It had more ups and downs than a ride at Cedar Point. The Rollins Tars jumped out of the gate 5-1 and looked like it was going to be a real good season, then Deion Clark went down with a broken hand. Rollins would drop four in a row, then get another win only to fall to lowly Nova Southeastern. The date was January 11th and the Tars were 8-8 overall and 2-5 in the SSC. Who would have guessed what was to come in this wild season. The Tars would finish the regular season by winning 13 of the last 15 contest's. If you ask a lot of people inside of the program including myself they would say this may be the best coaching job Tom Klusman, Brad Ash and Kyle Frakes had ever done. James Ferrell was the grad assistant this year. If you can not learn from these three guys you are not meant to be a coach.
Then the magical run began. First a Connor McKim layup in the waning seconds to knock off Lynn in the SSC Quarterfinals. Then Rollins took care of an Eckerd team that had beaten them twice during the regular season. After top seed Barry was upset by Palm Beach Atlantic in the SSC Semifinals the Tars would play a wild one against the Sailfish. PBA went on a big run and down 10 with less than six minutes to go this season just was not meant to end. Ultimately McKim would hit the game winning 3-pointer that would give the Tars the victory- the conference championship- and- for the first time ever a Rollins team won a conference tournament when they were not the top seed. In this case they were the three seed.
The conference championship came with a bid to the South Region- the Tars were in the regional for the second year in a row. This time around the Tars made sure it would end better than last year's first round loss to Barry. In the opening round the Tars played another outstanding game against an outstanding opponent and the seven seed would upset second seeded Valdosta State in overtime. Next was a date with Delta State. In most likely the best game the Tars put together all season they drubbed the third seed 88-61. Now the next task would get even tougher. Rollins would take on top seeded and host Alabama-Hunstville on there home floor at Spragins Hall. It was "nip and tuck" all night but the Tars would come out on top 72-68 to win the South Region. Jeff Merton was the MOP of the tournament, while Joey Galvis and Sam Philpott joined him on the All-Tournament Team.
Next for the Tars was a trip to Sioux Falls,South Dakota and the Sanford Pentagon. It was just the second time in school history Rollins was in the Elite 8. The seeds were released and the Tars as the 8 seed would have the daunting task of facing top seeded Fairmont State. The Fighting Falcons led by one (42-41) at the half but would run away with the victory in the second half to end the dream season for the little school from Winter Park. Fairmont State would go on and be the runner up after losing to the Northwest Missouri State in the Championship Game.
Rollins had guys burst onto the scene this year like Freshman of The Year Connor McKim. Jeff Merton and Sam Philpott were the guys who carried them night after night. Joey Galvis was in the top 10 in the nation in steals and was deadly from the 3-point line. Jakkobi Bonner showed a glimpse of what is to come for the next four years. Clark would get granted a medical redshirt so he will be back next year. Marcus Camacho saw the court in a couple tournament games- Jack Fleming continued to be one of the best 3-point shooter's Rollins has seen in a while- Nils Lehmann was the unsung hero who was inserted into the starting lineup and the team just kept on winning. Zach Ulian will fill a hole as a shooter next year assuming he can stay healthy- Mike Bedulskis finished a up and down career on a all time high- Eric Castaneda was clutch in several tournament games when it counted most both on offense and especially on the defensive end. Daniel Loh got his name in the scoresheet in the tournament- Blake Admire was solid much of the season and was real good in spots.
Jim "Shooter Ferro- Robert Segal and Nate Weyant brought the raido to you throughout this season. This would not have been possible without Austin David at the controls and Juan Bernal giving all his basketball insight pre and post game. But if there is one memory that will stick with us forever after this fine season it was how this team never gave up and was probably the most resilient in Rollins History. And of course speaking of a fond memory from the tourney who can ever forgot the Jim "Shooter" Ferro call can you say Elite Eight- Can You say Elite Eight!
Monday, March 27, 2017
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Fairmont State Halts Tars Magical Run.
The Rollins Tars saw an amazing tournament run come to a halt Wednesday when they lost 86-68 to top seeded Fairmont State in the NCAA Quarterfinals at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Rollins got off to a slow start, dug a early hole but fought back and got to within one (42-41) at halftime. Ultimately the offensive glass and a huge day from the 3-point line from Fairmont State's Jason Jolly would doom the Tars.
Rollins who finished the season at 24-11 saw their 13 game win streak come to an end. Individually four Rollins players tallied double figures on the day. Sam Philpott led the way with 22 points- Jeff Merton scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds- Eric Castaneda came off the bench to score 11 points- while Joey Galvis scored 10 points despite being in foul trouble much of the day. Wednesday was a rarity for the nation's third leading guy in steals as Galvis did not record a steal in 29 minutes Wednesday.
