This is the kind of stuff that makes people love college basketball, no matter what the level. The Augustana Vikings season began at Carver Hawkeye Arena with a buzzer beating win over Iowa. Saturday afternoon at Dr.Pepper Arena in Frisco, Texas the Vikings completed the dream season with a 90-81 win over Lincoln Memorial to capture the DII national title. The victory for the Vikings snapped the Railspitters 24 game win streak.
Alex Richter led the Vikings with 26 points in the title game- Daniel Jensen netted 25- while Casey Schilling scored 20. The Vikings shot 46 percent from the field- including 47 percent (7-15) from the 3-point line. The Vikings shot at a 78 percent clip (21-27) at the free throw line. The Vikings out rebounded LMU 42-36. They had 15 assists and 11 turnovers. The Vikings ended the season at 34-2.
The Railspitters were led by 21 points from Gerel Simmons- Jalen Steele and Emmanuel Terry scored 15 each- while Dorian Pinson chipped in 13. LMU shot 47 percent from the field in this one. They went 8 of 22 ( 36 percent) from the 3-point line. The Railsplitters went just 9-18 (50 percent) from the free throw line. They had 14 assists and 11 turnovers. LMU finished the season 34-3.
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Ten Things Tars 2015-2016!
After a up and down season that featured plenty of each let's break down the best and worst moment of the Rollins campaign.
The Good:
5. Tars jump out to a 9-0 start. The best start since they began 10-0 in the 2007-08 season.
4. Joey Galvis nails a 3-pointer to cap a thrilling 75-74 win at Nova Southeastern on December 4th. A game the Tars trailed by 13 with less than five minutes to go.
3. Jeff Merton is named to the All-District Second Team and All-SSC First Team.
2. Tom Klusman gets win number 650 on February 17th as the Tars knock off a Barry team that was in the top 10 at the time. Barry would go on to win the South region and advance to the Elite Eight.
1. The Tars complete a huge turn around, going from nine wins in the 2014-15 season to 21 victories in the 2015-16 season. Rollins shares the regular season crown with Barry and Eckerd going 12-4 in conference play.
The Bad:
5. The Tars dropped five of six after a 9-0 start. Rollins was drubbed by Tarleton State and Angelo State in Las Vegas. Tarleton State would also advance to the Elite Eight.
4. Rollins got off to a terrible start in the February 13th contest with Florida Tech. The Tars would fall behind 29-1 on senior day. Only to see themselves fight all the way back, only to lose the game in the waning seconds.
3. The Tars suffered another gut- wrenching loss. This time on January 9th when they fell 77-75 to Saint Leo at the Marion Bowman Activities Center. After having a chance to win it, a long rebound would bounce out to Marcus Dewberry of Saint Leo who would lay in the game winner.
2. After getting off to a quick 2-0 start and with a big lead over Ave Maria the Tars would lose senior Alex Blessig to a dislocated finger. Blessig would never get back to the form he was playing in prior to the injury.
1. As the number three seed and host of the opening round of the conference tournament the Tars would fall 85-72 to a Lynn team they beat twice during the regular season. This loss would hurt the Tars seeding in the South region, as they would fall to the sixth seed and eventually lose to third seeded Barry.
The Good:
5. Tars jump out to a 9-0 start. The best start since they began 10-0 in the 2007-08 season.
4. Joey Galvis nails a 3-pointer to cap a thrilling 75-74 win at Nova Southeastern on December 4th. A game the Tars trailed by 13 with less than five minutes to go.
3. Jeff Merton is named to the All-District Second Team and All-SSC First Team.
2. Tom Klusman gets win number 650 on February 17th as the Tars knock off a Barry team that was in the top 10 at the time. Barry would go on to win the South region and advance to the Elite Eight.
1. The Tars complete a huge turn around, going from nine wins in the 2014-15 season to 21 victories in the 2015-16 season. Rollins shares the regular season crown with Barry and Eckerd going 12-4 in conference play.
The Bad:
5. The Tars dropped five of six after a 9-0 start. Rollins was drubbed by Tarleton State and Angelo State in Las Vegas. Tarleton State would also advance to the Elite Eight.
4. Rollins got off to a terrible start in the February 13th contest with Florida Tech. The Tars would fall behind 29-1 on senior day. Only to see themselves fight all the way back, only to lose the game in the waning seconds.
3. The Tars suffered another gut- wrenching loss. This time on January 9th when they fell 77-75 to Saint Leo at the Marion Bowman Activities Center. After having a chance to win it, a long rebound would bounce out to Marcus Dewberry of Saint Leo who would lay in the game winner.
