a Tuesday matinee. You can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com and locally on 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park with Jim "Shooter" Ferro and Robert Seagal.
The Tars are coming off another solid effort Monday evening in a 105-72 walloping of Bayamon. Three Rollins players had career highs and six in total scored in double figures in the victory. Sharif Almulla (25-) Joey Galvis (18) and Eric Castaneda (12) all had personal bests Monday night. Sam Philpott (14-) along with Jeff Merton and Mike Bedulskis scored 10 each.
The Tars continue to shoot the ball extremely well. They are at better than 50 percent from the floor, as well as 88 percent from the free throw line. Rollins comes into Tuesday averaging 92.5 points per night as a team. A strong contrast from a team that had a hard time scoring a season ago. Merton and Almulla are the only Tars averaging double figures on the year.
The last time Rollins faced Mayaguez was 11/25/14 and they were a 76-62 winner. Alex Blessig was one of three Tars to score in double figures in that one. Chris Uhle added 13 and Mike Bedulskis scored 12. The Tars shot 55 percent in that one, while the Tarzans shot 33 percent. It will be the Tarzans first game this season.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com: Rollins by 18.5
The Tars are coming off another solid effort Monday evening in a 105-72 walloping of Bayamon. Three Rollins players had career highs and six in total scored in double figures in the victory. Sharif Almulla (25-) Joey Galvis (18) and Eric Castaneda (12) all had personal bests Monday night. Sam Philpott (14-) along with Jeff Merton and Mike Bedulskis scored 10 each.
The Tars continue to shoot the ball extremely well. They are at better than 50 percent from the floor, as well as 88 percent from the free throw line. Rollins comes into Tuesday averaging 92.5 points per night as a team. A strong contrast from a team that had a hard time scoring a season ago. Merton and Almulla are the only Tars averaging double figures on the year.
The last time Rollins faced Mayaguez was 11/25/14 and they were a 76-62 winner. Alex Blessig was one of three Tars to score in double figures in that one. Chris Uhle added 13 and Mike Bedulskis scored 12. The Tars shot 55 percent in that one, while the Tarzans shot 33 percent. It will be the Tarzans first game this season.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com: Rollins by 18.5
Tars Cruise Past Undersized Bayamon.
For the second consecutive year the Rollins Tars welcomed the Puerto Rico Bayamon Cowboys to Warden Arena and it was a battle for a half. The second half saw the undersized Bayamon team not be able to stay with the Tars and there high octane offense. Rollins would cruise to a 105-72 win. After not eclipsing the century mark for seven years the Tars have now done it twice in the past week.
Rollins (6-0) was led by three players who all had career highs in this one. Sharif Almulla scored a career high 25 points- Joey Galvis a personal best 18- and- Eric Castaneda had 12 in his first significant minutes of the season. For the second straight game Sam Philpott had a monster second half, this time scoring all 14 of his points in the second stanza. Mike Bedulskis and Jeff Merton added 10 points each. James Ferrell added a career high nine assists.
Three players from Bayamon (0-1) scored in double figures. Alexis Parilla had a double-double (17 points and 10 rebounds.) Nataneil Martinez had 17- while Luis Gonzalez put up 12.
The Tars shot 59 percent from the field and 40 percent (12-30) from the 3-point line. The Tars were a solid 85 percent (17-20) at the free throw line. The Tars won the battle on the boards 38-34.
Bayamon came out hot in the early going. They took a early five point lead after a Parilla 3-pointer two minutes in. The Tars would gain there footing and take what would be there first lead of the game 16-14 after a Amulla bucket just over six minutes in. The Tars wold maintain the lead, it would be five (38-33) before Merton drilled a 3-pointer right before the intermission.
That 3-pointer would spark the Tars. They would come out firing in the second half. Almulla would score the first 10 points of the second stanza and the Tars would cruise from there. They would outscore Bayamon 64-39 in the second half. Philpott (14-) Galvis (16-) and Almulla (16) would all have big second halves.
The Tars will be back in action Tuesday at 2 PM when Puerto Rico Mayaguez wraps up a Tars stretch of seven games in 12 days. You can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com and on 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park.
Rollins (6-0) was led by three players who all had career highs in this one. Sharif Almulla scored a career high 25 points- Joey Galvis a personal best 18- and- Eric Castaneda had 12 in his first significant minutes of the season. For the second straight game Sam Philpott had a monster second half, this time scoring all 14 of his points in the second stanza. Mike Bedulskis and Jeff Merton added 10 points each. James Ferrell added a career high nine assists.
Three players from Bayamon (0-1) scored in double figures. Alexis Parilla had a double-double (17 points and 10 rebounds.) Nataneil Martinez had 17- while Luis Gonzalez put up 12.
The Tars shot 59 percent from the field and 40 percent (12-30) from the 3-point line. The Tars were a solid 85 percent (17-20) at the free throw line. The Tars won the battle on the boards 38-34.
Bayamon came out hot in the early going. They took a early five point lead after a Parilla 3-pointer two minutes in. The Tars would gain there footing and take what would be there first lead of the game 16-14 after a Amulla bucket just over six minutes in. The Tars wold maintain the lead, it would be five (38-33) before Merton drilled a 3-pointer right before the intermission.
That 3-pointer would spark the Tars. They would come out firing in the second half. Almulla would score the first 10 points of the second stanza and the Tars would cruise from there. They would outscore Bayamon 64-39 in the second half. Philpott (14-) Galvis (16-) and Almulla (16) would all have big second halves.
The Tars will be back in action Tuesday at 2 PM when Puerto Rico Mayaguez wraps up a Tars stretch of seven games in 12 days. You can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com and on 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park.
Tars Continue Homestand With Visit From Bayamon Monday.
The Rollins Tars (5-0 1-0 SSC) continue a stretch of seven games in 12 days when they welcome Puerto Rico Bayamon to Warden Arena for a 6 PM tip Monday. You can catch all the action live on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com and on 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park.
The Tars are coming off a hard-fought 86-75 win over Tampa in there conference opener Saturday. Deion Clark paced the Tars with a 22 point effort- Sam Philpott and Jeff Merton scored 17 each-while Sharif Almulla added 14. The Tars only had seven miscues in the game and shot 42 percent from the floor.
Rollins comes into Monday's contest averaging 90 points per game, which is 22.6 points better than the opposition. The Tars are shooting over 50 percent from the floor and better than 88 percent from the free throw line.
Merton paces the Tars in scoring at 18.2 points a contest- Almulla is the only other Tar averaging double figures at 13.4per night- Almulla and Mike Bedulskis share the team lead in rebounds at 5.6 a game.
The last time the Tars faced Bayamon was on 11/24/14 and the Tars came away with a 83-57 victory. All 11 Rollins players who saw action scored in that one. They were led by four players in double figures. Jeff Merton had a career high 13- Scott Schuette and Mike Bedulskis each scored 12- while Jeff Dirkin had 11.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com:
Rollins by 28.5
The Tars are coming off a hard-fought 86-75 win over Tampa in there conference opener Saturday. Deion Clark paced the Tars with a 22 point effort- Sam Philpott and Jeff Merton scored 17 each-while Sharif Almulla added 14. The Tars only had seven miscues in the game and shot 42 percent from the floor.
Rollins comes into Monday's contest averaging 90 points per game, which is 22.6 points better than the opposition. The Tars are shooting over 50 percent from the floor and better than 88 percent from the free throw line.
Merton paces the Tars in scoring at 18.2 points a contest- Almulla is the only other Tar averaging double figures at 13.4per night- Almulla and Mike Bedulskis share the team lead in rebounds at 5.6 a game.
The last time the Tars faced Bayamon was on 11/24/14 and the Tars came away with a 83-57 victory. All 11 Rollins players who saw action scored in that one. They were led by four players in double figures. Jeff Merton had a career high 13- Scott Schuette and Mike Bedulskis each scored 12- while Jeff Dirkin had 11.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com:
Rollins by 28.5
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Tars Win Fifth Straight.
The Rollins Tars improved to 5-0 overall and 1-0 in the Sunshine State Conference with a hard-fought 86-75 win over the Tampa Spartans inside Warden Arena. With the loss Tampa dropped to 1-3 overall and 0-2 in the SSC.
The Tars were led by Old Dominion transfer Deion Clark. Clark had 18 of his 22 points in the opening half- Jeff Merton drained five 3-pointer's en route to his 17 points- Sam Philpott also added 17- while Sharif Almulla scored 14 to go along with eight rebounds and five assists.
Rollins shot 42 percent in the game.-They shot 33 percent (10-30) from the 3-point line-a team that come into the game shooting 86 percent as a team at the free throw line, the Tars were 26 of 27 (96 percent on Saturday.) The Tars had 13 assists and only seven turnovers.
The Spartans were paced by Pat Bacon who scored 21 points-while three other Tampa players scored in double figures on the day. Austin Rettig netted 19-Marcel Robison scored 17- and- Zach Hollis had 12.
Tampa shot 47 percent from the field in the game- shooting 37 percent from the 3-point line- they made eight of 12 free throws (67 percent.) The Spartans won the rebounding battle 37-33. They had 17 assists and 16 turnovers.
The Tars came out with a lot of energy in the early going. The team honored the late Chris Uhle prior to the game. The lead would stand up for much of the first half. The Spartans would keep the game very close early and trail by five. A Merton 3-pointer would give Rollins a seven point lead with 7:49 in the opening half. Rollins would take a 42-37 lead into the locker room.
The Tars would stretch the lead out to 10 in the first two minutes of the second half. The Spartans would not go quietly though. They would go on a 14-4 run that would knot the game at 53 with 10:59 to go. The teams would play even basketball for the next several minutes before the Tars would stretch the lead to six on another Merton 3-pointer, this one from the top of the key at the 5:13 mark. The Tars would lead by as many as 10 at the 2:11 mark and nail nine of 10 free throws to stay perfect for the season.
Rollins will be back in action Monday when they welcome Puerto Rico Bahaman to Warden Arena. Tip time is set for 6 PM. You can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com and on 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park
Other SSC scores:
Embry Riddle 94 Florida Tech 77
Saint Leo 93 Nova Southeastern 88
Eckerd 83 Palm Beach Atlantic 78
Florida Southern 98 Lynn 91
SSC standings:
Florida Tech 1-0 (3-1)
Florida Southern 2-0 (2-2)
Rollins 1-0 (5-0)
Eckerd 1-0 (3-1)
Nova Southeastern 1-1 (2-1)
Saint Leo 1-1 (3-1)
Barry 0-1 (2-1)
Lynn 0-2 (1-2)
Tampa 0-2 (1-3)
The Tars were led by Old Dominion transfer Deion Clark. Clark had 18 of his 22 points in the opening half- Jeff Merton drained five 3-pointer's en route to his 17 points- Sam Philpott also added 17- while Sharif Almulla scored 14 to go along with eight rebounds and five assists.
Rollins shot 42 percent in the game.-They shot 33 percent (10-30) from the 3-point line-a team that come into the game shooting 86 percent as a team at the free throw line, the Tars were 26 of 27 (96 percent on Saturday.) The Tars had 13 assists and only seven turnovers.
The Spartans were paced by Pat Bacon who scored 21 points-while three other Tampa players scored in double figures on the day. Austin Rettig netted 19-Marcel Robison scored 17- and- Zach Hollis had 12.
Tampa shot 47 percent from the field in the game- shooting 37 percent from the 3-point line- they made eight of 12 free throws (67 percent.) The Spartans won the rebounding battle 37-33. They had 17 assists and 16 turnovers.
The Tars came out with a lot of energy in the early going. The team honored the late Chris Uhle prior to the game. The lead would stand up for much of the first half. The Spartans would keep the game very close early and trail by five. A Merton 3-pointer would give Rollins a seven point lead with 7:49 in the opening half. Rollins would take a 42-37 lead into the locker room.
The Tars would stretch the lead out to 10 in the first two minutes of the second half. The Spartans would not go quietly though. They would go on a 14-4 run that would knot the game at 53 with 10:59 to go. The teams would play even basketball for the next several minutes before the Tars would stretch the lead to six on another Merton 3-pointer, this one from the top of the key at the 5:13 mark. The Tars would lead by as many as 10 at the 2:11 mark and nail nine of 10 free throws to stay perfect for the season.
Rollins will be back in action Monday when they welcome Puerto Rico Bahaman to Warden Arena. Tip time is set for 6 PM. You can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com and on 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park
Other SSC scores:
Embry Riddle 94 Florida Tech 77
Saint Leo 93 Nova Southeastern 88
Eckerd 83 Palm Beach Atlantic 78
Florida Southern 98 Lynn 91
SSC standings:
Florida Tech 1-0 (3-1)
Florida Southern 2-0 (2-2)
Rollins 1-0 (5-0)
Eckerd 1-0 (3-1)
Nova Southeastern 1-1 (2-1)
Saint Leo 1-1 (3-1)
Barry 0-1 (2-1)
Lynn 0-2 (1-2)
Tampa 0-2 (1-3)
Meet The 2015-16 Rollins Tars.
The Starters:
James Ferrell (#11)
Guard
6 foot 2 175 pounds
senior
Winter Park,Fla.
Winter Park High School
Played in 27 games and may have been the Tars most improved player last season. Played 11.5 minutes a night. He averaged 2.7 points- 1.1 assists- and- 1.0 rebound per night. Shot 44 percent from the field and 75 percent from the free throw line. Had a career high nine points against Palm Beach Atlantic on January 22nd. Hit his only 3-point attempt and made all six free throws he tried.
Coach Tom Klusman has always been very complimentary of the former Winter Park star:
"James just knows how to play the game and play it the right way." Klusman said to RollinsSports.TV
Pete's take: Ferrell will be the floor general for this team. He has paid his dues. Probably has the best basketball IQ on the team.
Deion Clark (#1)
Guard
6 foot 3 200 pounds
junior
Naples,Fla.
Barron Collier High School
Played 3.5 minutes a game. Averaged 0.8 points and 0.6 rebounds for Old Dominion last year. Fits well into the Rollins rotation.
Mike Bedulskis gave some insight into Clark's game:
"Deion made a smooth transition to our team and may be one of our better players. He is a really patient, crafty guard with a smooth jumper."