Rollins shot 48 percent on the day- they shot 33 percent (5-15) from the 3-point line. This after going four of five in the opening 20 minutes. They shot 71 percent (15-21) from the free throw line. The Tars had 15 assists and 18 turnovers in the loss.
Fairmont State (33-2) was led by Jason Jolly who drilled seven 3-pointer's en route to his 28 point effort- Garfield Heights product Vonte Montgomery made four 3-pointer's of his own en route to his 21 point game- while Thomas Wimbush added a double-double (15 points and 10 rebounds.) The Fighting Falcons won despite First Team All American and MEC Player Of The Year Matt Bingaya scoring only four points in nine minutes of action, as he was saddled with foul trouble all day.
The Fighting Falcons shot 40 percent from the field in the victory- they made 33 percent (13-39) 3-pointer's- and shot 79 percent (11-14) from the free throw line. Fairmont State easily won the rebounding battle 43-34. They had 16 assists and eight turnovers.
Rollins in the Elite Eight for the second time in school history got off to a slow start. Three minutes in The Tars had five turnovers and trailed 8-0. Rollins as they have all season long would fight back though. They would get to within one on three different occasions and trail 22-21 with 9:35 in the opening half. The Fighting Falcons would then go on a 11-0 run as Jolly would bury a trio of 3-pointer's to give them a 12 point lead (33-21.) Rollins would fight back late in the half and after a Galvis 3-poiner and bucket the Tars would be right back in the game down one (42-41) at the intermission.
The beginning of the second half would see the Tars keep it close and trail by four with 14:29 to go. The next four minutes would see Rollins go cold from the floor and the Fighting Falcons would use a 23-7 run to go up 20 (76-56) with 9:09 left. The Tars would get no closer than 18 as the Fighting Falcons cruised the rest of the way.
Fairmont State will advance to the NCAA Semifinals were they will take on Bellarmine tomorrow night.
Rollins saw its season come to an end, but not before they won both the Sunshine State Conference Tournament and the South Region in Huntsville,Alabama.
Other Quarterfinal Scores:
#4 Bellarmine 92 #5 Colorado School of Mines 72
#2 Northwest Missouri St. 79 #7 St. Thomas Aquinas 70
#3 Lincoln Memorial 74 #6 Chico State 61
Thursday's National Semifinals:
#1 Fairmont State 79 #4 Bellarmine 68
#2 Northwest Missouri State 79vs #3 Lincoln Memorial 67
Saturday's Championship Game:
#2 Northwest Missouri State 71 #1 Fairmont State 61
Rollins who finished the season at 24-11 saw their 13 game win streak come to an end. Individually four Rollins players tallied double figures on the day. Sam Philpott led the way with 22 points- Jeff Merton scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds- Eric Castaneda came off the bench to score 11 points- while Joey Galvis scored 10 points despite being in foul trouble much of the day. Wednesday was a rarity for the nation's third leading guy in steals as Galvis did not record a steal in 29 minutes Wednesday.
Rollins shot 48 percent on the day- they shot 33 percent (5-15) from the 3-point line. This after going four of five in the opening 20 minutes. They shot 71 percent (15-21) from the free throw line. The Tars had 15 assists and 18 turnovers in the loss.
Fairmont State (33-2) was led by Jason Jolly who drilled seven 3-pointer's en route to his 28 point effort- Garfield Heights product Vonte Montgomery made four 3-pointer's of his own en route to his 21 point game- while Thomas Wimbush added a double-double (15 points and 10 rebounds.) The Fighting Falcons won despite First Team All American and MEC Player Of The Year Matt Bingaya scoring only four points in nine minutes of action, as he was saddled with foul trouble all day.
The Fighting Falcons shot 40 percent from the field in the victory- they made 33 percent (13-39) 3-pointer's- and shot 79 percent (11-14) from the free throw line. Fairmont State easily won the rebounding battle 43-34. They had 16 assists and eight turnovers.
Rollins in the Elite Eight for the second time in school history got off to a slow start. Three minutes in The Tars had five turnovers and trailed 8-0. Rollins as they have all season long would fight back though. They would get to within one on three different occasions and trail 22-21 with 9:35 in the opening half. The Fighting Falcons would then go on a 11-0 run as Jolly would bury a trio of 3-pointer's to give them a 12 point lead (33-21.) Rollins would fight back late in the half and after a Galvis 3-poiner and bucket the Tars would be right back in the game down one (42-41) at the intermission.