2. After getting off to a quick 2-0 start and with a big lead over Ave Maria the Tars would lose senior Alex Blessig to a dislocated finger. Blessig would never get back to the form he was playing in prior to the injury.
1. As the number three seed and host of the opening round of the conference tournament the Tars would fall 85-72 to a Lynn team they beat twice during the regular season. This loss would hurt the Tars seeding in the South region, as they would fall to the sixth seed and eventually lose to third seeded Barry.
Saturday, March 12, 2016
Hot Shooting Bucs Sink Tars Saturday.
The Barry Buccaneers were one of the best offensive teams all season long and were picked to win the Sunshine State Conference. The Bucs showed why in a 107-92 win over the Rollins Tars at Spragins Hall on the campus of the University of Alabama-Huntsville Saturday afternoon.
With the loss Rollins season comes to a close at 21-9. Barry advances to the South Region Second Round with a record of 24-6. The Bucs will face the Bulldogs of Union College (TN.) on Sunday.
Barry was led as they have been all year by Yunio Barrueta who scored 22 points. Barrueta spent much of the first half on the bench in foul trouble but the Conference Player of The Year in the SSC still nearly got his average in 26 minutes of action- he was one of six Barry players in double figures. Undra Mitchem netted 18-Anders Haas scored 17- Arie Williams continued to torment Rollins as he has all year with 16- Tray Leonard just missed a double-double with 15 points and nine rebounds. Elvis Fridrkisson the SSC Newocmer of the Year added 13 points to go along with six assists. The Bucs shot 60 percent (35-58) as a team in the victory- they went 16-31 (51 percent from the 3-point line-) The Bucs also shot 81 percent (21-26) at the free throw line. The Bucs dominated the rebounding battle 35-18. They had 20 second chance points in the contest. The Bucs had 22 assists and 15 turnovers.
The Tars were paced by Sam Philpott who finished out his outstanding season with 20 points- Sharif Almulla added 18 in his final game in a Rollins uniform- Jeff Merton also scored in double figures with 11. The Tars shot 56 percent (30-54) as a team- they were a solid 52 percent (13-25) from the 3-point line. The Tars shot at a 83 percent clip (19-23) at the free throw line. The Tars had 20 assists and turned the ball over 14 times.
Jeff Merton buried a 3-pointer on the first Tars possession to open the score. After that though it would be a 13-3 Barry run where they would get everyone involved in the scoring to take a 13-6 lead. The Tars would see the deficit grow to nine before a Deion Clark old fashioned 3-point play would cut the Barry lead to six (25-19) at the 13:07 mark.
Barry would answer as they did all day. This time it was a 10-2 spurt that would give the Bucs a 14 point lead (31-17) at the 10:50 mark of the opening half. The Tars would score the next six points and looked to be in good shape to get back in this one when Barrueta picked up his second foul at the 10:02 mark. Players like Haas, Williams and Leonard would step up though and the Bucs would maintain a 13 point lead (52-39) with Barrueta on the bench. The Bucs went 11-19 from the 3-point line in the opening half. The Tars had eight turnovers to compound things.
The second half would begin with neither team scoring in the first couple of minutes. The Tars would get to within 12 at the 16:11 mark but Barry would stretch the lead back out to 22 (73-51) at the 13 minute mark. The Tars would get to within 14 at the 7:35 mark but that is as close as they would get in what would be the final game in a Tars uniform for Alex Blessig, Kyle Koszuta, James Ferrell, and Almulla.
Other South Region Scores:
Union (TN) 88 Eckerd 85 (OT)
Alabama Huntsville 98 Saint Leo 81
Stillman 85 West Georgia 79
South Region Semis Sunday:
#3 Barry 74 #7 Union (TN) 65
#1 Alabama Hunstville 81 #5 Stillman 71
South Regional Final Tuesday:
#3 Barry 87 #1 Alabama-Hunstsville 83
DII Quarterfinals Wednesday 3/23:
Lincoln Memorial 93 Barry 75
West Liberty 75 Stonehill 74
Augustana (SD) 86 Tarleton State 79
Western Oregon 81 Saginaw Valley 68
DII Semifinals Thursday 3/24:
Lincoln Memorial 103 West Liberty 102
Augustana (SD) 74 Western Oregon 55
DII Championship Game 3/26:
Augustana (SD) vs Lincoln Memorial
With the loss Rollins season comes to a close at 21-9. Barry advances to the South Region Second Round with a record of 24-6. The Bucs will face the Bulldogs of Union College (TN.) on Sunday.