Klusman gave Clark about the highest praise you can get:
"Deion is a great guy who knows how to play the game. He is one of the best players I have ever coached in all of the years I have been doing this."
Pete's take: Welcome addition to this Tars team and starting five.
Mike Bedulskis (#14)
Center
6 foot 9 220 pounds
junior
Vilnius,Lithuania
Phelps High School (Philly)
Bedulskis had a solid season a year ago. Is a transfer from UNC Asheville. Can use both hands around the basket. Is a very good offensive post player. Defensively will look to improve from last season after having a year to learn the principles of the Tars zone.
Beduslkis spoke to me about the time and effort he put into improving his game in the off-season.
"The three things I really wanted to work on were my overall conditioning and strength, shot selection, and passing.I just really wanted to be an overall better team player and develop a greater feel for the game," Bedulskis said.
Pete's take: Bedulskis will need to rebound well and have some big nights on both ends of the court. Will play heavy minutes much of the season which is one of the big reasons why he was so focused on improving his conditioning this off season.
Sharif Almulla (#0)
Guard/Forward
6 foot 3 175 pounds
senior
Orlando,Fla.
Timber Creek High School
One of the Tars premier shooters. Almulla has been slowed by injuries each of the last two seasons. He played in 17 games in the 2013-14 season. Averaged 2.6 points a night. Had a career high 12 points against Eckerd on February 8th. Returned for the SSC tournament and scored three points in the loss to Nova Southeastern.
Coach Klusman had positive things to tell RollinsSports.TV about Almulla:
Sharif gave us a spark in many games last season and I expect more of the same and he will play well this year,"Klusman said.
Pete's take: A Spark for the Tars when healthy last season. One of the better shooters on the squad. Will have to shoot the ball well for this team to be successful.
Jeff Merton (#44)
Forward
6 foot 5 215 pounds
sophomore
Naples,Fla.
Community School Of Naples
Merton made a strong case for SSC freshman of the year last season. He got better as the season went along. The sky is the limit for this extremely talented sophomore.
Klusman commented on Merton's freshman campaign:
"Jeff is a guy who got better game after game last year. We threw him in there right away as a freshman. We are expecting a big year out of him this season."
Pete's take: The fact that he started as a freshman tells you all you need to know about Merton. Has immense talent and could be one of the best ever in the history of the program when all is said and done.
The Bench:
Kyle Koszuta (#10)
Guard
6 foot 2 190 pounds
senior
Niceville,Fla.
Niceville High School
Another of the Tars many long distance threats. Battled injury for much of last season but bounced back nicely. Originally played at Louisiana Monroe before coming to Rollins.
Klusman commented on Koszuta:
"Kyle is a guy who only knows one speed and plays full speed all the time."
Pete's take: When his feet are set, he can really knock down the 3-ball. Also very good at getting in passing lanes on the defensive end.
Joey Galvis (#32)
Guard
6 foot 1 165 pounds
junior
Tampa,Fla.
Tampa Jesuit High School
Galvin got better as the season went on last year. He saw some minutes in conference action. He has made great strides since last season, Bedulskis says:
"I think Joey has made great strides since last season, and will help our team a lot this year. He is a lot more confident than he was last season." Beduslkis said.
Pete's take: Much improved from last season. Has a knack for getting in passing lanes at the right time. Also a solid shooter.
Daniel Loh (#22)
Center
6 foot 8 220 pounds
redshirt freshman
Oviedo,Fla.
Oviedo High School
Came aboard the Tars program last season. Did not begin practicing with the team until January.
Bedulskis commented on facing Loh in practice:
"Dan is a great teammate and guy to play against during practice.
"He makes me very hard at the defensive end especially in practice. We battle every day in practice and this makes us better."
He added this about Loh's game:
"Dan is a really talented big who competes in every practice and can do a lot of things on the court. Will be very helpful to us this year."
Pete's take: His shooting ability, size and active hands should really help this team.
Sam Philpott (#31)
Forward/Center
6 foot 7 200 pounds
redshirt sophomore
Noblesville,Indiana
Noblesville High School
Had a solid season last year after redshirting the year before. Very good rebounder and a good shooter when he gets a little bit of space.
"Sam is also a great teammate and guy who works real hard in practice. Sam is quick,active and can shoot the ball from three."Bedulskis said.
He added this as well:
"Sam is also stronger than he was last season and one of the more seasoned players on our team now."
Pete's take:Philpott will see his role expand from last season. He will play more minutes on this team, as he now has more experience. Will slide over to the center position a lot more than last season.
Jack Fleming(#4)
Forward
6 foot 6 205 pounds
junior
Tampa,Fla.
Tampa Jesuit High School
Fleming played in six games for Colgate last season. Had a career high three points in win over Binghamton on December 1st, after draining first career 3-pointer. Had first career assists against Navy on January 18th. Played a season high four minutes twice.
Pete's take: Fleming will add some much needed size to a team that is much smaller than usual this year. Battled injuries for much of the off-season. Worked very hard and was ready to go for the opener.
Eric Castaneda (#15)
Guard
6 foot 4 175 pounds
redshirt sophomore
Oviedo,Fla.
Haggerty High School
Castaneda is a very athletic guard. Will benefit from redshirting last season. Averaged 16 points a game his senior season at Haggerty.
Pete's take: A very athletic guard that could help this team in the long run. Currently his
minutes are very limited.
Zach Ullian (#12)
Guard
6 foot 4 195 pounds
sophomore
Indianlantic,Fla.
Holy Trinity High School
Was on district champion Holy Trinity team in the 2013-14 season. Made it to the regional finals in both his junior and senior seasons. All time leading 3-point shooter at Holy Trinity. Had a school record seven in one game. Shot 47 percent from the 3-point line on the season. Had a career high 38 points against Father Lopez.
Pete's take: Good player who will have to pay his dues early
Injuries:
Marcus Camacho (#34)
Guard/Forward
6 foot 4 190 pounds
sophomore
Winter Springs High School
Camacho has a Jones fracture in the fifth metatarsal of the foot. He saw limited minutes last season. Word is he has improved a lot since last season With the injury and depth of this team going to be hard for him to find minutes.
Beduslkis had nothing but good things to say about Camacho:
"Marcus is the strongest guy in the weight room and has made a lot of progress as a shooter and a player overall. He also is a very funny guy off the court as well."
Alex Blessig (#3)
Guard
6 foot 2 181 pounds
senior
Berlin,Germany
Theodolinden Gymnasium
Blessig is the team's leading returning scorer. He was in the starting lineup for the first three games before dislocating his finger against Ave Maria. At halftime of that game the finger was numbed and had to be popped back into place. Blessig will be out four-six weeks.
He played in and started all 31 games for the Tars last year. He averaged 31 minutes a game. Put up 10.8 points a night, which was good for second on the team. Also averaged 3.4 assists a contest. Was the Tars top 3-point shooter and third in the conference shooting at a 43 percent clip from the 3-point line. Shot 82 percent at the foul line last season. Scored in double figures 14 times. Hit two free throws to seal upset win over then second ranked Florida Southern after tying it up with a jumper at the end of regulation on January 29th. Also shares the school record for three pointers made in one game.
Blessig will shift over to the two-guard sport from point guard this year. With playmakers like Ferrell, Koszuta and Clark on the team this season he will be able to play his natural position.
Pete's take: Was the engine that made the team go last season. When he played well offensively the Tars usually won. When he was quiet. They struggled offensively. Tough blow to this team but with the depth they have at guard they should be ok.
The Redshirts:
Blake Admire (#23)
Guard
6 foot 4 190 pounds
freshman
Mobile,Alabama
Spanish Fort High School
One of a pair of recruits from this year's freshman class.
Beduslkis had this to say about Admire in the early stages of his Tars career:
"Blake is getting better in practice every day. He is a quick, long and athletic guard. He provides great energy at both ends of the court."
Pete's take: Could be a solid player and should be in the long term. Good idea to redshirt him this season with all the depth this team has at the guard position.
Nils Lehmann (#42)
Center/Forward
6 foot 5 225 pounds
freshman
Kiel,Germany
Kieler Gelehrtenschule High School
Lehmann was a foreign exchange student who played at Winter Park High School. Could be a pleasant surprise for the Tars.
Bedulskis commented on Lehmann thus far:
"Nils is a strong shooter who plays solid defense and also rebounds very well. He will compete for playing time."
Klusman added his insight:
"Nils is a tough kid who will do anything you ask him to do."
Pete's take: The Tars usually know what they are doing when they collect big men. Let's hope this is another find. Guys like this are vital to a team that has struggled to rebound the last couple years.
James Ferrell (#11)
Guard
6 foot 2 175 pounds
senior
Winter Park,Fla.
Winter Park High School
Played in 27 games and may have been the Tars most improved player last season. Played 11.5 minutes a night. He averaged 2.7 points- 1.1 assists- and- 1.0 rebound per night. Shot 44 percent from the field and 75 percent from the free throw line. Had a career high nine points against Palm Beach Atlantic on January 22nd. Hit his only 3-point attempt and made all six free throws he tried.
Coach Tom Klusman has always been very complimentary of the former Winter Park star:
"James just knows how to play the game and play it the right way." Klusman said to RollinsSports.TV
Pete's take: Ferrell will be the floor general for this team. He has paid his dues. Probably has the best basketball IQ on the team.
Deion Clark (#1)
Guard
6 foot 3 200 pounds
junior
Naples,Fla.
Barron Collier High School
Played 3.5 minutes a game. Averaged 0.8 points and 0.6 rebounds for Old Dominion last year. Fits well into the Rollins rotation.
Mike Bedulskis gave some insight into Clark's game:
"Deion made a smooth transition to our team and may be one of our better players. He is a really patient, crafty guard with a smooth jumper."
Klusman gave Clark about the highest praise you can get:
"Deion is a great guy who knows how to play the game. He is one of the best players I have ever coached in all of the years I have been doing this."
Pete's take: Welcome addition to this Tars team and starting five.
Mike Bedulskis (#14)
Center
6 foot 9 220 pounds
junior
Vilnius,Lithuania
Phelps High School (Philly)
Bedulskis had a solid season a year ago. Is a transfer from UNC Asheville. Can use both hands around the basket. Is a very good offensive post player. Defensively will look to improve from last season after having a year to learn the principles of the Tars zone.
Beduslkis spoke to me about the time and effort he put into improving his game in the off-season.
"The three things I really wanted to work on were my overall conditioning and strength, shot selection, and passing.I just really wanted to be an overall better team player and develop a greater feel for the game," Bedulskis said.
Pete's take: Bedulskis will need to rebound well and have some big nights on both ends of the court. Will play heavy minutes much of the season which is one of the big reasons why he was so focused on improving his conditioning this off season.
Sharif Almulla (#0)
Guard/Forward
6 foot 3 175 pounds
senior
Orlando,Fla.
Timber Creek High School
One of the Tars premier shooters. Almulla has been slowed by injuries each of the last two seasons. He played in 17 games in the 2013-14 season. Averaged 2.6 points a night. Had a career high 12 points against Eckerd on February 8th. Returned for the SSC tournament and scored three points in the loss to Nova Southeastern.
Coach Klusman had positive things to tell RollinsSports.TV about Almulla:
Sharif gave us a spark in many games last season and I expect more of the same and he will play well this year,"Klusman said.
Pete's take: A Spark for the Tars when healthy last season. One of the better shooters on the squad. Will have to shoot the ball well for this team to be successful.
Jeff Merton (#44)
Forward
6 foot 5 215 pounds
sophomore
Naples,Fla.
Community School Of Naples
Merton made a strong case for SSC freshman of the year last season. He got better as the season went along. The sky is the limit for this extremely talented sophomore.
Klusman commented on Merton's freshman campaign:
"Jeff is a guy who got better game after game last year. We threw him in there right away as a freshman. We are expecting a big year out of him this season."
Pete's take: The fact that he started as a freshman tells you all you need to know about Merton. Has immense talent and could be one of the best ever in the history of the program when all is said and done.
The Bench:
Kyle Koszuta (#10)
Guard
6 foot 2 190 pounds
senior
Niceville,Fla.
Niceville High School
Another of the Tars many long distance threats. Battled injury for much of last season but bounced back nicely. Originally played at Louisiana Monroe before coming to Rollins.
Klusman commented on Koszuta:
"Kyle is a guy who only knows one speed and plays full speed all the time."
Pete's take: When his feet are set, he can really knock down the 3-ball. Also very good at getting in passing lanes on the defensive end.
Joey Galvis (#32)
Guard
6 foot 1 165 pounds
junior
Tampa,Fla.
Tampa Jesuit High School
Galvin got better as the season went on last year. He saw some minutes in conference action. He has made great strides since last season, Bedulskis says:
"I think Joey has made great strides since last season, and will help our team a lot this year. He is a lot more confident than he was last season." Beduslkis said.
Pete's take: Much improved from last season. Has a knack for getting in passing lanes at the right time. Also a solid shooter.
Daniel Loh (#22)
Center
6 foot 8 220 pounds
redshirt freshman
Oviedo,Fla.
Oviedo High School
Came aboard the Tars program last season. Did not begin practicing with the team until January.
Bedulskis commented on facing Loh in practice:
"Dan is a great teammate and guy to play against during practice.
"He makes me very hard at the defensive end especially in practice. We battle every day in practice and this makes us better."
He added this about Loh's game:
"Dan is a really talented big who competes in every practice and can do a lot of things on the court. Will be very helpful to us this year."
Pete's take: His shooting ability, size and active hands should really help this team.
Sam Philpott (#31)
Forward/Center
6 foot 7 200 pounds
redshirt sophomore
Noblesville,Indiana
Noblesville High School
Had a solid season last year after redshirting the year before. Very good rebounder and a good shooter when he gets a little bit of space.
"Sam is also a great teammate and guy who works real hard in practice. Sam is quick,active and can shoot the ball from three."Bedulskis said.
He added this as well:
"Sam is also stronger than he was last season and one of the more seasoned players on our team now."