The beginning of the second half would see the Tars keep it close and trail by four with 14:29 to go. The next four minutes would see Rollins go cold from the floor and the Fighting Falcons would use a 23-7 run to go up 20 (76-56) with 9:09 left. The Tars would get no closer than 18 as the Fighting Falcons cruised the rest of the way.
Fairmont State will advance to the NCAA Semifinals were they will take on Bellarmine tomorrow night.
Rollins saw its season come to an end, but not before they won both the Sunshine State Conference Tournament and the South Region in Huntsville,Alabama.
Other Quarterfinal Scores:
#4 Bellarmine 92 #5 Colorado School of Mines 72
#2 Northwest Missouri St. 79 #7 St. Thomas Aquinas 70
#3 Lincoln Memorial 74 #6 Chico State 61
Thursday's National Semifinals:
#1 Fairmont State 79 #4 Bellarmine 68
#2 Northwest Missouri State 79vs #3 Lincoln Memorial 67
Saturday's Championship Game:
#2 Northwest Missouri State 71 #1 Fairmont State 61
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Rollins Battles Fairmont State In Elite Eight Showdown.
The eighth seeded Rollins College Tars (24-10) will battle the top seeded Fighting Falcons of Fairmont State (32-2) in the Elite Eight Opener at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota Wednesday afternoon. Tip time is set for 1 PM Eastern time and can be seen on NCAA.com. Jim "Shooter" Ferro and Nate Weyant will have the call on the Geico Tars Sports Network at 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park and Worldwide on RollinsSports.com
The Tars who were 8-8 and 2-5 SSC in mid-January have now won 11 straight-and-16- of the past 18 contests. The magical tournament run began in the Sunshine State Conference Tournament as a Connor McKim layup with just three seconds to go gave them a hard-fought win over Lynn. The next game was a tough battle and they beat Eckerd for the first time in three tries this season. In the title game it was another late bucket by McKim that would give them the SSC Tournament title with a win over Palm Beach Atlantic.
Then came the NCAA South Regional. In the opening round the seventh seeded Tars were a overtime winner over second seeded Valdosta State. The next time out was the most complete performance of the tournament in a 27 point drubbing of third seeded Delta State. Then last Tuesday the Tars took down top seeded Alabama-Huntsville 72-68 on there home floor at Spragins Hall. So Rollins is now in the Elite Eight for just the second time in school history. The only other time they were a 88-54 loser to Metro State. They have won six games during the streak by five points or less, while the rest were by double digits.
Rollins comes into Wednesday's contest scoring 81 points a game- while they give up 78.3 a night. Rollins is ninth in all of DII shooting at a 41.7 percent clip from the 3-point line on the season. The Tars are sixth in all of DII with 304 steals as well.
Sam Philpott leads the Rollins box score at 15.1 points per game. The Noblesville, Indiana native averaged 16 a game in the region in Huntsville. Jeff Merton averages 14.8 points per game- while leading the team at 5.6 rebounds a night. Merton was the Most Outstanding Player in the regional, where he averaged 19 points and four rebounds a contest. Joey Galvis adds 10.4 points a night- and has been in the top 10 in the nation all season in steals, as he has 85 for the year including five in the regional championship. McKim has started all but two games for the Tars this season- the Louisville product and SSC Freshman Of The Year averages 10.2 points and a team high 3.8 assists a night.
Fairmont State was the winner of the Atlantic Region. The Fighting Falcons are also making their second trip to the Elite Eight. The Fighting Falcons trip is the first for them since the 1997-98 season. Fairmont State won the Atlantic Region and have been in the nation's top five since September 6th. The Fighting Falcons were a 86-80 winner over Wheeling Jesuit- after knocking off Bowie State and Indiana (PA) in the earlier rounds. Fairmont State, West Liberty and Wheeling Jesuit were all ranked all season long from the Mountain East Conference. The Fighting Falcons lone two losses came to West Liberty. Once at West Liberty in the regular season on February 4th 88-81 and then in the championship game of the Mountain East Tournament in Charleston,West Va 67-65 on March 5th.
The high flying Fighting Falcons offense comes in averaging 96.2 points a game on the season- they are third in the nation in both 3-point attempts (933) and makes (382.) Defensively they had 350 steals on the season and they allow 79.7 points a contest.