Barry was led as they have been all year by Yunio Barrueta who scored 22 points. Barrueta spent much of the first half on the bench in foul trouble but the Conference Player of The Year in the SSC still nearly got his average in 26 minutes of action- he was one of six Barry players in double figures. Undra Mitchem netted 18-Anders Haas scored 17- Arie Williams continued to torment Rollins as he has all year with 16- Tray Leonard just missed a double-double with 15 points and nine rebounds. Elvis Fridrkisson the SSC Newocmer of the Year added 13 points to go along with six assists. The Bucs shot 60 percent (35-58) as a team in the victory- they went 16-31 (51 percent from the 3-point line-) The Bucs also shot 81 percent (21-26) at the free throw line. The Bucs dominated the rebounding battle 35-18. They had 20 second chance points in the contest. The Bucs had 22 assists and 15 turnovers.
The Tars were paced by Sam Philpott who finished out his outstanding season with 20 points- Sharif Almulla added 18 in his final game in a Rollins uniform- Jeff Merton also scored in double figures with 11. The Tars shot 56 percent (30-54) as a team- they were a solid 52 percent (13-25) from the 3-point line. The Tars shot at a 83 percent clip (19-23) at the free throw line. The Tars had 20 assists and turned the ball over 14 times.
Jeff Merton buried a 3-pointer on the first Tars possession to open the score. After that though it would be a 13-3 Barry run where they would get everyone involved in the scoring to take a 13-6 lead. The Tars would see the deficit grow to nine before a Deion Clark old fashioned 3-point play would cut the Barry lead to six (25-19) at the 13:07 mark.
Barry would answer as they did all day. This time it was a 10-2 spurt that would give the Bucs a 14 point lead (31-17) at the 10:50 mark of the opening half. The Tars would score the next six points and looked to be in good shape to get back in this one when Barrueta picked up his second foul at the 10:02 mark. Players like Haas, Williams and Leonard would step up though and the Bucs would maintain a 13 point lead (52-39) with Barrueta on the bench. The Bucs went 11-19 from the 3-point line in the opening half. The Tars had eight turnovers to compound things.
The second half would begin with neither team scoring in the first couple of minutes. The Tars would get to within 12 at the 16:11 mark but Barry would stretch the lead back out to 22 (73-51) at the 13 minute mark. The Tars would get to within 14 at the 7:35 mark but that is as close as they would get in what would be the final game in a Tars uniform for Alex Blessig, Kyle Koszuta, James Ferrell, and Almulla.
Other South Region Scores:
Union (TN) 88 Eckerd 85 (OT)
Alabama Huntsville 98 Saint Leo 81
Stillman 85 West Georgia 79
South Region Semis Sunday:
#3 Barry 74 #7 Union (TN) 65
#1 Alabama Hunstville 81 #5 Stillman 71
South Regional Final Tuesday:
#3 Barry 87 #1 Alabama-Hunstsville 83
DII Quarterfinals Wednesday 3/23:
Lincoln Memorial 93 Barry 75
West Liberty 75 Stonehill 74
Augustana (SD) 86 Tarleton State 79
Western Oregon 81 Saginaw Valley 68
DII Semifinals Thursday 3/24:
Lincoln Memorial 103 West Liberty 102
Augustana (SD) 74 Western Oregon 55
DII Championship Game 3/26:
Augustana (SD) vs Lincoln Memorial
Friday, March 11, 2016
Rollins-Barry Open South Regional Saturday.
The Rollins Tars will take on a familiar foe in the Barry Buccaneers in the opening round of the South Regional at Spragins Hall in Huntsville, Alabama Saturday at 1 PM Eastern. The Tars come in as the sixth seed in the region, while Barry is the three seed. The Tars and Bucs make up two-thirds of the teams that shared the SSC regular season title (Eckerd was the other.) The two teams split in the regular season. Each winning on there home court. The Trip to the tournament will be the 13th in Rollins history. You can catch all of Saturday's action on the Geico Tars Sports Network on RollinsSports.com and on 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park with Jim "Shooter" Ferro and Robert Siegel on the call.
The Tars (21-8) are coming off a tough 85-72 loss against Lynn in the opening round of the SSC Tournament. It was a rare home loss for a Rollins team who has been solid at home much of the season, including a win over Barry. Rollins shot 40 percent in the loss and went 11 of 17 from the free throw line. The Tars also turned the ball over 18 times.
Sam Philpott lead the way for Rollins with 14 points- Alex Blessig added 12- and- Deion Clark had 11.
As a team Rollins comes in averaging 83.1 points a game. On the defensive end, they are giving up 75.7 points a contest. Rollins has led the conference all year shooting 49 percent from the floor- they have also been a solid 3-point shooting team (38 percent.) The Tars were the best foul shooting team in the conference as well, shooting at a 78 percent clip.