Pete's take:Philpott will see his role expand from last season. He will play more minutes on this team, as he now has more experience. Will slide over to the center position a lot more than last season.
Jack Fleming(#4)
Forward
6 foot 6 205 pounds
junior
Tampa,Fla.
Tampa Jesuit High School
Fleming played in six games for Colgate last season. Had a career high three points in win over Binghamton on December 1st, after draining first career 3-pointer. Had first career assists against Navy on January 18th. Played a season high four minutes twice.
Pete's take: Fleming will add some much needed size to a team that is much smaller than usual this year. Battled injuries for much of the off-season. Worked very hard and was ready to go for the opener.
Eric Castaneda (#15)
Guard
6 foot 4 175 pounds
redshirt sophomore
Oviedo,Fla.
Haggerty High School
Castaneda is a very athletic guard. Will benefit from redshirting last season. Averaged 16 points a game his senior season at Haggerty.
Pete's take: A very athletic guard that could help this team in the long run. Currently his
minutes are very limited.
Zach Ullian (#12)
Guard
6 foot 4 195 pounds
sophomore
Indianlantic,Fla.
Holy Trinity High School
Was on district champion Holy Trinity team in the 2013-14 season. Made it to the regional finals in both his junior and senior seasons. All time leading 3-point shooter at Holy Trinity. Had a school record seven in one game. Shot 47 percent from the 3-point line on the season. Had a career high 38 points against Father Lopez.
Pete's take: Good player who will have to pay his dues early
Injuries:
Marcus Camacho (#34)
Guard/Forward
6 foot 4 190 pounds
sophomore
Winter Springs High School
Camacho has a Jones fracture in the fifth metatarsal of the foot. He saw limited minutes last season. Word is he has improved a lot since last season With the injury and depth of this team going to be hard for him to find minutes.
Beduslkis had nothing but good things to say about Camacho:
"Marcus is the strongest guy in the weight room and has made a lot of progress as a shooter and a player overall. He also is a very funny guy off the court as well."
Alex Blessig (#3)
Guard
6 foot 2 181 pounds
senior
Berlin,Germany
Theodolinden Gymnasium
Blessig is the team's leading returning scorer. He was in the starting lineup for the first three games before dislocating his finger against Ave Maria. At halftime of that game the finger was numbed and had to be popped back into place. Blessig will be out four-six weeks.
He played in and started all 31 games for the Tars last year. He averaged 31 minutes a game. Put up 10.8 points a night, which was good for second on the team. Also averaged 3.4 assists a contest. Was the Tars top 3-point shooter and third in the conference shooting at a 43 percent clip from the 3-point line. Shot 82 percent at the foul line last season. Scored in double figures 14 times. Hit two free throws to seal upset win over then second ranked Florida Southern after tying it up with a jumper at the end of regulation on January 29th. Also shares the school record for three pointers made in one game.
Blessig will shift over to the two-guard sport from point guard this year. With playmakers like Ferrell, Koszuta and Clark on the team this season he will be able to play his natural position.
Pete's take: Was the engine that made the team go last season. When he played well offensively the Tars usually won. When he was quiet. They struggled offensively. Tough blow to this team but with the depth they have at guard they should be ok.
The Redshirts:
Blake Admire (#23)
Guard
6 foot 4 190 pounds
freshman
Mobile,Alabama
Spanish Fort High School
One of a pair of recruits from this year's freshman class.
Beduslkis had this to say about Admire in the early stages of his Tars career:
"Blake is getting better in practice every day. He is a quick, long and athletic guard. He provides great energy at both ends of the court."
Pete's take: Could be a solid player and should be in the long term. Good idea to redshirt him this season with all the depth this team has at the guard position.
Nils Lehmann (#42)
Center/Forward
6 foot 5 225 pounds
freshman
Kiel,Germany
Kieler Gelehrtenschule High School
Lehmann was a foreign exchange student who played at Winter Park High School. Could be a pleasant surprise for the Tars.
Bedulskis commented on Lehmann thus far:
"Nils is a strong shooter who plays solid defense and also rebounds very well. He will compete for playing time."
Klusman added his insight:
"Nils is a tough kid who will do anything you ask him to do."
Pete's take: The Tars usually know what they are doing when they collect big men. Let's hope this is another find. Guys like this are vital to a team that has struggled to rebound the last couple years.
Friday, November 20, 2015
Tars Welcome Tampa For Conference Opener Saturday.
The Rollins Tars (4-0) will open Sunshine State Conference play when they welcome Tampa (1-2 0-1 SSC) to Warden Arena Saturday afternoon. As always you can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com and locally on 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park.
Wednesday night the Tars used a huge second half to propel them to a 78-57 win over Warner, a team they had lost three straight to. The Tars were led by Jeff Merton, who scored a career high 24 points in the victory after not scoring in the game's first 18 minutes. James Ferrell scored 11 points and added five rebounds in his first career start.
The Tars come into Saturday with a high octane offense. They come into the game averaging 91 points a night. Rollins is shooting 53 percent from the field and 42 percent from the 3-point line in the early season. The Tars are also shooting at a 86 percent clip from the free throw line.
The Tars have a pair of players averaging double figures thus far on the season. Merton is putting up 18.5 points a night- while Sharif Almulla is netting 13.3 a night. Ferrell is scoring 9.3 per game and has 13 assists in four contests. Mike Bedulskis has also been solid in the early season. He is scoring 8.5 per night and is grabbing 5.5 rebounds to lead the team.
The Spartans come in off a loss in there conference opener. The Spartans fell to Florida Tech 68-61 on Wednesday night. Freshman Pat Bacon scored a career high 25 points to lead Tampa in the defeat. Austin Rettig also scored in double figures with 12. Marcel Robinson just missed a double-double (nine points and 10 rebounds) in the loss.
Tampa comes into the contest averaging 66.7 points a game on offense and allowing 71 a night. They are shooting 38 percent from the floor and 26 percent from the 3-point line.
Three Spartans are averaging double figures this season. Bacon paces Tampa at 18 a game- while Rettig (11.7) and Zach Hollis (10.7) also are averaging double figures. The Spartans return eight players from last season's team.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsbooks.com
Other SSC lines:
Nova Southeastern +1.5@Saint Leo
Eckerd -6@Palm Beach Atlantic
Florida Southern +3@Lynn
Emby Riddle+2@Florida Tech
Note: Embry Riddle and Palm Beach Atlantic are both provisional members of the Sunshine State Conference. They play a home and home with each team in the conference but are not yet members.
Wednesday night the Tars used a huge second half to propel them to a 78-57 win over Warner, a team they had lost three straight to. The Tars were led by Jeff Merton, who scored a career high 24 points in the victory after not scoring in the game's first 18 minutes. James Ferrell scored 11 points and added five rebounds in his first career start.
The Tars come into Saturday with a high octane offense. They come into the game averaging 91 points a night. Rollins is shooting 53 percent from the field and 42 percent from the 3-point line in the early season. The Tars are also shooting at a 86 percent clip from the free throw line.
The Tars have a pair of players averaging double figures thus far on the season. Merton is putting up 18.5 points a night- while Sharif Almulla is netting 13.3 a night. Ferrell is scoring 9.3 per game and has 13 assists in four contests. Mike Bedulskis has also been solid in the early season. He is scoring 8.5 per night and is grabbing 5.5 rebounds to lead the team.
The Spartans come in off a loss in there conference opener. The Spartans fell to Florida Tech 68-61 on Wednesday night. Freshman Pat Bacon scored a career high 25 points to lead Tampa in the defeat. Austin Rettig also scored in double figures with 12. Marcel Robinson just missed a double-double (nine points and 10 rebounds) in the loss.
Tampa comes into the contest averaging 66.7 points a game on offense and allowing 71 a night. They are shooting 38 percent from the floor and 26 percent from the 3-point line.
Three Spartans are averaging double figures this season. Bacon paces Tampa at 18 a game- while Rettig (11.7) and Zach Hollis (10.7) also are averaging double figures. The Spartans return eight players from last season's team.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsbooks.com
Other SSC lines:
Nova Southeastern +1.5@Saint Leo
Eckerd -6@Palm Beach Atlantic
Florida Southern +3@Lynn
Emby Riddle+2@Florida Tech
Note: Embry Riddle and Palm Beach Atlantic are both provisional members of the Sunshine State Conference. They play a home and home with each team in the conference but are not yet members.
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Exercising Some Demons. Tars Stave off Pesky Royals.
The Rollins Tars improved to 4-0 on the season with a 78-57 win over the Warner Royals Wednesday night. The Royals fell to 4-2. With the win the Tars snapped a four game losing streak against Warner.
Once again the Tars used a balanced attack to get the win. 11 of the 12 Tars who saw action scored. A pair of Tars scored in double figures. Jeff Merton scored a career high 24 points after not scoring a point in the game's first 18 minutes. The sophomore from Naples added six rebounds- James Ferrell got his first career start for the injured Alex Blessig (out 4-6 weeks with a broken finger.) Ferrell responded with 11 points. The senior from Winter Park High School added five rebounds- a pair of assists and three steals. The Tars shot 51 percent as a team in the win. They shot 42 percent (10-24) from the 3-point line. Rollins continued to be solid at the free throw line, where they shot 76 percent (22-29.) The Tars won the rebounding battle 36-29. They had 12 assists and 14 turnovers.
The Royals also had a pair of players score in double figures. Warren Hall paced the Royals with 20 points. He would add seven rebounds and three assists. Anontio Ansley would drain five 3-pointer's en route to his 15 points. The Royals shot 38 percent in the loss. They struggled from the 3-point line where they shot 29 percent (10-34.) Warner shot at a 63 percent clip (5-8) from the free throw line. The Royals had 11 assists and 16 turnovers.
The first half was very tightly contested. The Royals would take a 14-8 lead after Hall hit a 3-pointer at the 13:42 mark. The Tars would have an answer though. They would go on a 9-2 run capped by a Jack Fleming 3-pointer that gave them a 17-16 lead at the 12:04 mark.
Rollins would stretch the lead to six before Warner would answer. The Royals would take a one-point lead with a little over a minute left in the half. The Tars would get the lead back on a Merton 3-pointer with 29 seconds, that would give them a two point lead (36-34) at the half.
The Tars would come out in the second half and stretch the lead to 11 after a Ferrell put back at the 14:55 mark. The lead would grow to 22 and the Tars would coast to a fourth straight win.
Rollins will be back in action Saturday when they conclude the three game home stand with the first game of conference action. The Tars will welcome Tampa to Warden Arena. Tip time is set for 4 PM. You can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com and locally on 91.5 FM WPRK.
Once again the Tars used a balanced attack to get the win. 11 of the 12 Tars who saw action scored. A pair of Tars scored in double figures. Jeff Merton scored a career high 24 points after not scoring a point in the game's first 18 minutes. The sophomore from Naples added six rebounds- James Ferrell got his first career start for the injured Alex Blessig (out 4-6 weeks with a broken finger.) Ferrell responded with 11 points. The senior from Winter Park High School added five rebounds- a pair of assists and three steals. The Tars shot 51 percent as a team in the win. They shot 42 percent (10-24) from the 3-point line. Rollins continued to be solid at the free throw line, where they shot 76 percent (22-29.) The Tars won the rebounding battle 36-29. They had 12 assists and 14 turnovers.
The Royals also had a pair of players score in double figures. Warren Hall paced the Royals with 20 points. He would add seven rebounds and three assists. Anontio Ansley would drain five 3-pointer's en route to his 15 points. The Royals shot 38 percent in the loss. They struggled from the 3-point line where they shot 29 percent (10-34.) Warner shot at a 63 percent clip (5-8) from the free throw line. The Royals had 11 assists and 16 turnovers.
The first half was very tightly contested. The Royals would take a 14-8 lead after Hall hit a 3-pointer at the 13:42 mark. The Tars would have an answer though. They would go on a 9-2 run capped by a Jack Fleming 3-pointer that gave them a 17-16 lead at the 12:04 mark.
Rollins would stretch the lead to six before Warner would answer. The Royals would take a one-point lead with a little over a minute left in the half. The Tars would get the lead back on a Merton 3-pointer with 29 seconds, that would give them a two point lead (36-34) at the half.
The Tars would come out in the second half and stretch the lead to 11 after a Ferrell put back at the 14:55 mark. The lead would grow to 22 and the Tars would coast to a fourth straight win.
Rollins will be back in action Saturday when they conclude the three game home stand with the first game of conference action. The Tars will welcome Tampa to Warden Arena. Tip time is set for 4 PM. You can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com and locally on 91.5 FM WPRK.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Tars Look To Pay Back Warner.
The Rollins Tars will be right back at it Wednesday as they will play there second game in a 24 hour span. Warner University will come to Warden Arena for a 6 PM tip. The Royals have spoiled the home opener for the Tars each of the last two seasons. As always you can catch the game on the Geico Tars Sports Network at 91.5 FM WPRK WinterPark and worldwide at RollinsSports.com
The Tars are coming off a 100-51 victory over Ave Maria on Tuesday. Sam Philpott (17) Joey Galvis (nine) and Mike Bedulskis (14) all had career best in the victory. Sharif Almulla (10 points) and Jeff Merton (19) each have scored in double figures in all three contests. The first game being a 95-87 win over Paine and the second a 91-67 win over Clark-Atlanta in the SSC/SIAC crossover. All 13 Rollins players who have played have scored in each of the last two games.
Warner (4-1) is coming off a big 75-72 win over DI Florida Atlantic. Royals coach Sean Hanrahan is very familiar with the Rollins program having been an assistant on the staff in the early 2000s. The Royals are picked to finish third in the preseason poll of the Sun Conference. The Royals return four of their top six scorers who came into Warden Arena and defeated the Tars last season. The lone loss was 82-80 to Embry Riddle on Saturday. Three Royals average double figures in the early season. Warren Hall paces the Royals at 18.3 points per game. He is the reigning Sun Conference Player Of The Week. Eddie Dellegal is putting up 16.8 points a night- while Ansley Antonio is scoring 13 per contest.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com:
Rollins by 3.5
The Tars are coming off a 100-51 victory over Ave Maria on Tuesday. Sam Philpott (17) Joey Galvis (nine) and Mike Bedulskis (14) all had career best in the victory. Sharif Almulla (10 points) and Jeff Merton (19) each have scored in double figures in all three contests. The first game being a 95-87 win over Paine and the second a 91-67 win over Clark-Atlanta in the SSC/SIAC crossover. All 13 Rollins players who have played have scored in each of the last two games.