A balanced Fairmont State attack is led by MEC Player Of The Year Matt Bingaya who scores 19.4 a night- he also gets 7.3 rebounds a game. He was named a First Team All American on Monday. Thomas Wimbush trails right behind him at 16 points and 6.5 rebounds a night- Wimbush had 26 in the Regional Championship Game. Jason Jolly scores 12.1 points and dishes out 3.1 assists on the year. D'Ondre Stockman has had a solid year and scores 11.1 a game- while Garfield Heights product Vonte Montgomery scores 10.6 a night. Shammgod Wells scores 7.8 a game and dishes out a team leading 5.7 assists a game.
Wednesday will be the first meeting between the two schools of all time. Neither team had a common opponent. The winner will advance to Thursday's Semifinals.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsbooks.com: Fairmont State by 9.5
Other Elite Eight Lines:
#4 Bellarmine (Pick) vs Colorado School of Mines
#3Lincoln Memorial -5.5 vs #6 Chico State
#2Northwest Missouri St.-7.5 vs #7 St.Thomas Aquinas
Odds to win the National Championship (Also from JuanBernalSportsBooks.com:)
Fairmont State +325
Northwest Missouri State +400
Lincoln Memorial +475
Bellarmine +700
Colorado School Of Mines +700
Chico State +1300
St.Thomas Aquinas +1700
Rollins +2800
The Tars who were 8-8 and 2-5 SSC in mid-January have now won 11 straight-and-16- of the past 18 contests. The magical tournament run began in the Sunshine State Conference Tournament as a Connor McKim layup with just three seconds to go gave them a hard-fought win over Lynn. The next game was a tough battle and they beat Eckerd for the first time in three tries this season. In the title game it was another late bucket by McKim that would give them the SSC Tournament title with a win over Palm Beach Atlantic.
Then came the NCAA South Regional. In the opening round the seventh seeded Tars were a overtime winner over second seeded Valdosta State. The next time out was the most complete performance of the tournament in a 27 point drubbing of third seeded Delta State. Then last Tuesday the Tars took down top seeded Alabama-Huntsville 72-68 on there home floor at Spragins Hall. So Rollins is now in the Elite Eight for just the second time in school history. The only other time they were a 88-54 loser to Metro State. They have won six games during the streak by five points or less, while the rest were by double digits.
Rollins comes into Wednesday's contest scoring 81 points a game- while they give up 78.3 a night. Rollins is ninth in all of DII shooting at a 41.7 percent clip from the 3-point line on the season. The Tars are sixth in all of DII with 304 steals as well.
Sam Philpott leads the Rollins box score at 15.1 points per game. The Noblesville, Indiana native averaged 16 a game in the region in Huntsville. Jeff Merton averages 14.8 points per game- while leading the team at 5.6 rebounds a night. Merton was the Most Outstanding Player in the regional, where he averaged 19 points and four rebounds a contest. Joey Galvis adds 10.4 points a night- and has been in the top 10 in the nation all season in steals, as he has 85 for the year including five in the regional championship. McKim has started all but two games for the Tars this season- the Louisville product and SSC Freshman Of The Year averages 10.2 points and a team high 3.8 assists a night.
Fairmont State was the winner of the Atlantic Region. The Fighting Falcons are also making their second trip to the Elite Eight. The Fighting Falcons trip is the first for them since the 1997-98 season. Fairmont State won the Atlantic Region and have been in the nation's top five since September 6th. The Fighting Falcons were a 86-80 winner over Wheeling Jesuit- after knocking off Bowie State and Indiana (PA) in the earlier rounds. Fairmont State, West Liberty and Wheeling Jesuit were all ranked all season long from the Mountain East Conference. The Fighting Falcons lone two losses came to West Liberty. Once at West Liberty in the regular season on February 4th 88-81 and then in the championship game of the Mountain East Tournament in Charleston,West Va 67-65 on March 5th.
The high flying Fighting Falcons offense comes in averaging 96.2 points a game on the season- they are third in the nation in both 3-point attempts (933) and makes (382.) Defensively they had 350 steals on the season and they allow 79.7 points a contest.
A balanced Fairmont State attack is led by MEC Player Of The Year Matt Bingaya who scores 19.4 a night- he also gets 7.3 rebounds a game. He was named a First Team All American on Monday. Thomas Wimbush trails right behind him at 16 points and 6.5 rebounds a night- Wimbush had 26 in the Regional Championship Game. Jason Jolly scores 12.1 points and dishes out 3.1 assists on the year. D'Ondre Stockman has had a solid year and scores 11.1 a game- while Garfield Heights product Vonte Montgomery scores 10.6 a night. Shammgod Wells scores 7.8 a game and dishes out a team leading 5.7 assists a game.