The Tars are led by three players in double figures. Jeff Merton leads the way at 15.7 per night- Philpott posts 12.9 a game- while Sharif Almulla is scoring 12.1 a contest. Clark is just shy of double figures averaging 9.9 a night.
Barry (23-6) earned the third seed in the region. They made it to the finals of the SSC tournament before falling to Eckerd 87-84. It was the second consecutive year the Bucs lost in the SSC final. Last season Florida Southern won the conference and then went on to win the DII National Championship. Yunio Barrueta (22 points and 11 rebounds-) along with Tray Leonard (12 points and 12 rebounds) each posted there 13th double-doubles of the season. Anders Haas also scored in double figures with 10.
Barry comes in averaging 93.3 points a game as a team. They also lead the country in assists per game (21.4.)
The Bucs have both the SSC Player of the Year (Barrueta) and the SSC Newcomer Of The Year (Elvar Fridriksson.) Barrueta scored 24.7 points a game to go along with 9.3 rebounds a contest. Fridriksson is averaging 8.5 assists a night and has had 10 or more assists 12 times this season.
Rollins comes in 46-21 all time against the Bucs. The only meeting between the two schools in the South Region number seven Rollins upset number two Barry in Russelville, Arkansas in 2010.
The Tars are 11-14 all time in the NCAA tournament, this includes a 7-5 record in the opening round. The best run for the Tars was in 2004 when they went to the Elite Eight.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com: Barry by 3
Other South Region Lines:
#2 Eckerd -6 vs #7 Union (TN)
#1 Alabama-Huntsville -8 vs #8 Saint Leo
##4 West Georgia -7 vs #5 Stillman
The Tars (21-8) are coming off a tough 85-72 loss against Lynn in the opening round of the SSC Tournament. It was a rare home loss for a Rollins team who has been solid at home much of the season, including a win over Barry. Rollins shot 40 percent in the loss and went 11 of 17 from the free throw line. The Tars also turned the ball over 18 times.
Sam Philpott lead the way for Rollins with 14 points- Alex Blessig added 12- and- Deion Clark had 11.
As a team Rollins comes in averaging 83.1 points a game. On the defensive end, they are giving up 75.7 points a contest. Rollins has led the conference all year shooting 49 percent from the floor- they have also been a solid 3-point shooting team (38 percent.) The Tars were the best foul shooting team in the conference as well, shooting at a 78 percent clip.
The Tars are led by three players in double figures. Jeff Merton leads the way at 15.7 per night- Philpott posts 12.9 a game- while Sharif Almulla is scoring 12.1 a contest. Clark is just shy of double figures averaging 9.9 a night.
Barry (23-6) earned the third seed in the region. They made it to the finals of the SSC tournament before falling to Eckerd 87-84. It was the second consecutive year the Bucs lost in the SSC final. Last season Florida Southern won the conference and then went on to win the DII National Championship. Yunio Barrueta (22 points and 11 rebounds-) along with Tray Leonard (12 points and 12 rebounds) each posted there 13th double-doubles of the season. Anders Haas also scored in double figures with 10.
Barry comes in averaging 93.3 points a game as a team. They also lead the country in assists per game (21.4.)
The Bucs have both the SSC Player of the Year (Barrueta) and the SSC Newcomer Of The Year (Elvar Fridriksson.) Barrueta scored 24.7 points a game to go along with 9.3 rebounds a contest. Fridriksson is averaging 8.5 assists a night and has had 10 or more assists 12 times this season.
Rollins comes in 46-21 all time against the Bucs. The only meeting between the two schools in the South Region number seven Rollins upset number two Barry in Russelville, Arkansas in 2010.
The Tars are 11-14 all time in the NCAA tournament, this includes a 7-5 record in the opening round. The best run for the Tars was in 2004 when they went to the Elite Eight.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com: Barry by 3
Other South Region Lines:
#2 Eckerd -6 vs #7 Union (TN)
#1 Alabama-Huntsville -8 vs #8 Saint Leo
##4 West Georgia -7 vs #5 Stillman
Sunday, March 6, 2016
Ticket Punched!