Warner (4-1) is coming off a big 75-72 win over DI Florida Atlantic. Royals coach Sean Hanrahan is very familiar with the Rollins program having been an assistant on the staff in the early 2000s. The Royals are picked to finish third in the preseason poll of the Sun Conference. The Royals return four of their top six scorers who came into Warden Arena and defeated the Tars last season. The lone loss was 82-80 to Embry Riddle on Saturday. Three Royals average double figures in the early season. Warren Hall paces the Royals at 18.3 points per game. He is the reigning Sun Conference Player Of The Week. Eddie Dellegal is putting up 16.8 points a night- while Ansley Antonio is scoring 13 per contest.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com:
Rollins by 3.5
Carry Over Effect. Tars Continue To Roll In Home Opener.
Sans a three minute stretch to begin the home opener the Rollins Tars continued what has been a hot start to the season with a 100-51 pounding of Ave Marie Tuesday.The Tars scored 90+ points for the third straight game. They hit the century mark for the first time since a 112-68 win over Puerto Rico Cayey on November 20,2008. With the win the Tars improved to 3-0 on the year, while the Gyrenes fell to 0-5 thus far.
For the second consecutive game all 13 players that saw action for the Tars scored. Jeff Merton led the way with 19 points in 24 minutes. Sam Philpott enjoyed his best night as a Tar on Tuesday. Philpott scored 17 points and did not miss a shot in 14 minutes of acton. He was five of five from the field and six of six at the free throw line. Philpott was not the only Tar who enjoyed a career night. Mike Bedulskis had a career best 14, while Joey Galvis added a personal best nine. Sharif Almulla also scored in double figures with 10 points in just 13 minutes of action. The Tars shot a blistering 64 percent as a team. They shot 44 percent (11-25) from the 3-point line. Rollins shot at a 88 percent clip (21-24) at the free throw line. They won the rebounding battle 33-20. The Tars had 17 assists and 15 turnovers on the night. The only real negative for the Tars in this one was Alex Blessig dislocating his finger in the first half. His status for tomorrow's game is unknown.
The Gyrenes were led by Martez Harris who led all scorers with 23 points. Johnny Minervo added 11, while Exor Torres chipped in eight. Ultimately the Tars size and athleticsm was to much for Ave Maria. The Gyrenes shot 33 percent from the floor in the loss. They went six of 22 (27 percent) from the 3-point line. They shot 92 percent (11-12) at the free throw line. The Gyrenes had nine assists and turned it over 24 times.
The Tars got off to a sluggish start as neither team would score in the game's first two minutes. The Tars had five turnovers at the first media timeout. The first ten minutes of the game would be played fairly even as the Tars would have a three point lead. After a 13-0 run over the next three minutes the Tars would lead 35-19 after a steal and basket by Jack Fleming at the 6:15 mark. The Tars would stretch the lead to as many as 18 but would ultimately take a 47-31 halftime lead.
The second half was all Tars. The Tars would outscore the Gyrenes 53-20 in the second half. For the second straight game the Gyrenes would not have enough firepower to hang with there opponent after the intermission. The Tars shot an incredible 73 percent from the floor in the second half.
Rollins will be back in action tomorrow when they welcome old friend Sean Hannrahan and his Warner Royals to Warden Arena. Tip time is set for 6 PM. You can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.TV and locally on 91.5 FM WPRK.
For the second consecutive game all 13 players that saw action for the Tars scored. Jeff Merton led the way with 19 points in 24 minutes. Sam Philpott enjoyed his best night as a Tar on Tuesday. Philpott scored 17 points and did not miss a shot in 14 minutes of acton. He was five of five from the field and six of six at the free throw line. Philpott was not the only Tar who enjoyed a career night. Mike Bedulskis had a career best 14, while Joey Galvis added a personal best nine. Sharif Almulla also scored in double figures with 10 points in just 13 minutes of action. The Tars shot a blistering 64 percent as a team. They shot 44 percent (11-25) from the 3-point line. Rollins shot at a 88 percent clip (21-24) at the free throw line. They won the rebounding battle 33-20. The Tars had 17 assists and 15 turnovers on the night. The only real negative for the Tars in this one was Alex Blessig dislocating his finger in the first half. His status for tomorrow's game is unknown.
The Gyrenes were led by Martez Harris who led all scorers with 23 points. Johnny Minervo added 11, while Exor Torres chipped in eight. Ultimately the Tars size and athleticsm was to much for Ave Maria. The Gyrenes shot 33 percent from the floor in the loss. They went six of 22 (27 percent) from the 3-point line. They shot 92 percent (11-12) at the free throw line. The Gyrenes had nine assists and turned it over 24 times.
The Tars got off to a sluggish start as neither team would score in the game's first two minutes. The Tars had five turnovers at the first media timeout. The first ten minutes of the game would be played fairly even as the Tars would have a three point lead. After a 13-0 run over the next three minutes the Tars would lead 35-19 after a steal and basket by Jack Fleming at the 6:15 mark. The Tars would stretch the lead to as many as 18 but would ultimately take a 47-31 halftime lead.
The second half was all Tars. The Tars would outscore the Gyrenes 53-20 in the second half. For the second straight game the Gyrenes would not have enough firepower to hang with there opponent after the intermission. The Tars shot an incredible 73 percent from the floor in the second half.
Rollins will be back in action tomorrow when they welcome old friend Sean Hannrahan and his Warner Royals to Warden Arena. Tip time is set for 6 PM. You can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.TV and locally on 91.5 FM WPRK.
Monday, November 16, 2015
Tars Welcome Ave Maria For Home Opener Tuesday.
The Rollins Tars (2-0) welcome Ave Maria for the home opener Tuesday at Warden Arena. The Gyrenes come in with a record of 0-4.
Last time out the Tars saw all 13 players find the scoring column in a 91-67 drubbing of Clark-Atlanta. This came a day after a win over Paine in the opener. Through two games the Tars are putting up 93 points a contest. They also are shooting 49 percent from the 3-point line and over 90 percent at the free throw line.
Sharif Almulla leads the Tars after two games at 19.5 points a contest. Jeff Merton is scoring 15.5 per night- while Alex Blessig is putting up 13.5 a contest. The last of the double digit scorers is James Ferrell at 11 points a game.
The Gyrenes come in off a 84-52 loss to Lynn the last time out. Martel Harris had 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the way. Exxon Torres scored nine in the loss. The Gyrenes shot 26 percent and turned the ball over 16 times.
Last season Ave Maria went 11-19 on the year. They were just 4-14 in conference play. The squad only allowed 58 points a night a year ago.
As always you can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.TV and locally on 91.5 FM WPRK.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsbooks.com:
Rollins by 25.5
Last time out the Tars saw all 13 players find the scoring column in a 91-67 drubbing of Clark-Atlanta. This came a day after a win over Paine in the opener. Through two games the Tars are putting up 93 points a contest. They also are shooting 49 percent from the 3-point line and over 90 percent at the free throw line.
Sharif Almulla leads the Tars after two games at 19.5 points a contest. Jeff Merton is scoring 15.5 per night- while Alex Blessig is putting up 13.5 a contest. The last of the double digit scorers is James Ferrell at 11 points a game.
The Gyrenes come in off a 84-52 loss to Lynn the last time out. Martel Harris had 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the way. Exxon Torres scored nine in the loss. The Gyrenes shot 26 percent and turned the ball over 16 times.
Last season Ave Maria went 11-19 on the year. They were just 4-14 in conference play. The squad only allowed 58 points a night a year ago.
As always you can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.TV and locally on 91.5 FM WPRK.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsbooks.com:
Rollins by 25.5
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Everybody Has A Hand In Tars Pasting of Clark-Atlanta.
All 13 Rollins Tars who saw action scored in a 91-67 drubbing of Clark-Atlanta in game two of the SSC/SIAC crossover hosted by Florida Tech Saturday. With the win the Tars improved to 2-0 for the second straight year. With the loss the Panthers fell to 0-2.
The Tars had three players score in double figures in the victory. Jeff Merton scored in double digits for the second consecutive game putting up 17 points. Sharif Almulla did the same, follwing up his career high 24 points with a 14 point performance Saturday. Deion Clark had a very efficient day in just his second game with the Tars. The transfer from Old Dominion scored 14 points on seven of nine shooting. The Tars shot 51 percent in the win. They shot 48 percent (11-23) from the 3-point line. They were a perfect 12 of 12 at the free throw line. The Tars won the rebounding battle 38-33.
They had 14 assists and 17 turnovers.
The Panthers were led by James Arnold with 24 points. Damien Enoch scored 13- while Eneh Chuka scored seven. The Panthers shot 39 percent as a team in this one. They shot 35 percent (7-20) from the 3-point line. They shot 67 percent (18-27) at the free throw line. The Panthers had almost twice as many turnovers (22) as assists (12.)
It was Clark-Atlanta who controlled play for much of the first half. The Panthers would lead for most of the opening half. It would take a 12-4 Rollins run capped by a Kyle Koszuta 3-pointer with eight seconds in the half that would give Rollins a 39-35 halftime lead.
The Tars took control in the second stanza. The lead grew to 14 on a Almulla lay up at the 16:32 mark of the contest. The Panthers would cut it to nine with 12:05 to go but that is as close as they would get.
The Tars will return home for the home opener Tuesday evening when they take on Ave Marie. Tip time is scheduled for 6 PM at Warden Arena. You can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at 91.5 FM Winter Park and worldwide at RollinsSports.TV
The Tars had three players score in double figures in the victory. Jeff Merton scored in double digits for the second consecutive game putting up 17 points. Sharif Almulla did the same, follwing up his career high 24 points with a 14 point performance Saturday. Deion Clark had a very efficient day in just his second game with the Tars. The transfer from Old Dominion scored 14 points on seven of nine shooting. The Tars shot 51 percent in the win. They shot 48 percent (11-23) from the 3-point line. They were a perfect 12 of 12 at the free throw line. The Tars won the rebounding battle 38-33.
They had 14 assists and 17 turnovers.
The Panthers were led by James Arnold with 24 points. Damien Enoch scored 13- while Eneh Chuka scored seven. The Panthers shot 39 percent as a team in this one. They shot 35 percent (7-20) from the 3-point line. They shot 67 percent (18-27) at the free throw line. The Panthers had almost twice as many turnovers (22) as assists (12.)
It was Clark-Atlanta who controlled play for much of the first half. The Panthers would lead for most of the opening half. It would take a 12-4 Rollins run capped by a Kyle Koszuta 3-pointer with eight seconds in the half that would give Rollins a 39-35 halftime lead.
The Tars took control in the second stanza. The lead grew to 14 on a Almulla lay up at the 16:32 mark of the contest. The Panthers would cut it to nine with 12:05 to go but that is as close as they would get.
The Tars will return home for the home opener Tuesday evening when they take on Ave Marie. Tip time is scheduled for 6 PM at Warden Arena. You can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at 91.5 FM Winter Park and worldwide at RollinsSports.TV
Friday, November 13, 2015
Rollins Battles Clark Atlanta To Close Out SSC/SIAC Crossover
The Rollins Tars will battle Clark-Atlanta Saturday in the finale for both teams of this season's SSC/SIAC crossover hosted by Florida Tech. The Tars will look to sweep the event and start 2-0 for the second consecutive year. While Clark-Atlanta will look to even there season record at 1-1.
The Tars (1-0) got a 95-87 win in the opener on Friday night behind a career high 24 points from Sharif Almulla. Alex Blessig scored 18- while James Ferrell and Jeff Merton added 14 in the victory. Blessing, Merton and Almulla are all coming up season's in which they averaged double figures. The Tars played a solid offensive game shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 88.2 percent at the foul line. The one area the Tars will have to clean up is the 25 miscues they had in the opening win. They also held Paine to below 40 percent shooting, including 28 percent from the 3-point line. The Tars defeated Clark-Atlanta 80-76 in last season's SSC-SIAC crossover that Clark-Atlanta hosted.
The Panthers (0-1) were picked to finish fifth in the SIAC preseason this year. Cornell Barnett was selected to be on the all the all SIAC team. Barnett (15.2 PPG) and Derek Harper (11.8 a night) return for the Panthers.
Clark-Atlanta was a 94-88 loser to host Florida Tech on Friday night. Four Panthers scored in double figures in the loss. Damien Enoch led the way with 23 points- James Arnold had 22- Harper had 15- while Derrick Herbert had 10. Barnett was held to six in the loss. The Panthers shot 41 percent from the field in the loss. They went just six of 21 from the 3-point line.
As always you can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network on 91.5 FM WPRK and worldwide at RollinsSports.TV. Jim "Shooter" Ferro and Robert Siegel will have the call. Tip time on Saturday is set for 2 PM.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsbooks.com: Rollins by 8
The Tars (1-0) got a 95-87 win in the opener on Friday night behind a career high 24 points from Sharif Almulla. Alex Blessig scored 18- while James Ferrell and Jeff Merton added 14 in the victory. Blessing, Merton and Almulla are all coming up season's in which they averaged double figures. The Tars played a solid offensive game shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 88.2 percent at the foul line. The one area the Tars will have to clean up is the 25 miscues they had in the opening win. They also held Paine to below 40 percent shooting, including 28 percent from the 3-point line. The Tars defeated Clark-Atlanta 80-76 in last season's SSC-SIAC crossover that Clark-Atlanta hosted.
The Panthers (0-1) were picked to finish fifth in the SIAC preseason this year. Cornell Barnett was selected to be on the all the all SIAC team. Barnett (15.2 PPG) and Derek Harper (11.8 a night) return for the Panthers.
Clark-Atlanta was a 94-88 loser to host Florida Tech on Friday night. Four Panthers scored in double figures in the loss. Damien Enoch led the way with 23 points- James Arnold had 22- Harper had 15- while Derrick Herbert had 10. Barnett was held to six in the loss. The Panthers shot 41 percent from the field in the loss. They went just six of 21 from the 3-point line.