Wednesday will be the first meeting between the two schools of all time. Neither team had a common opponent. The winner will advance to Thursday's Semifinals.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsbooks.com: Fairmont State by 9.5
Other Elite Eight Lines:
#4 Bellarmine (Pick) vs Colorado School of Mines
#3Lincoln Memorial -5.5 vs #6 Chico State
#2Northwest Missouri St.-7.5 vs #7 St.Thomas Aquinas
Odds to win the National Championship (Also from JuanBernalSportsBooks.com:)
Fairmont State +325
Northwest Missouri State +400
Lincoln Memorial +475
Bellarmine +700
Colorado School Of Mines +700
Chico State +1300
St.Thomas Aquinas +1700
Rollins +2800
Thursday, March 16, 2017
#8 Rollins to Face Top Seeded Fairmont State Wednesday.
The seeds were announced for the 2017 Elite Eight in Sioux Falls, South Dakota after the conclusion of the East Regional. The teams are reseeded after each regional is complete. Rollins (24-10) is the #8 seed and will take on top seed Fairmont State (32-2) on Wednesday at 1 PM Eastern time at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. You can catch the game on NCAA.com (video) and on the Geico Tars Sports Network at 91.5 FM WPRK and worldwide on RollinsSports.com with Jim "Shooter" Ferro and Nate Weyant.
Fairmont State won the Atlantic Region with a 86-80 win over Wheeling Jesuit in the final on Tuesday night. The Fighting Falcons only two losses came to West Liberty, including a 67-65 loss in the Mountain East Conference Championship Game. Fairmont State is in the Elite Eight for the second time in school history. They were #3 in the last poll of the regular season.
Rollins (24-10) has won 11 straight- after winning the Sunshine State Conference Tournament the Tars beat No.2 Valdosta State in overtime- #3 Delta State and then won the South Region crown by knocking off Alabama-Huntsville at Spragins Hall.
Here are the games and times of the Quarterfinal games on Wednesday:
#8 Rollins vs #1 Fairmont State 1 PM
#5 Colorado School of Mines vs #4 Bellarmine 330 PM
#7 Saint Thomas Aquinas vs #2 Northwest Missouri State 7 PM
#6 Chico State vs #3 Lincoln Memorial 930 PM
Semifinals March 22nd: 7 and 930 PM
NCAA DII National Championship Game: Saturday 3 PM
Fairmont State won the Atlantic Region with a 86-80 win over Wheeling Jesuit in the final on Tuesday night. The Fighting Falcons only two losses came to West Liberty, including a 67-65 loss in the Mountain East Conference Championship Game. Fairmont State is in the Elite Eight for the second time in school history. They were #3 in the last poll of the regular season.
Rollins (24-10) has won 11 straight- after winning the Sunshine State Conference Tournament the Tars beat No.2 Valdosta State in overtime- #3 Delta State and then won the South Region crown by knocking off Alabama-Huntsville at Spragins Hall.
Here are the games and times of the Quarterfinal games on Wednesday:
#8 Rollins vs #1 Fairmont State 1 PM
#5 Colorado School of Mines vs #4 Bellarmine 330 PM
#7 Saint Thomas Aquinas vs #2 Northwest Missouri State 7 PM
#6 Chico State vs #3 Lincoln Memorial 930 PM
Semifinals March 22nd: 7 and 930 PM
NCAA DII National Championship Game: Saturday 3 PM
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Elite Eight Bound! Rollins Magical Run Heads to South Dakota After Shocking UAH!
Who would have believed it was possible halfway thru this wild season? The Rollins Tars were 8-8 and 1-5 in the SSC back in January. After Tuesday night's 72-68 win over the host Alabama Huntsville Chargers on there home floor at Spragins Hall the seventh seeded Rollins Tars are headed to the Elite Eight in Sioux Falls,South Dakota. With the win the Tars have now won 11 straight- and- they can now add 2017 South Region Champs to the trophy case inside the Alfond Sports Center in Winter Park. That after winning the Sunshine State Conference Tournament just over a week ago. The Tars are going to the Elite Eight for just the second time in school history. The only other trip was in 2003-04 season.
Jeff Merton was named the Tournament's MOP (Most Outstanding Player) scoring 20 points to pace the Tars (24-10-) Sam Philpott added 14- while Connor McKim had nine to go along with four assists. Nils Lehmann set the tone with five early points and scored seven in the contest- while Joey Galvis had seven points- five rebounds- four assists- and- five steals.