The Rollins Tars improbable season will continue. The Tars, who were picked to finish ninth in the Sunshine State Conference preseason poll received an at large bid to the NCAA South Regional in Huntsville,Alabama. The Tars were tabbed as the #6 seed and will face #3 seed Barry on Saturday. The Buccaneers were a 3-point loser (87-84) to Eckerd in the SSC Championship game Sunday after beating Saint Leo 91-72 in the Semifinals Saturday. The Tars fell to Lynn in the opening round of the tournament Wednesday at Warden Arena. The trip to the tournament is the 13th in Rollins history and first since 2013. Here are the pairings for the South Region:
@University of Alabama Huntsville:
#1 Alabama Hunstsville (23-7) vs #8 Saint Leo (19-11)
#4 West Georgia (22-8) vs #5 Stillman (26-5)
#2 Eckerd (25-6) vs #7 Union (TN)(20-10)
#3 Barry(23-6) vs #6 Rollins (21-8)
@University of Alabama Huntsville:
#1 Alabama Hunstsville (23-7) vs #8 Saint Leo (19-11)
#4 West Georgia (22-8) vs #5 Stillman (26-5)
#2 Eckerd (25-6) vs #7 Union (TN)(20-10)
#3 Barry(23-6) vs #6 Rollins (21-8)
Thursday, March 3, 2016
Tournament Or Not? This Could Be Klusman's Best Coaching Job!
The problem when you have won as many basketball games as Tom Klusman has at Rollins College is sometimes the expectations are too high. So the last two seasons prior to this campaign were not easy on the staff of Klusman, Brad Ash and Kyle Frakes. Frakes has talked many times on WPRK
(the Geico Tars Sports Network) on how tough last season was on everyone involved in the program.You could make the argument that after last season Klusman should have been the Sunshine State Conference Coach Of The Year this year. He had the same roster, with just a couple tweaks. (Going from 9-19 2-14 SSC to 21-8 (12-4.) Deion Clark transferred in from Old Dominion, Sam Philpott and Eric Castaneda red shirted a year ago. Joey Galvis went from being a guy who rarely played a year ago to a guy who changes the complexion of games this season with his active hands and knack to get them in the passing lanes. Tom Ryan ended up winning the Coach of The Year in the conference. He has had a great year as well as the coach of Eckerd. Klusman (me, meeting him personally)i'm sure has no problem with giving the award to Ryan. Once again, Klusman and the fact that he has won 653 games is almost expected. Last year was an abberation.
The Tars despite being picked to finish ninth in the Sunshine State Conference standings in the preseason ended up with a share of the title this year. The talent is not bad, but the coaching is the biggest reason why. Every once in a while when the Tars seem to get a little too high (see 9-0 start) and last night's loss in the Quarterfinals of the SSC Tournament you are reminded that the talent level is not as good as it has been in the past. You can attribute much of the success to the coaching staff. The Tars should be safe and get in the NCAA DII Tournament South Region when the pairings are released Sunday evening. Unless something unforeseen happens (i.e.. Lynn winning the tournament.) One thing is for certain though, as long as Tom Klusman is roaming the sidelines the Tars will always compete with the best.
(the Geico Tars Sports Network) on how tough last season was on everyone involved in the program.You could make the argument that after last season Klusman should have been the Sunshine State Conference Coach Of The Year this year. He had the same roster, with just a couple tweaks. (Going from 9-19 2-14 SSC to 21-8 (12-4.) Deion Clark transferred in from Old Dominion, Sam Philpott and Eric Castaneda red shirted a year ago. Joey Galvis went from being a guy who rarely played a year ago to a guy who changes the complexion of games this season with his active hands and knack to get them in the passing lanes. Tom Ryan ended up winning the Coach of The Year in the conference. He has had a great year as well as the coach of Eckerd. Klusman (me, meeting him personally)i'm sure has no problem with giving the award to Ryan. Once again, Klusman and the fact that he has won 653 games is almost expected. Last year was an abberation.
The Tars despite being picked to finish ninth in the Sunshine State Conference standings in the preseason ended up with a share of the title this year. The talent is not bad, but the coaching is the biggest reason why. Every once in a while when the Tars seem to get a little too high (see 9-0 start) and last night's loss in the Quarterfinals of the SSC Tournament you are reminded that the talent level is not as good as it has been in the past. You can attribute much of the success to the coaching staff. The Tars should be safe and get in the NCAA DII Tournament South Region when the pairings are released Sunday evening. Unless something unforeseen happens (i.e.. Lynn winning the tournament.) One thing is for certain though, as long as Tom Klusman is roaming the sidelines the Tars will always compete with the best.
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Rollins Upended By Lynn Wednesday.
It is cliche to say that in tournament basketball you can throw all the records out the window. Same can be said of beating the same team three times in the same season. For the Rollins Tars those cliches became reality when the third seeded Tars fell 85-72 to Lynn at Warden Arena. The first time Lynn has beaten the Tars in three meeting this season. The Tars were picked ninth in the preseason conference standings, while the Fighting Knights were tabbed second.