As always you can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network on 91.5 FM WPRK and worldwide at RollinsSports.TV. Jim "Shooter" Ferro and Robert Siegel will have the call. Tip time on Saturday is set for 2 PM.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsbooks.com: Rollins by 8
Balanced Attacks Lifts Tars Past Paine In Opener.
For Tom Klusman and the Rollins College Tars it was a welcome sight to see a team that struggled so much on the offensive end a season ago scoring at will to open the 2015-16 season. The Tars would hang on for a 95-87 win over the Paine Lions in the opening game of the SSC/SIAC crossover. It was the second consecutive year the Tars knocked off Paine opening weekend.
Rollins (1-0) was led by four players in double figures. Sharif Almulla paced the Tars with a career high 24 points- the junior from Timber Creek High School went seven of 14 from the field- including four of seven from the 3-point line. Almulla was a perfect six of six at the free throw line. He also had six rebounds. Alex Blessig picked up where he left off last season. The senior had 18 points- four rebounds- and four assists. Sophomore sensation Jeff Merton added 14 points and seven rebounds- while James Ferrell added 14 to go along with a team high six assists.
The Tars shot 47 percent from the field in the win. They shot 33 percent (8-24) from the 3-point line. The Tars also were solid at the free throw line, where they shot at a 88 percent clip (37-42) on the day. The Tars had 18 assists and turned the ball over 25 times.
The Lions (0-1) were led by four players in double figures as well. Denzell Dillingham scored 21 points to lead the way. He did not shoot the ball well though. Dillingham was seven of 21 from the field, including six of 17 from the 3-point line. He was also one of three at the foul line. Yusef Riley
and Kaderious Compton each chipped in 11. Patrick Petty added 10 points, six assists and five rebounds. Paine shot 39.5 percent from the field in the loss. They struggled from the 3-point line, where they shot 28 percent (10-36) on the day. As well as at the free throw line where they shot 68 percent (17-25.) Paine edged the Tars on the boards 42-41. They had 14 assists and 16 turnovers.
It was the Tars who got out of the gates quickly in this one. Merton would give them a double digit lead just over eight minutes in. The Tars would open up a 14 point lead (25-11) after a Mike Bedulskis layup with just 9:24 to go in the opening half.
The Lions would come roaring back with a 17-4 run of their own to cut the Tar lead to one (29-28) after a Dillingham 3-pointer with 3:51 to go. After a little back and forth action, Dillingham would nail another 3-pointer to tie the game with a little over a minute to go in the half. The Tars would rattle off the next six points to take a 45-39 lead into the locker room.
The Tars would stretch the lead to 11 in the early stages of the second half after a pair of Bedulskis free throws. Paine would once again have an answer. This time it was a 12-0 spurt that would give the Lions a 58-57 lead with 12:56 to go.
The game would go back and forth for the next several minutes until the Tars took the lead for good after four Ferrell free throws at the 7:35 mark. Ferrell was fouled, making both, and then Petty was hit with a technical as well. The Lions would get within one with 3:35 to go, but that is as close as they would get.
The Tars will be back in action Saturday for day two of the SSC/SIAC crossover hosted by Florida Tech. This time a 2 PM tip against Clark-Atlanta. Florida Tech and Paine will follow. You can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com and locally on 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park.
Rollins (1-0) was led by four players in double figures. Sharif Almulla paced the Tars with a career high 24 points- the junior from Timber Creek High School went seven of 14 from the field- including four of seven from the 3-point line. Almulla was a perfect six of six at the free throw line. He also had six rebounds. Alex Blessig picked up where he left off last season. The senior had 18 points- four rebounds- and four assists. Sophomore sensation Jeff Merton added 14 points and seven rebounds- while James Ferrell added 14 to go along with a team high six assists.
The Tars shot 47 percent from the field in the win. They shot 33 percent (8-24) from the 3-point line. The Tars also were solid at the free throw line, where they shot at a 88 percent clip (37-42) on the day. The Tars had 18 assists and turned the ball over 25 times.
The Lions (0-1) were led by four players in double figures as well. Denzell Dillingham scored 21 points to lead the way. He did not shoot the ball well though. Dillingham was seven of 21 from the field, including six of 17 from the 3-point line. He was also one of three at the foul line. Yusef Riley
and Kaderious Compton each chipped in 11. Patrick Petty added 10 points, six assists and five rebounds. Paine shot 39.5 percent from the field in the loss. They struggled from the 3-point line, where they shot 28 percent (10-36) on the day. As well as at the free throw line where they shot 68 percent (17-25.) Paine edged the Tars on the boards 42-41. They had 14 assists and 16 turnovers.
It was the Tars who got out of the gates quickly in this one. Merton would give them a double digit lead just over eight minutes in. The Tars would open up a 14 point lead (25-11) after a Mike Bedulskis layup with just 9:24 to go in the opening half.
The Lions would come roaring back with a 17-4 run of their own to cut the Tar lead to one (29-28) after a Dillingham 3-pointer with 3:51 to go. After a little back and forth action, Dillingham would nail another 3-pointer to tie the game with a little over a minute to go in the half. The Tars would rattle off the next six points to take a 45-39 lead into the locker room.
The Tars would stretch the lead to 11 in the early stages of the second half after a pair of Bedulskis free throws. Paine would once again have an answer. This time it was a 12-0 spurt that would give the Lions a 58-57 lead with 12:56 to go.
The game would go back and forth for the next several minutes until the Tars took the lead for good after four Ferrell free throws at the 7:35 mark. Ferrell was fouled, making both, and then Petty was hit with a technical as well. The Lions would get within one with 3:35 to go, but that is as close as they would get.
The Tars will be back in action Saturday for day two of the SSC/SIAC crossover hosted by Florida Tech. This time a 2 PM tip against Clark-Atlanta. Florida Tech and Paine will follow. You can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com and locally on 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Tars Battle Paine To Kick Off 2015-16 season Friday.
The Rollins Tars battle Paine Friday in the opener for both teams. The game will be part of the SSC/SIAC crossover for the second consecutive year. The Tars knocked off Clark-Atlanta before defeating Paine last year. Last season's event was hosted by Clark-Atlanta. This season it will be Florida Tech that will be the host. The Panthers will take on Clark-Atlanta in the nightcap at 7 PM Friday, before they battle Paine in a Saturday matinee. The Tars will face Paine Friday at 4:30 PM in the first game, before battling Clark-Atlanta in the opener at 2 PM Saturday at the Clemente Center.
You can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network on 91.5 FM WPRK and worldwide at RollinsSports.com.
The Tars return seven letter winners from a season ago. They will add five newcomers to the roster. The three top scorers from last season return for Rollins. Alex Blessig (11.8 PPG,) Jeff Merton (11.1 PPG,) and Sharif Almulla (10 points per contest) return.)
Three redshirt freshman will debut for the Tars. Eric Castaneda, Marcus Camacho and Zach Ullian. As well as a pair of DI transfers will be newcomers. Deion Clark, a transfer from Old Dominion, as well as Jack Fleming (a Colgate transfer.) Tom Klusman will begin his 36th season as the Tars head coach, compiling a record of 632-373. He is currently fifth among active DII coaches in wins.
Paine comes into the contest picked to finish second in the SIAC. The Lions are led by Preseason SIAC Player Of The Year Denzel Dillingham. He is coming off a season in which averaged 21 points a night and shot at a 45 percent clip from the 3-point line. The Lions went 23-6 a season ago, including 17-2 in SIAC play. Arnis Libasz also returns for the Lions. He averaged 13.4 points and 7.4 rebounds a night last season.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsbooks.com:
Rollins by 7.5
You can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network on 91.5 FM WPRK and worldwide at RollinsSports.com.
The Tars return seven letter winners from a season ago. They will add five newcomers to the roster. The three top scorers from last season return for Rollins. Alex Blessig (11.8 PPG,) Jeff Merton (11.1 PPG,) and Sharif Almulla (10 points per contest) return.)
Three redshirt freshman will debut for the Tars. Eric Castaneda, Marcus Camacho and Zach Ullian. As well as a pair of DI transfers will be newcomers. Deion Clark, a transfer from Old Dominion, as well as Jack Fleming (a Colgate transfer.) Tom Klusman will begin his 36th season as the Tars head coach, compiling a record of 632-373. He is currently fifth among active DII coaches in wins.
Paine comes into the contest picked to finish second in the SIAC. The Lions are led by Preseason SIAC Player Of The Year Denzel Dillingham. He is coming off a season in which averaged 21 points a night and shot at a 45 percent clip from the 3-point line. The Lions went 23-6 a season ago, including 17-2 in SIAC play. Arnis Libasz also returns for the Lions. He averaged 13.4 points and 7.4 rebounds a night last season.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsbooks.com:
Rollins by 7.5
Monday, October 12, 2015
Where Are They Now: John Thinnes Looks Back Fondly On His Days At Rollins
John Thinnes (pronounced Tennis) was never a flashy guy, just a solid role player. It should not come as a surprise to anyone who knew him that Thinnes improved so much from his freshman year to his senior year at Rollins. He had some highs and low's in his playing career. His freshman year Thinnes did not see the floor very often but he was part of the greatest Rollins basketball team of all-time. Those Tars went all the way to the Elite Eight in 2003. Sophomore year was a disappointing one for Thinnes and many of his Tars teammates. So many close games, so many tough losses. Way to many of them in overtime.
Thinnes reflected on some of the growing pains of that sophomore year:
"The first two years I did not play that much. Sophomore year was really tough when we lost all those close games, the overtime ones were especially hard to take."
Thinnes added:
"We grew the off-season after my sophomore year though. We did a lot of bonding. The fact that we had to get up and practice at 5 AM just motivated us even more."
Thinnes always speaks fondly of his decision to go to Rollins:
"Best decision I ever made, to go to Rollins for school."
Coach Klusman being from Cincinnati certainly helped (Thinnes was from Cincinnati Lasalle High School.)
Scott Martin played a big part as well. Martin was the coach at Cincinnati St.Xavier at the time and was the one who told The Rollins coaching staff about Thinnes.
Thinnes currently lives in Orlando with his wife and his two year old daughter Emma. His family lives in Cincinnati. John also has another brother who is 28 years old and married.
John Thinnes currently works for the Boghdan group which is an investment consulting firm. Thinnes is in charge of people at this company, which is similar to Deprince, Race and Zollo. He picks managers, manages assets, and has DRZ buying stocks and bonds from him. The majority owner of the Boghdan group is Mike Walker, who was a college roommate of former Rollins player and current assistant coach Brad Ash.
Although he still enjoys playing basketball, Thinnes has very little time to do so these days. He commented on how great his connections to Rollins are:
" It is always great to see the guys when I do. We got together for both the five and ten year anniversary of the Elite Eight team."
"One of my better friends is Jonny Reibel. He now lives in Chicago, but whenever he comes to Orlando he stays with me."
"So the connections from Rollins are great. From the connections to Cincinnati, to playing AAU ball with old teammates like John Smith. All the time I used to spend playing ball with Nate Rusbosin, Matt Williams and Brian Casey. To the internship at DRZ that allowed me to work at a place like the Boghdan group was always so much fun. I know anytime I need any advice whatever it may be for I have a great support system at Rollins."
If you left John Thinnes open for a 3-pointer at the top of the key, even having not played much basketball since he stopped playing at Rollins, I can almost assure you he would "knock it down" for you.
Thinnes reflected on some of the growing pains of that sophomore year:
"The first two years I did not play that much. Sophomore year was really tough when we lost all those close games, the overtime ones were especially hard to take."
Thinnes added:
"We grew the off-season after my sophomore year though. We did a lot of bonding. The fact that we had to get up and practice at 5 AM just motivated us even more."
Thinnes always speaks fondly of his decision to go to Rollins:
"Best decision I ever made, to go to Rollins for school."
Coach Klusman being from Cincinnati certainly helped (Thinnes was from Cincinnati Lasalle High School.)
Scott Martin played a big part as well. Martin was the coach at Cincinnati St.Xavier at the time and was the one who told The Rollins coaching staff about Thinnes.
Thinnes currently lives in Orlando with his wife and his two year old daughter Emma. His family lives in Cincinnati. John also has another brother who is 28 years old and married.
John Thinnes currently works for the Boghdan group which is an investment consulting firm. Thinnes is in charge of people at this company, which is similar to Deprince, Race and Zollo. He picks managers, manages assets, and has DRZ buying stocks and bonds from him. The majority owner of the Boghdan group is Mike Walker, who was a college roommate of former Rollins player and current assistant coach Brad Ash.
Although he still enjoys playing basketball, Thinnes has very little time to do so these days. He commented on how great his connections to Rollins are:
" It is always great to see the guys when I do. We got together for both the five and ten year anniversary of the Elite Eight team."
"One of my better friends is Jonny Reibel. He now lives in Chicago, but whenever he comes to Orlando he stays with me."
"So the connections from Rollins are great. From the connections to Cincinnati, to playing AAU ball with old teammates like John Smith. All the time I used to spend playing ball with Nate Rusbosin, Matt Williams and Brian Casey. To the internship at DRZ that allowed me to work at a place like the Boghdan group was always so much fun. I know anytime I need any advice whatever it may be for I have a great support system at Rollins."
If you left John Thinnes open for a 3-pointer at the top of the key, even having not played much basketball since he stopped playing at Rollins, I can almost assure you he would "knock it down" for you.
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Tar Nation Mourns The Loss Of Chris Uhle.
Chris Uhle had just graduated from Rollins College after last basketball season and was getting ready to start his pro career in the Japanese basketball league with the Saitama Broncos. Tragically the Ocala native passed away this morning at the age of 22. He passed away suddenly in Atlanta while preparing for his pro career.
Uhle played in every game but one in his four seasons at Rollins. The man affectionately known as "Big Fella" to his teammates is the Tars all team leader in blocked shots.