Rollins shot 46 percent from the field- 40 percent (10-25) from the 3-point line- and- 71 percent (12-17) from the free throw line. The Tars edged Huntsville on the boards 35-34. They had 15 assists and 12 turnovers as a team.
The Chargers (27-7) had a six game win streak snapped in this one as they were denied a trip to the Elite Eight on there home floor by a Sunshine State opponent for the second straight season. A year ago the Chargers fell to Barry. Brandon Roberts and Seab Webster each scored 18 to pace the Chargers- while Troy Saxton scored 13.
UAH shot 37 percent as a team in this one. They shot 31 percent (12-39) from the 3-point line. At the free throw line the Chargers shot 72 percent (18-25.) They had 13 assists and 13 turnovers as a team.
The game began with Webster knocking down a 3-pointer for the Chargers before the Tars went on a quick 7-0 run. Rollins would regain the lead 9-8 after a Lehmann layup. That would be the score at the first media timeout of the opening half. After the two teams traded baskets the Tars would go on a 9-0 run to take a 20-10 lead after a Jack Fleming 3-pointer at the 11:02 mark. The Chargers would answer with the next seven points before another Fleming 3-pointer would get the Rollins lead back to six (23-17.) The Tars would get the lead out to nine (33-24) after a Philpott free throw before the Chargers would get the capacity crowd back into it to end the half. Roberts would score the next seven points, and UAH would take a one point lead (34-33) after a Webster 3-pointer at the 2:02 mark of the opening half. They would lead by six late in the half before Jakobi Bonner would hit a pair of free throws for Rollins with .8 seconds in the half to cut the lead to four (40-36.)
Rollins would come out with a purpose in the second half and score the first seven points of the frame. Galvis who sat the last 11 plus minutes of the opening half with two fouls drained a 3-pointer to give Rollins a 43-40 lead with 17:39 to go. The two teams would go back and forth until Merton hit a 3-pointer at the 10:23 mark to give Rollins a 55-51 lead. The Tars would lead by 10 (66-56) a little more than four minutes later after a Philpott 3-pointer. The Chargers would not go away as they would pull to within two (66-64) after a Roberts free throw. After Webster split a pair of free throws with 1:02 to go it was a one point game. The Tars came out of a timeout and Brad Ash, Kyle Frakes, Tom Klusman and grad assistant James Ferrell drew up a set play that worked to perfection to get Merton a backdoor layup and a three point lead (68-65) with 44 seconds left. Roberts was long on what would have been the game timing 3-pointer with 22 seconds to go and Rollins secured the rebound. After making the first of two free throws with 10 seconds left Eric Castenada rebounded his own miss and drained the next two free throws. Saxon hit a 3-pointer to trim the lead to three for UAH. After missing the first of two free throws he had to intentionally miss the second. Castaneda rebounded the miss and spit a pair of free throws as the Tars walked away with a 72-68 win and the celebration began.
Philpott and Merton both were named to the All-Tournament Team. Joining them on the All Tournament team was Webster, Saxton and Roberts from UAH.
The pairings for the NCAA Elite Eight will be announced Wednesday after the conclusion of the East Region.
Jeff Merton was named the Tournament's MOP (Most Outstanding Player) scoring 20 points to pace the Tars (24-10-) Sam Philpott added 14- while Connor McKim had nine to go along with four assists. Nils Lehmann set the tone with five early points and scored seven in the contest- while Joey Galvis had seven points- five rebounds- four assists- and- five steals.
Rollins shot 46 percent from the field- 40 percent (10-25) from the 3-point line- and- 71 percent (12-17) from the free throw line. The Tars edged Huntsville on the boards 35-34. They had 15 assists and 12 turnovers as a team.
The Chargers (27-7) had a six game win streak snapped in this one as they were denied a trip to the Elite Eight on there home floor by a Sunshine State opponent for the second straight season. A year ago the Chargers fell to Barry. Brandon Roberts and Seab Webster each scored 18 to pace the Chargers- while Troy Saxton scored 13.
UAH shot 37 percent as a team in this one. They shot 31 percent (12-39) from the 3-point line. At the free throw line the Chargers shot 72 percent (18-25.) They had 13 assists and 13 turnovers as a team.