Lynn improved to 13-14 on the season and advanced to the semifinals of the SSC tournament at the ICI Center in Daytona Beach Saturday. The Fighting Knights got a 32 point effort from Ben Berry, who led all scorers Wednesday. Berry also added 10 rebounds- he nailed five 3-pointer's and went 13 of 14 at the free throw line on the evening-Fred Landers scored 14- while Russell Wilson also had a double-double (13 points and 12 assists) for The Fighting Knights. Lynn shot 33 percent (23-69) in the game. They went 7-26 (27 percent from the free throw line-) the Fighting Knights made a living at the free throw line where they shot at a 82 percent clip (32-39) on the night. The Fighting Knights nipped Rollins on the boards 46-45. They had 11 assists and 12 turnovers. The 12 turnovers only cost Lynn nine points.
Rollins fell to 21-8 on the year after the home loss. Sam Philpott led the way with 14 points in the loss- Alex Blessig scored 12- while Deion Clark added 11. Both Jeff Merton and James Ferrell fouled out and played limited minutes due to foul trouble. Merton scored nine points and grabbed five rebounds in 29 minutes, after being named to the All SSC First Team earlier in the day. Ferrell managed just two points and three assists in just 24 minutes of action.
The Tars shot 41 percent (27-66) as a team in the defeat- they struggled from both the 3-point line (7-24 for 29 percent-) and from the free throw line (11-17 for 65 percent.) The Tars had 15 assists and had a hard time taking care of the ball (18 turnovers.) The 18 turnovers cost the Tars 22 points.
The Tars started out the game by scoring the first four points. They would lead by as many as seven (19-12) after a Philpott bucket at the 9:52 mark of the opening half. The Fighting Knights would get to within two a pair of times, but eventually the Tars would lead by seven (35-28) at the half.
The second half would start in The Tars favor. At the 13:49 mark Rollins would lead 49-41. Then things would change, as the Tars would see the Fighting Knights go on a 26-8 run that would turn a eight point Rollins lead into a 10 point Tars deficit (67-57) at the 4:33 mark. The Tars would get to within five in the final two minutes, but that is as close as they would get.
Rollins will now await the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday at 1030 PM. The Tars were fourth in the most recent South Region Rankings released earlier today. You can catch the show on NCAA.com
Other SSC Quarterfinal Scores:
#4 Saint Leo 82 #5 Nova Southeastern 73
#2 Eckerd 95 #7 Florida Tech 70
#1 Barry 95 #8 Florida Southern 79
SSC Tournament Semifinals Saturday (at ICI Center in Daytona Beach:)
#1 Barry vs #4 Saint Leo
#2 Eckerd vs #6 Lynn
South Region Rankings (Released 3/2:) Top 8 teams Qualify:
1. Alabama Huntsville
2. Barry
3. Eckerd
4. Rollins
5. West Georgia
6. Stillman
7. Union (TN)
8. Saint Leo
9. Valdosta State
10. Delta State
Lynn improved to 13-14 on the season and advanced to the semifinals of the SSC tournament at the ICI Center in Daytona Beach Saturday. The Fighting Knights got a 32 point effort from Ben Berry, who led all scorers Wednesday. Berry also added 10 rebounds- he nailed five 3-pointer's and went 13 of 14 at the free throw line on the evening-Fred Landers scored 14- while Russell Wilson also had a double-double (13 points and 12 assists) for The Fighting Knights. Lynn shot 33 percent (23-69) in the game. They went 7-26 (27 percent from the free throw line-) the Fighting Knights made a living at the free throw line where they shot at a 82 percent clip (32-39) on the night. The Fighting Knights nipped Rollins on the boards 46-45. They had 11 assists and 12 turnovers. The 12 turnovers only cost Lynn nine points.
Rollins fell to 21-8 on the year after the home loss. Sam Philpott led the way with 14 points in the loss- Alex Blessig scored 12- while Deion Clark added 11. Both Jeff Merton and James Ferrell fouled out and played limited minutes due to foul trouble. Merton scored nine points and grabbed five rebounds in 29 minutes, after being named to the All SSC First Team earlier in the day. Ferrell managed just two points and three assists in just 24 minutes of action.
The Tars shot 41 percent (27-66) as a team in the defeat- they struggled from both the 3-point line (7-24 for 29 percent-) and from the free throw line (11-17 for 65 percent.) The Tars had 15 assists and had a hard time taking care of the ball (18 turnovers.) The 18 turnovers cost the Tars 22 points.