Coach Tom Klusman had this to say about Uhle:
" Chris was one of the absolute best kids I have come across in 35 years of coaching. My heart goes out to his parents Alisa and Craig and their entire family. This news hit our team very hard and we are rallying around each other right now. The coaching staff and team are thankful to everyone who has reached out. To say that Chris will be missed is a big understatement.
Former teammate Brett Chance agreed with Klusman and took to social networking to do so:
" Chris Uhle R.I.P to a great teammate, friend and overall great person. You will be deeply missed. Rest Easy my brother. Thoughts and prayers are with your family.
Jeff Dirkin was at a loss for words as many of us are:
" There are no words right now. I wish I could have told him I loved him. The nicest guy I know. My thoughts and prayers are with your family and I hope they know what an incredible young man he is.
A vigil will be held on the Rollins campus in the coming weeks. More info to come when available.
Uhle played in every game but one in his four seasons at Rollins. The man affectionately known as "Big Fella" to his teammates is the Tars all team leader in blocked shots.
Coach Tom Klusman had this to say about Uhle:
" Chris was one of the absolute best kids I have come across in 35 years of coaching. My heart goes out to his parents Alisa and Craig and their entire family. This news hit our team very hard and we are rallying around each other right now. The coaching staff and team are thankful to everyone who has reached out. To say that Chris will be missed is a big understatement.
Former teammate Brett Chance agreed with Klusman and took to social networking to do so:
" Chris Uhle R.I.P to a great teammate, friend and overall great person. You will be deeply missed. Rest Easy my brother. Thoughts and prayers are with your family.
Jeff Dirkin was at a loss for words as many of us are:
" There are no words right now. I wish I could have told him I loved him. The nicest guy I know. My thoughts and prayers are with your family and I hope they know what an incredible young man he is.
A vigil will be held on the Rollins campus in the coming weeks. More info to come when available.
Thursday, August 6, 2015
Where Are They Now? Nick Wolf
Nick Wolf's ability to get to the free throw line at will, sharp shooting and winning ways made him one of (if not the) best player in Rollins College basketball history.
The guard/forward from Cincinnati St.Xavier High School was a two-time Sunshine State Conference Player Of The Year (2009 and 2011.)
He tied Nate Rusbosin for the most wins ever in Rollins College history. He was a first team All-American in 2009. Nick had a couple of uncle's who could vouch for what a special place Rollins was. Jeff, Dan and David Wolf each are members of the Rollins Hall Of Fame.
Wolf had plenty of positive things to say about his time at Rollins.
"My time at Rollins was one of the best experiences of my life."
When I got there as a freshman the school had a long history of success especially right before I got there."
After finishing up his undergrad degree at Rollins, Wolf had one more year to finish at the Crummer School of Business. This is when he decided to take a year off of academics and play basketball professionally in Spain. Wolf lived in Madrid for one year and played for a team in the LEB Silver League called Las Rozas Madrid.
Initially Wolf had a hard time with the transition but he adjusted well.
Wolf said:
"In Spain I did not know anybody at first, not knowing the language was tough but enough players on the team knew a decent amount of English so it wasn't so bad. Just adjusting to the style of play and the culture was difficult. Hard to explain the different style of play. I guess just being in sync with my teammates. Seemed to be a different rhythm of the game over there but the competition was great."
said Wolf:
Wolf now lives in Denver. After graduating from the Crummer School of Business at Rollins he worked as an intern at an investment advisory company on Park Avenue in Winter Park called DePrince, Race and Zollo. DRZ is led by John Race who is a big Rollins College booster. The company which manages institutional money has also employed former Tars basketball players such as Zach Pancratz and Nate Rusbosin. Wolf was an analyst for DRZ. They have a number of funds or strategies where they invest money (mainly stocks.) So when he worked at DRZ Wolf focused mainly on oil and gas stocks (research and financial analysis that were contained in one of there portfolios.) He also performed analysis on names being considered to be added to the DRZ portfolio.
Wolf after moving to Denver took a job at a oil and a gas company called Newfield Exploration. He worked there for about a year and is currently interviewing for a few jobs as an equity analyst.
So Wolf pretty much sums up his time at Rollins like this:
" And that pretty much translates into how Rollins influenced where I am right now. The relationships I built at Rollins gave me the chance to work at a place like DePrince, Race and Zollo. From there I got the opportunity to move to Denver and work at a great company like Newfield Exploration. I always try to stay in touch with the people I met at Rollins and hope to do so in the future."
The guard/forward from Cincinnati St.Xavier High School was a two-time Sunshine State Conference Player Of The Year (2009 and 2011.)
He tied Nate Rusbosin for the most wins ever in Rollins College history. He was a first team All-American in 2009. Nick had a couple of uncle's who could vouch for what a special place Rollins was. Jeff, Dan and David Wolf each are members of the Rollins Hall Of Fame.
Wolf had plenty of positive things to say about his time at Rollins.
"My time at Rollins was one of the best experiences of my life."
When I got there as a freshman the school had a long history of success especially right before I got there."
After finishing up his undergrad degree at Rollins, Wolf had one more year to finish at the Crummer School of Business. This is when he decided to take a year off of academics and play basketball professionally in Spain. Wolf lived in Madrid for one year and played for a team in the LEB Silver League called Las Rozas Madrid.
Initially Wolf had a hard time with the transition but he adjusted well.
Wolf said:
"In Spain I did not know anybody at first, not knowing the language was tough but enough players on the team knew a decent amount of English so it wasn't so bad. Just adjusting to the style of play and the culture was difficult. Hard to explain the different style of play. I guess just being in sync with my teammates. Seemed to be a different rhythm of the game over there but the competition was great."
said Wolf:
Wolf now lives in Denver. After graduating from the Crummer School of Business at Rollins he worked as an intern at an investment advisory company on Park Avenue in Winter Park called DePrince, Race and Zollo. DRZ is led by John Race who is a big Rollins College booster. The company which manages institutional money has also employed former Tars basketball players such as Zach Pancratz and Nate Rusbosin. Wolf was an analyst for DRZ. They have a number of funds or strategies where they invest money (mainly stocks.) So when he worked at DRZ Wolf focused mainly on oil and gas stocks (research and financial analysis that were contained in one of there portfolios.) He also performed analysis on names being considered to be added to the DRZ portfolio.
Wolf after moving to Denver took a job at a oil and a gas company called Newfield Exploration. He worked there for about a year and is currently interviewing for a few jobs as an equity analyst.
So Wolf pretty much sums up his time at Rollins like this:
" And that pretty much translates into how Rollins influenced where I am right now. The relationships I built at Rollins gave me the chance to work at a place like DePrince, Race and Zollo. From there I got the opportunity to move to Denver and work at a great company like Newfield Exploration. I always try to stay in touch with the people I met at Rollins and hope to do so in the future."
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Mocs Cruise To DII title.
Kevin Capers scored 24 points despite being sick for the past two days and Florida Southern cruised to a 77-62 win over IUP to claim the DII national title. The title was the first for the Mocs since 1981. They were the first South region team to play in the championship game since 1991 and the first champions since 1993. Dylan Travis was big with 18 points off the FSC bench- Bubby Johnson added 11- and- Stephen Battle had 10. The Mocs shot 52 percent from the field and went 13- of- 25- from the 3-point line in the victory.
Devante Chance led IUP with 17 points. Shawn Dyer would add 16- and- Daddy Ugbede scored 12 for the Riverhawks. They only shot 31 percent from the floor- and- went just eight of 29 from the 3-point line.
Devante Chance led IUP with 17 points. Shawn Dyer would add 16- and- Daddy Ugbede scored 12 for the Riverhawks. They only shot 31 percent from the floor- and- went just eight of 29 from the 3-point line.
Two For The Title.
The National Championship game in Division II men's college basketball is all set for Saturday 3 PM. The Mocs of Florida Southern will take on Indiana (PA.) Here are the results from Thursday's action in Evansville.
National Semifinals @Evansville,Indiana:
#3 Indiana (PA) 72 #1 Tarleton State 68
#1 Florida Southern 79 #1 Bellarmine 76
National Championship Game (Saturday 3 PM @Evansville,Indiana)
#1 Florida Southern Moccassins (34-1) vs #3 IUP Crimson Hawks (31-6)
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsbooks.com:
FSC by 1
National Semifinals @Evansville,Indiana:
#3 Indiana (PA) 72 #1 Tarleton State 68
#1 Florida Southern 79 #1 Bellarmine 76
National Championship Game (Saturday 3 PM @Evansville,Indiana)
#1 Florida Southern Moccassins (34-1) vs #3 IUP Crimson Hawks (31-6)
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsbooks.com:
FSC by 1
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Rulers Of The South.
Dylan Travis scored 25 points- Sunshine State Conference Player Of The Year Kevin Capers netted 24 points to go along with four assists and three rebounds as Florida Southern claimed the South region crown and advanced to the elite eight in Evansville.
Tuesday South Region Championship:
#1 Florida Southern 88 #6 Lynn 80
Wednesday March 25th Elite Eight at Ford Center in Evansville:
#1 Florida Southern Moccassins (33-1) vs #2 Southern New Hampshire Penmen (24-7)
Tuesday South Region Championship:
#1 Florida Southern 88 #6 Lynn 80
Wednesday March 25th Elite Eight at Ford Center in Evansville:
#1 Florida Southern Moccassins (33-1) vs #2 Southern New Hampshire Penmen (24-7)
Monday, March 16, 2015
SSC Rules The South!
The Sunshine State Conference began the weekend with three teams in the South region. Two of them are playing for the South regional championship and a trip to the elite eight in Evansville,Indiana next week. Who will be the last team standing?
Here are the results from the weekend.
#6 Lynn 80 #3 Alabama Hunstsville 62
#2 Barry 73 #7 Union (TN) 59
#1 Florida Southern 89 #8 Bendedict 68
#4 West Georgia 80 #5 West Alabama 79
Sunday:
# 6 Lynn 90 #2 Barry 82
#1 Florida Southern 84 #4 West Georgia 81
Tuesday (3/17) Regional Final (@ Jenkins Field House (FSC Campus)
#1 Florida Southern vs #6 Lynn 7 PM
winner advances to Evansville on 3/26
Here are the results from the weekend.
#6 Lynn 80 #3 Alabama Hunstsville 62
#2 Barry 73 #7 Union (TN) 59
#1 Florida Southern 89 #8 Bendedict 68
#4 West Georgia 80 #5 West Alabama 79
Sunday:
# 6 Lynn 90 #2 Barry 82
#1 Florida Southern 84 #4 West Georgia 81
Tuesday (3/17) Regional Final (@ Jenkins Field House (FSC Campus)
#1 Florida Southern vs #6 Lynn 7 PM
winner advances to Evansville on 3/26
Monday, March 9, 2015
Ten Things Tars (Five Up and Five Down For 2014-15.)
Five Up:
1. Little did they know it at the time, but the Tars started out the season with the two best wins of the season when they defeated Clark-Atlanta and Paine in the SSC/SIAC Cross Over
2. Alex Blessig broke the Rollins single game record with nine 3-pointer's in a 88-85 overtime win over Nova Southeastern at the "Shark Tank" on 2/18
3. Jeff Merton had a superb Freshman Year, just missing out on the SSC Freshman Of The Year award. Merton averaged 10+points and 5+ rebounds per night and improved tremendously from game to game
4. Chris Uhle broke the Rollins all time blocked shots mark
5. The Tars continued to play great defense and were second in the league in points per game allowed (despite the offense having a rough year.)
Five Down:
1. The Tars missed post season play completely for the first time in school history. (Coming in ninth place and only eight SSC teams made the conference tournament.)
2. Rolllins got off to the worst start ever in SSC play. Rollins went 0-11 in conference play before defeating Eckerd February 14th to gain a first conference win.
3. The Tars had the second worst offense in the SSC
4. The Tars could not win a close game in conference play. Of the first six defeats in conference play, none were by more than single digits.
5. Sharif Almulla and James Ferrell each had the season come to an end early due to injury. Almulla missed the last two games after taking a hard fall and Ferrell broke his hand in practice costing him most of the second half of the conference season.
1. Little did they know it at the time, but the Tars started out the season with the two best wins of the season when they defeated Clark-Atlanta and Paine in the SSC/SIAC Cross Over
2. Alex Blessig broke the Rollins single game record with nine 3-pointer's in a 88-85 overtime win over Nova Southeastern at the "Shark Tank" on 2/18
3. Jeff Merton had a superb Freshman Year, just missing out on the SSC Freshman Of The Year award. Merton averaged 10+points and 5+ rebounds per night and improved tremendously from game to game
4. Chris Uhle broke the Rollins all time blocked shots mark
5. The Tars continued to play great defense and were second in the league in points per game allowed (despite the offense having a rough year.)
Five Down:
1. The Tars missed post season play completely for the first time in school history. (Coming in ninth place and only eight SSC teams made the conference tournament.)
2. Rolllins got off to the worst start ever in SSC play. Rollins went 0-11 in conference play before defeating Eckerd February 14th to gain a first conference win.
3. The Tars had the second worst offense in the SSC
4. The Tars could not win a close game in conference play. Of the first six defeats in conference play, none were by more than single digits.
5. Sharif Almulla and James Ferrell each had the season come to an end early due to injury. Almulla missed the last two games after taking a hard fall and Ferrell broke his hand in practice costing him most of the second half of the conference season.
Cream Of The SSC Crop.