The game began with Webster knocking down a 3-pointer for the Chargers before the Tars went on a quick 7-0 run. Rollins would regain the lead 9-8 after a Lehmann layup. That would be the score at the first media timeout of the opening half. After the two teams traded baskets the Tars would go on a 9-0 run to take a 20-10 lead after a Jack Fleming 3-pointer at the 11:02 mark. The Chargers would answer with the next seven points before another Fleming 3-pointer would get the Rollins lead back to six (23-17.) The Tars would get the lead out to nine (33-24) after a Philpott free throw before the Chargers would get the capacity crowd back into it to end the half. Roberts would score the next seven points, and UAH would take a one point lead (34-33) after a Webster 3-pointer at the 2:02 mark of the opening half. They would lead by six late in the half before Jakobi Bonner would hit a pair of free throws for Rollins with .8 seconds in the half to cut the lead to four (40-36.)
Rollins would come out with a purpose in the second half and score the first seven points of the frame. Galvis who sat the last 11 plus minutes of the opening half with two fouls drained a 3-pointer to give Rollins a 43-40 lead with 17:39 to go. The two teams would go back and forth until Merton hit a 3-pointer at the 10:23 mark to give Rollins a 55-51 lead. The Tars would lead by 10 (66-56) a little more than four minutes later after a Philpott 3-pointer. The Chargers would not go away as they would pull to within two (66-64) after a Roberts free throw. After Webster split a pair of free throws with 1:02 to go it was a one point game. The Tars came out of a timeout and Brad Ash, Kyle Frakes, Tom Klusman and grad assistant James Ferrell drew up a set play that worked to perfection to get Merton a backdoor layup and a three point lead (68-65) with 44 seconds left. Roberts was long on what would have been the game timing 3-pointer with 22 seconds to go and Rollins secured the rebound. After making the first of two free throws with 10 seconds left Eric Castenada rebounded his own miss and drained the next two free throws. Saxon hit a 3-pointer to trim the lead to three for UAH. After missing the first of two free throws he had to intentionally miss the second. Castaneda rebounded the miss and spit a pair of free throws as the Tars walked away with a 72-68 win and the celebration began.
Philpott and Merton both were named to the All-Tournament Team. Joining them on the All Tournament team was Webster, Saxton and Roberts from UAH.
The pairings for the NCAA Elite Eight will be announced Wednesday after the conclusion of the East Region.
Monday, March 13, 2017
Rollins-UAH Battle For South Region Crown Tuesday.
The seventh seeded Rollins Tars (23-10) and University of Alabama-Huntsville Chargers battle for the South Region Crown from Spragins Hall in Huntsville, Alabama Tuesday night. Nate Weyant and Jim "Shooter" Ferro will have the call on the Geico Tars Sports Network at 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park and worldwide at RollinsSports.com- while Austin David and Juan Bernal will provide pre and post game as well as halftime analysis.
The Tars will ride a 10 game win streak into Tuesday's regional final, as they will be playing for the third time in a regional championship game. The Tars are 1-1 in previous championship games. In 2004 the Tars won the region, while they fell to Valdosta State in 2010. The winner will gain a trip to the NCAA Elite Eight at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
In the opening round Rollins survived an overtime thriller over Valdosta State 89-85, but the last time out was a different story. Rollins played arguably there best game of the season and rolled 88-61 over Delta State in the Regional Semis.
Sam Philpott is the top scorer for the Tars at 15.1 ppg- while also hauling in 4.2 rebounds a night. Philpott had 22 in the victory over Delta State last time out. Jeff Merton also scored 22 in the last contest. He is putting up 14.6 points per game and averages a team leading 5.6 rebounds per contest. Joey Galvis has had an outstanding senior season as he is averaging 10.5 points- 3.5 rebounds- and 2.4 steals per game. Galvis is fourth in the nation in DII with 80 steals on the year. Freshman Of The Year Connor McKim has also had a great season as he averages 10.3 points- a team high 3.8 assists and 2.8 rebounds a night. The Tars are shooting 42 percent as a team from the 3-point line which is good for eighth in the nation. The Tars are coming off a blistering first half where they went 12-18 from the 3-point line against Delta State and ended up 17 of 30 for the game. Rollins averages 81.2 points a game on the offensive end- while they give up 78.2 a night.
Huntsville (27-6) gained the top seed and the right to host the region by winning the Gulf South Tournament against Valdosta State in a winner take all conference championship game according to the NCAA Selection Committee. The Chargers defeating Clark- Atlanta in the opening round and were a 96-82 winner over Barry in the Regional Semifinals. The Chargers are playing in a fifth regional championship game. They are 2-2 in the previous four. 2011 and 2012 they advanced to the Elite Eight.
UAH is ninth nationally shooting 41.7 percent from the 3-point line. They score 85.5 points a game- while they give up 78.7 a night.