The Tars started out the game by scoring the first four points. They would lead by as many as seven (19-12) after a Philpott bucket at the 9:52 mark of the opening half. The Fighting Knights would get to within two a pair of times, but eventually the Tars would lead by seven (35-28) at the half.
The second half would start in The Tars favor. At the 13:49 mark Rollins would lead 49-41. Then things would change, as the Tars would see the Fighting Knights go on a 26-8 run that would turn a eight point Rollins lead into a 10 point Tars deficit (67-57) at the 4:33 mark. The Tars would get to within five in the final two minutes, but that is as close as they would get.
Rollins will now await the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday at 1030 PM. The Tars were fourth in the most recent South Region Rankings released earlier today. You can catch the show on NCAA.com
Other SSC Quarterfinal Scores:
#4 Saint Leo 82 #5 Nova Southeastern 73
#2 Eckerd 95 #7 Florida Tech 70
#1 Barry 95 #8 Florida Southern 79
SSC Tournament Semifinals Saturday (at ICI Center in Daytona Beach:)
#1 Barry vs #4 Saint Leo
#2 Eckerd vs #6 Lynn
South Region Rankings (Released 3/2:) Top 8 teams Qualify:
1. Alabama Huntsville
2. Barry
3. Eckerd
4. Rollins
5. West Georgia
6. Stillman
7. Union (TN)
8. Saint Leo
9. Valdosta State
10. Delta State
Merton Named To All Conference First Team.
The following notes will not come as any surprise to anyone who follows the Rollins program or the Sunshine State Conference on a daily basis. It became official on Wednesday when Jeff Merton was named to the All-SSC First Team. The sophomore from Naples has had an outstanding year this season and a terrific two years at Rollins thus far. The Conference Player of the Year did not go to Merton this season, but it would come as no surprise if he wins that award in the next two seasons.
Here are the All SSC awards given out Tuesday:
Player Of The Year: Yunio Barrueta (Barry)
Coach Of The Year: Tom Ryan (Eckerd)
Defensive Player Of The Year: Corbin Jackson (Florida Tech)
Freshman Of The Year: Pat Bacon (Tampa)
Newcomer Of The Year: Elvar Fredriksson (Barry)
All-Conference First Team:
F Yunio Barrueta (Barry) Sr. Miami,Fla.
F Jeff Mertom (Rollins) So. Naples,Fla.
G Dylan Travis (Florida Southern) Sr. Omaha Nebraska
G Chris Page (Nova Southeastern) Sr. Plainfield,Ind.
G Marcus Dewberry (Saint Leo) Jr. Lake Wales,Fla.
All-Conference Second Team:
F Corbin Jackson (Florida Tech) Sr. Rockledge,Fla,
G/F: Jerrick Stevenson (Eckerd) Sr. Lakeland,Fla.
C Harrison Goodrick (Nova Southeastern) Jr. Sydney, Australia
G Dominique Williams (Florida Southern) Sr. Hanies City,Fla.
F Fred Landers (Lynn) Sr. Fort Lauderdale,Fla.
All- Newcomer Team:
G Elvar Fridriksson (Barry) So. Njardvik,Iceland
G Pat Bacon (Tampa) Fr. Indianapolis,Indiana
G Tyreece Brice ((Saint Leo) So. Rock Hill, SC.
F Caleb Stewart (Saint Leo) So. Schenectady, NY
Drushaun McLaurn (Eckerd) Fr. Jacksonville,Fla.
Here are the All SSC awards given out Tuesday:
Player Of The Year: Yunio Barrueta (Barry)
Coach Of The Year: Tom Ryan (Eckerd)
Defensive Player Of The Year: Corbin Jackson (Florida Tech)
Freshman Of The Year: Pat Bacon (Tampa)
Newcomer Of The Year: Elvar Fredriksson (Barry)
All-Conference First Team:
F Yunio Barrueta (Barry) Sr. Miami,Fla.
F Jeff Mertom (Rollins) So. Naples,Fla.
G Dylan Travis (Florida Southern) Sr. Omaha Nebraska
G Chris Page (Nova Southeastern) Sr. Plainfield,Ind.
G Marcus Dewberry (Saint Leo) Jr. Lake Wales,Fla.
All-Conference Second Team:
F Corbin Jackson (Florida Tech) Sr. Rockledge,Fla,
G/F: Jerrick Stevenson (Eckerd) Sr. Lakeland,Fla.
C Harrison Goodrick (Nova Southeastern) Jr. Sydney, Australia
G Dominique Williams (Florida Southern) Sr. Hanies City,Fla.
F Fred Landers (Lynn) Sr. Fort Lauderdale,Fla.