Here are the results from Saturday and Sunday's SSC tournament action:
Saturday's SSC Semifinals:
#1 Florida Southern 79 #4 Lynn 66
#2 Barry 86 #6 Nova Southeastern 54
Sunday's SSC Championship Game:
#1 Florida Southern 93 #2 Barry 83
South Regional Games (Sat 3/14 @Jenkins Field House (Fla. Southern Host)
#3 Alabama Hunstville (23-8) vs #6 Lynn (19-9) 12 PM
#2 Barry(24-5) vs #7 Union (TN) (20-10) 2:30
#1 Florida Southern (30-1) vs #8 Benedict (19-11)
#4 West Georgia (21-8) vs #5 West Alabama (22-11)7:30 PM
Regional Semifinals:
Sunday (3/15)
Game 1: 5 PM
Game 2: 7:30 PM
Regional Final:
Tuesday 3/17 @7 PM
Saturday's SSC Semifinals:
#1 Florida Southern 79 #4 Lynn 66
#2 Barry 86 #6 Nova Southeastern 54
Sunday's SSC Championship Game:
#1 Florida Southern 93 #2 Barry 83
South Regional Games (Sat 3/14 @Jenkins Field House (Fla. Southern Host)
#3 Alabama Hunstville (23-8) vs #6 Lynn (19-9) 12 PM
#2 Barry(24-5) vs #7 Union (TN) (20-10) 2:30
#1 Florida Southern (30-1) vs #8 Benedict (19-11)
#4 West Georgia (21-8) vs #5 West Alabama (22-11)7:30 PM
Regional Semifinals:
Sunday (3/15)
Game 1: 5 PM
Game 2: 7:30 PM
Regional Final:
Tuesday 3/17 @7 PM
Saturday, March 7, 2015
SSC Tournament Results and All Tournament Teams.
The 2014-15 Sunshine State Conference Tournament goes on for the first time ever without the Rollins Tars. Here are the results from Friday night's action:
#1 Florida Southern 87 #8 Eckerd 75 (line was Southern by 11)
#4 Lynn 84 #5 Florida Tech 83 (OT) (line was Lynn by 6.5)
#2 Barry 71 #7 Saint Leo 57 (line was Barry by 10)
#6 Nova Southeastern 91 #3 Tampa 84 (line was Tampa by 7)
So the match ups on Saturday will be:
#1 Florida Southern -7 vs #4 Lynn 5 PM
#2 Barry-9.5 vs #6 Nova Southeastern 7:30 PM
In other SSC news, Kevin Capers of Florida Southern was named the SSC Player Of The Year for the second straight season. The point guard from Florida Southern was just the third player ever to win the conference award twice. The other two were Nick Wolf (Rollins) and Decarlo Deveaux (Tampa.) Corbin Jackson (Florida Tech) won the defensive player of the year award. The first player to achieve that goal since the award was instituted in 2008.
Linc Darner (Florida Southern) was named the coach of the year for the sixth time in eight seasons and third in a row. He joins Tom Klusman (Rollins) and Richard Shmidt (Tampa) as coaches who have won the award. All three coaches are still active.
The newcomer of the year was Eugene McCrory (Tampa.) Jordan Majors (Florida Tech) was named SSC Freshman Of The Year.
Here are the All Conference teams:
First team All SSC:
Kevin Capers (Fla.Southern)
Yunio Barruetta (Barry)
Jordan Davis (Tampa)
Aaron Harrison (Lynn)
Chris Page (Nova Southeastern)
Second team All SSC:
Eugene McCrory (Tampa)
Ben Berry (Lynn)
Dylan Travis (Florida Southern)
Anders Haas (Barry)
Jordan Majors (Florida Tech)
All Newcomer Team:
Eugene McCrory (Tampa)
Ben Berry (Lynn)
Dylan Travis (Florida Southern)
Anders Haas (Barry)
Jordan Majors (Florida Tech)
#1 Florida Southern 87 #8 Eckerd 75 (line was Southern by 11)
#4 Lynn 84 #5 Florida Tech 83 (OT) (line was Lynn by 6.5)
#2 Barry 71 #7 Saint Leo 57 (line was Barry by 10)
#6 Nova Southeastern 91 #3 Tampa 84 (line was Tampa by 7)
So the match ups on Saturday will be:
#1 Florida Southern -7 vs #4 Lynn 5 PM
#2 Barry-9.5 vs #6 Nova Southeastern 7:30 PM
In other SSC news, Kevin Capers of Florida Southern was named the SSC Player Of The Year for the second straight season. The point guard from Florida Southern was just the third player ever to win the conference award twice. The other two were Nick Wolf (Rollins) and Decarlo Deveaux (Tampa.) Corbin Jackson (Florida Tech) won the defensive player of the year award. The first player to achieve that goal since the award was instituted in 2008.
Linc Darner (Florida Southern) was named the coach of the year for the sixth time in eight seasons and third in a row. He joins Tom Klusman (Rollins) and Richard Shmidt (Tampa) as coaches who have won the award. All three coaches are still active.
The newcomer of the year was Eugene McCrory (Tampa.) Jordan Majors (Florida Tech) was named SSC Freshman Of The Year.
Here are the All Conference teams:
First team All SSC:
Kevin Capers (Fla.Southern)
Yunio Barruetta (Barry)
Jordan Davis (Tampa)
Aaron Harrison (Lynn)
Chris Page (Nova Southeastern)
Second team All SSC:
Eugene McCrory (Tampa)
Ben Berry (Lynn)
Dylan Travis (Florida Southern)
Anders Haas (Barry)
Jordan Majors (Florida Tech)
All Newcomer Team:
Eugene McCrory (Tampa)
Ben Berry (Lynn)
Dylan Travis (Florida Southern)
Anders Haas (Barry)
Jordan Majors (Florida Tech)
Sunday, March 1, 2015
Top Ranked Mocs Trip Up Tars Saturday.
The Rollins Tars (9-19 2-14 SSC) hung with the top ranked Florida Southern Mocs for about 16 minutes before FSC closed the first half on a 14-0 run and went on to a 82-69 win on Saturday at Warden Arena inside the Alfond Sports Center.
Southern (27-1 15-1 SSC) was led by Stephen Battle who drained seven of eight 3-pointers en route to his 27 points- while Kevin Capers added 17. The Mocs shot 44 percent (28-63) on the day- they shot 46 percent (18-39) from the 3-point line- while they struggled at the free throw line shooting at a 47 percent clip (8-17.) The Mocs had 22 assists and 10 turnovers.
For Rollins Jeff Merton continued his case for conference freshman of the year with another 21 points- 17 of the 21 came in the second half including four 3-pointer's. Alex Blessig added 14 points and five assists. All three seniors had solid games in what would be the final time in a Rollins uniform. Chris Uhle had 13 points and six rebounds- Scott Schuette scored 10 to go along with six assists- while Jeff Dirkin just missed a double-double (nine points and 11 rebounds.) The Tars shot 54 percent (25-54) on the game. They shot 46 percent (11-24) from the 3-point line- as they have much of the season the Tars struggled at the free throw line, shooting at a 55 percent clip (6-11.) The Tars won the rebounding battle 33-31. As they have much of the season the Tars struggled taking care of the ball, committing 22 turnovers and they had 19 assists as a team.
The game began with the Tars getting off to a quick start and a 10-3 lead. They would maintain that seven point lead (14-7) before the Mocs would knot the game at 15. The Tars would score the next six points and lead 21-15 at the 8:34 mark of the opening half. The Mocs would once again tie the game at 26 before Merton would give the Tars a 28-26 lead at the 4:03 mark. The Mocs would go on a 14-0 spurt over the next 4:03 and take a 40-28 lead at halftime.
The Mocs were in control much of the second half. Rollins would get to within seven (53-46) after a 9-0 run at the 12:34 mark but the Mocs would stretch the lead to 16 (70-54) three minutes later. That would be as close as Rollins would get the rest of the way.
The Tars will not make it to post season play for the first time in school history. While Southern wins the SSC outright and will face Eckerd Friday in the opening round of the SSC tournament at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimee.
Other SSC Scores:
Tampa 73 Barry 68
Eckerd 90 Palm Beach Atlantic 86 (OT)
Florida Tech 78 Lynn 72
Saint Leo 73 Nova Southeastern 59
Final SSC Standings:
1. Florida Southern 15-1 (27-1)
2. Barry 13-3 (22-4)
3. Tampa 10-6 (18-9)
4. Lynn 10-6 (18-8)
5. Florida Tech 6-10 (16-12)
6. Nova Southeastern 6-10 (11-15)
7. Saint Leo 6-10 (14-14)
8. Eckerd 4-12 (12-15)
9. Rollins 2-14 (9-19)
SSC Tournament Schedule Friday:
#1 Florida Southern vs #8 Eckerd: at Noon
#4 Lynn vs #5 Florida Tech 2:30
#2 Barry vs #7 Saint Leo 5 PM
#3 Tampa vs #6 Nova Southeastern 7:30
Semifinals Saturday at 5 and 7:30
Championship Sunday at 4 PM
Southern (27-1 15-1 SSC) was led by Stephen Battle who drained seven of eight 3-pointers en route to his 27 points- while Kevin Capers added 17. The Mocs shot 44 percent (28-63) on the day- they shot 46 percent (18-39) from the 3-point line- while they struggled at the free throw line shooting at a 47 percent clip (8-17.) The Mocs had 22 assists and 10 turnovers.
For Rollins Jeff Merton continued his case for conference freshman of the year with another 21 points- 17 of the 21 came in the second half including four 3-pointer's. Alex Blessig added 14 points and five assists. All three seniors had solid games in what would be the final time in a Rollins uniform. Chris Uhle had 13 points and six rebounds- Scott Schuette scored 10 to go along with six assists- while Jeff Dirkin just missed a double-double (nine points and 11 rebounds.) The Tars shot 54 percent (25-54) on the game. They shot 46 percent (11-24) from the 3-point line- as they have much of the season the Tars struggled at the free throw line, shooting at a 55 percent clip (6-11.) The Tars won the rebounding battle 33-31. As they have much of the season the Tars struggled taking care of the ball, committing 22 turnovers and they had 19 assists as a team.
The game began with the Tars getting off to a quick start and a 10-3 lead. They would maintain that seven point lead (14-7) before the Mocs would knot the game at 15. The Tars would score the next six points and lead 21-15 at the 8:34 mark of the opening half. The Mocs would once again tie the game at 26 before Merton would give the Tars a 28-26 lead at the 4:03 mark. The Mocs would go on a 14-0 spurt over the next 4:03 and take a 40-28 lead at halftime.
The Mocs were in control much of the second half. Rollins would get to within seven (53-46) after a 9-0 run at the 12:34 mark but the Mocs would stretch the lead to 16 (70-54) three minutes later. That would be as close as Rollins would get the rest of the way.
The Tars will not make it to post season play for the first time in school history. While Southern wins the SSC outright and will face Eckerd Friday in the opening round of the SSC tournament at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimee.
Other SSC Scores:
Tampa 73 Barry 68
Eckerd 90 Palm Beach Atlantic 86 (OT)
Florida Tech 78 Lynn 72
Saint Leo 73 Nova Southeastern 59
Final SSC Standings:
1. Florida Southern 15-1 (27-1)
2. Barry 13-3 (22-4)
3. Tampa 10-6 (18-9)
4. Lynn 10-6 (18-8)
5. Florida Tech 6-10 (16-12)
6. Nova Southeastern 6-10 (11-15)
7. Saint Leo 6-10 (14-14)
8. Eckerd 4-12 (12-15)
9. Rollins 2-14 (9-19)
SSC Tournament Schedule Friday:
#1 Florida Southern vs #8 Eckerd: at Noon
#4 Lynn vs #5 Florida Tech 2:30
#2 Barry vs #7 Saint Leo 5 PM
#3 Tampa vs #6 Nova Southeastern 7:30
Semifinals Saturday at 5 and 7:30
Championship Sunday at 4 PM
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Tars Battle Mocs on Senior Day Saturday.
The Rollins Tars (9-18 2-13 SSC) will take on the top ranked team in the country in Division II when the Florida Southern Moccasins (26-1 14-1 SSC) visit Warden Arena inside the Alfond Sports Center Saturday. As always you can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park and worldwide at RollinsSports.com
Florida Southern comes into Saturday red hot, as they have won 14 straight. The only loss for the Mocs was a 107-102 setback to Barry back in January. The last time out FSC was a 87-79 winner over Tampa on Wednesday night. Kevin Capers led the Mocs with 20 points- while Tyler Kelly had a double-double (19 points and 10 rebounds.)
Capers leads the SSC and is 18th in all of Division II putting up 21 points per game- the senior is also in the top ten in the nation in free throws made (186) and attempted (231.) He also dishes out 3.8 assists a night. Stephen Battle is putting up 13 points and 5.3 rebounds per game- while Tyler Kelly (11.2 points per game) and Dylan Travis (10.7 points per contest) are also a big part of the Mocs high octane offense that puts up 89.4 points per game. At the other end the Mocs give up 74.5 points a night. A win Saturday would clinch the outright SSC regular season title and the number one seed in next week's SSC tournament for FSC. A loss would leave the door open for Barry to gain a share of the title.
Rollins comes in looking to play spoiler. Three seniors (Jeff Dirkin, Scott Schuette and Chris Uhle) will play there final games in Winter Park. The Tars are coming off a 61-48 loss to Florida Tech that eliminated them from post season play. Not only did the Tars lose the game but Sharif Almulla took a hard fall and could not return in the second half. His status for today's game is unknown. Jeff Merton just missed a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds. Joey Galvis had a career high eight, while Alex Blessig scored eight as well.
Blessig leads the Tars in scoring at 11.7 a night- he adds 3.8 assists and 2.1 steals. Merton puts up 10.7 points and 5.1 rebounds- while Almulla is scoring 10 a night but may not play in the finale.
The Tars are second in the SSC allowing 68. 6 points a game. At the other end they are near the bottom of the league putting up 67.5 an outing.
The two teams met on January 28th with the Mocs besting the Tars 74-70. Almulla had a career high 23 for the Tars- while Merton added 11 points and 11 rebounds. For the Mocs Capers led the way with 17.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com: FSC by 17
Other SSC lines:
Barry -1 @Tampa
Palm Beach Atlantic +4@Eckerd
Florida Tech +8@Lynn
Nova Southeastern +1@St.Leo
SSC Standings:
Florida Southern 14-1 (26-1)
Barry 13-2 (22-3)
Lynn 10-5 (18-7)
Tampa 9-6 (17-9)
Nova Southeastern 6-9 (11-14)
Florida Tech 5-10 (15-12)
Saint Leo 5-10 (13-14)
Eckerd 4-12 (11-15)
Rollins 2-13 (9-18)
South Region Rankings (as of 2/25)
1. Florida Southern
2. Barry
3. Alabama Hunstsville
4. West Georgia
5. Lynn
6. West Alabama
7. Shorter
8. Union (TN)
9.Christian Brothers
10. Tampa
Florida Southern comes into Saturday red hot, as they have won 14 straight. The only loss for the Mocs was a 107-102 setback to Barry back in January. The last time out FSC was a 87-79 winner over Tampa on Wednesday night. Kevin Capers led the Mocs with 20 points- while Tyler Kelly had a double-double (19 points and 10 rebounds.)