All- Newcomer Team:
G Elvar Fridriksson (Barry) So. Njardvik,Iceland
G Pat Bacon (Tampa) Fr. Indianapolis,Indiana
G Tyreece Brice ((Saint Leo) So. Rock Hill, SC.
F Caleb Stewart (Saint Leo) So. Schenectady, NY
Drushaun McLaurn (Eckerd) Fr. Jacksonville,Fla.
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Rollins-Lynn To Square Off In SSC Quarterfinals.
The third seeded Rollins Tars will do battle with the sixth seeded Fighting Knights of Lynn in the Quarterfinals of the SSC Tournament Wednesday night at Warden Arena. The Tars won both meetings in the regular season. But have not fared well as the #3 seed going 4-6 in the SSC tournament play on that seed line. The Tars are 1-0 all time against Lynn in the SSC Tournament. The lone meeting coming in 2001, with the fifth seeded Tars winning 67-57. The Tars have won the tournament four times. The last being in 2012.
Rollins shared the conference title with both Eckerd and Barry, but became the three seed by virtue of tiebreakers. The last time out the Tars were a 97-90 winner over Palm Beach Atlantic in West Palm. Jeff Merton led the Tars with 21 points in that victory- Sam Philpott had 20 points to go along with 10 rebounds- while Sharif Almulla, James Ferrell and Mike Bedulskis each tallied 12.
The Tars scored more than 83 points a game, which was in the top half of the conference on offense. On the defensive end, they gave up 75.3 points per game. The Tars shot 49 percent as a team from the field which led the conference all season long. They also led the conference in free throw shooting.
Three players come into the tournament averaging double figures. Merton leads the way at 15.9 points a game- Philpott continues to climb the scoring chart and is now second on the team at 12.8 a game (more than 14 a game during conference play-) while Almulla is putting up 12.2 a night.
The sixth seeded Fighting Knights closed the regular season with a 83-74 loss on Saturday. They were led by Fred Landers with 22 points- Pavle Raickovic added 12- David Johnson also chipped in 11.
The Fighting Knights scored 80.9 points a game in the regular season. Whereas on the defensive end they allowed 81.5 a contest.
They had three players average double figures on the season. Landers put up 20 points a contest- Johnson scored 13.2 a night- and- Ben Berry scored 10.3 a night.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com: Rollins by 9
Other Quarterfinal Lines:
#8 Florida Southern +14 @#1 Barry
#5 Nova Southeastern +7@#4 Saint Leo
#7 Florida Tech +8 @#2 Eckerd
South Region Rankings (Released 3/2) (Top Eight Qualify:)
1. Alabama -Huntsville
2. Barry
3. Eckerd
4. Rollins
5. West Georgia
6. Stillman
7. Union (TN)
8. Saint Leo
9. Delta State
10. Valdosta State
Rollins shared the conference title with both Eckerd and Barry, but became the three seed by virtue of tiebreakers. The last time out the Tars were a 97-90 winner over Palm Beach Atlantic in West Palm. Jeff Merton led the Tars with 21 points in that victory- Sam Philpott had 20 points to go along with 10 rebounds- while Sharif Almulla, James Ferrell and Mike Bedulskis each tallied 12.
The Tars scored more than 83 points a game, which was in the top half of the conference on offense. On the defensive end, they gave up 75.3 points per game. The Tars shot 49 percent as a team from the field which led the conference all season long. They also led the conference in free throw shooting.
Three players come into the tournament averaging double figures. Merton leads the way at 15.9 points a game- Philpott continues to climb the scoring chart and is now second on the team at 12.8 a game (more than 14 a game during conference play-) while Almulla is putting up 12.2 a night.
The sixth seeded Fighting Knights closed the regular season with a 83-74 loss on Saturday. They were led by Fred Landers with 22 points- Pavle Raickovic added 12- David Johnson also chipped in 11.
The Fighting Knights scored 80.9 points a game in the regular season. Whereas on the defensive end they allowed 81.5 a contest.
They had three players average double figures on the season. Landers put up 20 points a contest- Johnson scored 13.2 a night- and- Ben Berry scored 10.3 a night.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com: Rollins by 9
Other Quarterfinal Lines:
#8 Florida Southern +14 @#1 Barry
#5 Nova Southeastern +7@#4 Saint Leo
#7 Florida Tech +8 @#2 Eckerd
South Region Rankings (Released 3/2) (Top Eight Qualify:)
1. Alabama -Huntsville
2. Barry
3. Eckerd
4. Rollins
5. West Georgia
6. Stillman
7. Union (TN)
8. Saint Leo
9. Delta State
10. Valdosta State
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)