Capers leads the SSC and is 18th in all of Division II putting up 21 points per game- the senior is also in the top ten in the nation in free throws made (186) and attempted (231.) He also dishes out 3.8 assists a night. Stephen Battle is putting up 13 points and 5.3 rebounds per game- while Tyler Kelly (11.2 points per game) and Dylan Travis (10.7 points per contest) are also a big part of the Mocs high octane offense that puts up 89.4 points per game. At the other end the Mocs give up 74.5 points a night. A win Saturday would clinch the outright SSC regular season title and the number one seed in next week's SSC tournament for FSC. A loss would leave the door open for Barry to gain a share of the title.
Rollins comes in looking to play spoiler. Three seniors (Jeff Dirkin, Scott Schuette and Chris Uhle) will play there final games in Winter Park. The Tars are coming off a 61-48 loss to Florida Tech that eliminated them from post season play. Not only did the Tars lose the game but Sharif Almulla took a hard fall and could not return in the second half. His status for today's game is unknown. Jeff Merton just missed a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds. Joey Galvis had a career high eight, while Alex Blessig scored eight as well.
Blessig leads the Tars in scoring at 11.7 a night- he adds 3.8 assists and 2.1 steals. Merton puts up 10.7 points and 5.1 rebounds- while Almulla is scoring 10 a night but may not play in the finale.
The Tars are second in the SSC allowing 68. 6 points a game. At the other end they are near the bottom of the league putting up 67.5 an outing.
The two teams met on January 28th with the Mocs besting the Tars 74-70. Almulla had a career high 23 for the Tars- while Merton added 11 points and 11 rebounds. For the Mocs Capers led the way with 17.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com: FSC by 17
Other SSC lines:
Barry -1 @Tampa
Palm Beach Atlantic +4@Eckerd
Florida Tech +8@Lynn
Nova Southeastern +1@St.Leo
SSC Standings:
Florida Southern 14-1 (26-1)
Barry 13-2 (22-3)
Lynn 10-5 (18-7)
Tampa 9-6 (17-9)
Nova Southeastern 6-9 (11-14)
Florida Tech 5-10 (15-12)
Saint Leo 5-10 (13-14)
Eckerd 4-12 (11-15)
Rollins 2-13 (9-18)
South Region Rankings (as of 2/25)
1. Florida Southern
2. Barry
3. Alabama Hunstsville
4. West Georgia
5. Lynn
6. West Alabama
7. Shorter
8. Union (TN)
9.Christian Brothers
10. Tampa
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Lack of Offense, Rebounds Doom Tars in Loss.
Many would say that Wednesday night's must win game for the Rollins Tars was a microcosm of the entire season. In the end it was a loss that they trailed in for 38 of the 40 minutes. Florida Tech came out a 61-48 winner in Winter Park. With the loss Florida Tech punched its ticket to next week's Sunshine State Conference tournament, while the Tars will not make the annual tournament for the first time in recent memory.
The Panthers (15-12 5-10 SSC) completed the season sweep of the Tars. The Jackson's (not related) combined for 37 of the Panthers 61 points. Corbin tallied a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds- while Jermaine had 21. Jordan Majors added 11. The Panthers shot 39 percent (22-56) from the floor. They shot 33 percent (7-21) from the 3-point line. Tech shot 67 percent (10-15) from the free throw line. The Panthers pounded the Tars on the boards 51-28. They had 16 assists and 18 turnovers.
The Tars (9-18 2-13 SSC) were led by Jeff Merton who had 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds- Alex Blessig, Jeff Dirkin- and- Joey Galvis each had eight. The Tars struggled shooting all night long. They shot 33 percent (19-57) from the field in this one. Rollins shot just 20 percent (6-30) from the 3-point line. The Tars also had a rough night at the foul line where they shot 36 percent (4-11.) They had 14 assists and 14 turnovers.
The Panthers got off to a quick start and led 17-4 in the early stages of the opening half. The Tars would have a couple chances in the opening half to cut the Panthers deficit to single digits but would miss on a pair of one and ones in the last two minutes. The Panthers would take a 28-17 lead into halftime. Things got worse for the Tars at the end of the half when Sharif Almulla went down to an injury and did not return the rest of the way. On a night when the Tars only scored 48 points they sorely missed Almulla's 10.4 a game after he got hurt.
The second half was more of the same. The Panthers would lead by as many as 19 before the Tars would mount a bit of a comeback. Rollins would get to within seven twice but could not complete the comeback. After a Dirkin steal the Tars would not be able to get any closer as Dirkin missed another front end. The Panthers would close the deal at the free throw line.
Saturday will be the finale for the Tars in this campaign to forget. They will take on the top ranked Moccassins of Florida Southern. Three seniors (Jeff Dirkin, Scott Schuette and Chris Uhle) will be honored on senior day prior to what will be the final game of the careers of all three in a Tars uniform.
Other SSC Scores:
Barry 86 Lynn 69
Florida Southern 87 Tampa 79
Saint Leo 67 Eckerd 63
SSC Standings:
Florida Southern 14-1 (26-1)
Barry 13-2 (22-3)
Lynn 10-5 (18-7)
Tampa 9-6 (17-9)
Nova Southeastern 6-9 (11-14)
Florida Tech 5-10 (15-12)
Saint Leo 5-10 (13-14)
Eckerd 4-12 (11-15)
Rollins 2-13 (9-18)
The Panthers (15-12 5-10 SSC) completed the season sweep of the Tars. The Jackson's (not related) combined for 37 of the Panthers 61 points. Corbin tallied a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds- while Jermaine had 21. Jordan Majors added 11. The Panthers shot 39 percent (22-56) from the floor. They shot 33 percent (7-21) from the 3-point line. Tech shot 67 percent (10-15) from the free throw line. The Panthers pounded the Tars on the boards 51-28. They had 16 assists and 18 turnovers.
The Tars (9-18 2-13 SSC) were led by Jeff Merton who had 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds- Alex Blessig, Jeff Dirkin- and- Joey Galvis each had eight. The Tars struggled shooting all night long. They shot 33 percent (19-57) from the field in this one. Rollins shot just 20 percent (6-30) from the 3-point line. The Tars also had a rough night at the foul line where they shot 36 percent (4-11.) They had 14 assists and 14 turnovers.
The Panthers got off to a quick start and led 17-4 in the early stages of the opening half. The Tars would have a couple chances in the opening half to cut the Panthers deficit to single digits but would miss on a pair of one and ones in the last two minutes. The Panthers would take a 28-17 lead into halftime. Things got worse for the Tars at the end of the half when Sharif Almulla went down to an injury and did not return the rest of the way. On a night when the Tars only scored 48 points they sorely missed Almulla's 10.4 a game after he got hurt.
The second half was more of the same. The Panthers would lead by as many as 19 before the Tars would mount a bit of a comeback. Rollins would get to within seven twice but could not complete the comeback. After a Dirkin steal the Tars would not be able to get any closer as Dirkin missed another front end. The Panthers would close the deal at the free throw line.
Saturday will be the finale for the Tars in this campaign to forget. They will take on the top ranked Moccassins of Florida Southern. Three seniors (Jeff Dirkin, Scott Schuette and Chris Uhle) will be honored on senior day prior to what will be the final game of the careers of all three in a Tars uniform.
Other SSC Scores:
Barry 86 Lynn 69
Florida Southern 87 Tampa 79
Saint Leo 67 Eckerd 63
SSC Standings:
Florida Southern 14-1 (26-1)
Barry 13-2 (22-3)
Lynn 10-5 (18-7)
Tampa 9-6 (17-9)
Nova Southeastern 6-9 (11-14)
Florida Tech 5-10 (15-12)
Saint Leo 5-10 (13-14)
Eckerd 4-12 (11-15)
Rollins 2-13 (9-18)
Tars-Panthers Meet In Key SSC Clash Wednesday.
The Rollins Tars and Florida Tech Panthers will square off Wednesday in a key SSC matchup at Warden Arena inside the Alfond Sports Center. Both teams are looking to improve chances of making the post season prior to the end of the regular season Saturday.
Rollins (9-17 2-12 SSC) is facing a must win situation. To have any chance of making the conference tournament at Siliver Spurs Arena next week the Tars must win the remaining two games and get some help. As always you can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com and 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park will broadcast the game with Jim "Shooter" Ferro and Robert Siegel on the call.
The Tars were a 73-63 loser to Tampa last time out. Despite the defeat Jeff Dirkin had his best night in a Rollins uniform. The senior from Oak Park,Illinois had a career high 24 points- to go along with eight rebounds- a pair of steals- and- three blocked shots. He was 3-of-3 from the 3-point line and went 10-of-14 from the field in the game. Three other Tars scored double figures in the contest. Alex Blessig had 12- Jeff Merton netted 11- and- Sharif Almulla chipped in 10.
Blessig leads the Rollins box score on the season at 11.9 points per game. The junior transfer from Florida Gulf Coast also dishes out 3.7 assists a game- to go along with 2.2 steals a night which is third in the SSC. Merton has had an unbelievable surge in the second half of the conference schedule to up his average to 10.7 points per contest- The freshman from Naples is leading the squad in rebounding at five rebounds per contest. Sharif Almulla has also had a solid second half of the conference season and is putting up 10.4 points a game.
The Tars are second in the SSC on defense, allowing just 68.9 points a game. The offensive end has been a struggle all season long, as evidenced by the 68.3 points per game.
Florida Tech (14-12 4-10 SSC) can wrap up a trip to the conference tournament with a win Wednesday. The Panthers have lost four of the last five. They come into Wednesday in a three way tie for sixth in the conference with Eckerd and Saint Leo.
The Panthers last time out was a 77-71 loss to Nova Southeastern. The Panthers had three players tally double figures in the loss. Jermaine Jackson had 16- Chris Carter stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points- 10 rebounds- and- nine assists. Caleb Wigginton added 15.
Carter leads the Tech box score at 14 points a night- Corbin Jackson averages a double-double (13 points and 10 rebounds.) Jermaine Jackson (11.7 ppg) and Jordan Majors (10.8 a night) round out the double digit scorers.
The Panthers are fourth in the SSC in scoring at 75.7 points per game. At the other end they are last in the league allowing 76.1 a night.
The two teams met earlier in the season with Tech pulling out a 69-65 win at the Clemente Center.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com: Rollins by 1.5
Other SSC lines:
Barry -7.5 vs Lynn
Southern -8.5 vs Tampa
Eckerd -2 vs Saint Leo
SSC Standings:
Florida Southern 13-1 (25-1)
Barry 12-2 (21-3)
Lynn 10-4 (18-6)
Tampa 9-5 (17-8)
Nova Southeastern 6-9 (11-14)
Florida Tech 4-10 (14-12)
Saint Leo 4-10 (12-14)
Eckerd 4-11 (11-14)
Rollins 2-12 (9-17)
South Region Rankings have not been updated since the last game was played.
Rollins (9-17 2-12 SSC) is facing a must win situation. To have any chance of making the conference tournament at Siliver Spurs Arena next week the Tars must win the remaining two games and get some help. As always you can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com and 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park will broadcast the game with Jim "Shooter" Ferro and Robert Siegel on the call.
The Tars were a 73-63 loser to Tampa last time out. Despite the defeat Jeff Dirkin had his best night in a Rollins uniform. The senior from Oak Park,Illinois had a career high 24 points- to go along with eight rebounds- a pair of steals- and- three blocked shots. He was 3-of-3 from the 3-point line and went 10-of-14 from the field in the game. Three other Tars scored double figures in the contest. Alex Blessig had 12- Jeff Merton netted 11- and- Sharif Almulla chipped in 10.
Blessig leads the Rollins box score on the season at 11.9 points per game. The junior transfer from Florida Gulf Coast also dishes out 3.7 assists a game- to go along with 2.2 steals a night which is third in the SSC. Merton has had an unbelievable surge in the second half of the conference schedule to up his average to 10.7 points per contest- The freshman from Naples is leading the squad in rebounding at five rebounds per contest. Sharif Almulla has also had a solid second half of the conference season and is putting up 10.4 points a game.
The Tars are second in the SSC on defense, allowing just 68.9 points a game. The offensive end has been a struggle all season long, as evidenced by the 68.3 points per game.
Florida Tech (14-12 4-10 SSC) can wrap up a trip to the conference tournament with a win Wednesday. The Panthers have lost four of the last five. They come into Wednesday in a three way tie for sixth in the conference with Eckerd and Saint Leo.
The Panthers last time out was a 77-71 loss to Nova Southeastern. The Panthers had three players tally double figures in the loss. Jermaine Jackson had 16- Chris Carter stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points- 10 rebounds- and- nine assists. Caleb Wigginton added 15.
Carter leads the Tech box score at 14 points a night- Corbin Jackson averages a double-double (13 points and 10 rebounds.) Jermaine Jackson (11.7 ppg) and Jordan Majors (10.8 a night) round out the double digit scorers.
The Panthers are fourth in the SSC in scoring at 75.7 points per game. At the other end they are last in the league allowing 76.1 a night.
The two teams met earlier in the season with Tech pulling out a 69-65 win at the Clemente Center.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com: Rollins by 1.5
Other SSC lines:
Barry -7.5 vs Lynn
Southern -8.5 vs Tampa
Eckerd -2 vs Saint Leo
SSC Standings:
Florida Southern 13-1 (25-1)
Barry 12-2 (21-3)
Lynn 10-4 (18-6)
Tampa 9-5 (17-8)
Nova Southeastern 6-9 (11-14)
Florida Tech 4-10 (14-12)
Saint Leo 4-10 (12-14)
Eckerd 4-11 (11-14)
Rollins 2-12 (9-17)
South Region Rankings have not been updated since the last game was played.
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