Sean Webster is the top scorer for the Chargers scoring 18.8 points and grabbing 8.1 rebounds a night. Brandon Roberts scores 16.2 per contest but has upped that number to 28 a night in the South Region Tournament. Troy Sexton has had an outstanding year as well as he is scoring 11.1 points- grabbing 5.1 rebounds and dishing out 4.9 assists per contest.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com:
Huntsville by 8
The Tars will ride a 10 game win streak into Tuesday's regional final, as they will be playing for the third time in a regional championship game. The Tars are 1-1 in previous championship games. In 2004 the Tars won the region, while they fell to Valdosta State in 2010. The winner will gain a trip to the NCAA Elite Eight at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
In the opening round Rollins survived an overtime thriller over Valdosta State 89-85, but the last time out was a different story. Rollins played arguably there best game of the season and rolled 88-61 over Delta State in the Regional Semis.
Sam Philpott is the top scorer for the Tars at 15.1 ppg- while also hauling in 4.2 rebounds a night. Philpott had 22 in the victory over Delta State last time out. Jeff Merton also scored 22 in the last contest. He is putting up 14.6 points per game and averages a team leading 5.6 rebounds per contest. Joey Galvis has had an outstanding senior season as he is averaging 10.5 points- 3.5 rebounds- and 2.4 steals per game. Galvis is fourth in the nation in DII with 80 steals on the year. Freshman Of The Year Connor McKim has also had a great season as he averages 10.3 points- a team high 3.8 assists and 2.8 rebounds a night. The Tars are shooting 42 percent as a team from the 3-point line which is good for eighth in the nation. The Tars are coming off a blistering first half where they went 12-18 from the 3-point line against Delta State and ended up 17 of 30 for the game. Rollins averages 81.2 points a game on the offensive end- while they give up 78.2 a night.
Huntsville (27-6) gained the top seed and the right to host the region by winning the Gulf South Tournament against Valdosta State in a winner take all conference championship game according to the NCAA Selection Committee. The Chargers defeating Clark- Atlanta in the opening round and were a 96-82 winner over Barry in the Regional Semifinals. The Chargers are playing in a fifth regional championship game. They are 2-2 in the previous four. 2011 and 2012 they advanced to the Elite Eight.
UAH is ninth nationally shooting 41.7 percent from the 3-point line. They score 85.5 points a game- while they give up 78.7 a night.
Sean Webster is the top scorer for the Chargers scoring 18.8 points and grabbing 8.1 rebounds a night. Brandon Roberts scores 16.2 per contest but has upped that number to 28 a night in the South Region Tournament. Troy Sexton has had an outstanding year as well as he is scoring 11.1 points- grabbing 5.1 rebounds and dishing out 4.9 assists per contest.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com:
Huntsville by 8
Sunday, March 12, 2017
Sweet 16! Tars Advance To Regional Final by Dismantling Delta State.
The Rollins Tars are headed to the South Region Finals after a 88-61 drubbing of Delta State in the NCAA South Regional Semifinals at Spragins Hall on the campus of the University of Alabama-Huntsville on Sunday. For the first time in a while for the Tars they were able to cruise to a victory after building a big lead. Rollins will face host and top seeded Alabama-Huntsville in the Regional Final on Tuesday Night at 8 PM Eastern time.
Sam Philpott and Jeff Merton each poured in a game high 22 points to lead the Tars attack. Eric Castaneda turned in a 14 point- 10 rebound effort off the Rollins bench in the victory. 10 Rollins players found the scoring column in this decisive victory. Rollins shot 48 percent as a team- went 17-30 (57 percent) from the 3-point line, including 12-18 in the first half. They shot 71 percent (15-21) from the free throw line. Rollins had 16 assists and a season low six turnovers in this one. They also won the rebounding battle 38-32.
The Statesman had three players tally double figures in the season ending loss. John Cornish led the way with 17 points- Devin Schmidt who was the all-time leading scoring in Gulf South Conference history was held to just 13- while Ravion Henry added 12.
Delta State (23-9) shot 39 percent from the field in the defeat- they shot 31 percent (10-32) from the 3-point line. The Statesman struggled at the free throw line where they shot 58 percent (7-12.) They had 16 assists and 12 turnovers.
The Tars took a 8-2 lead into the first media of the the game. Delta State would cut it to one (8-7) before the Tars 3-point barrage began. Rollins next 10 baskets would all be from the 3-point line and they would build a 13 point lead (38-25) at the 4:20 mark of the half. The Tars would get a late 3-pointer from Castaneda and take a 14 point lead (46-32) into the locker room.
The second half would see the Tars build a 19-point lead (60-41) after a Merton slam that sent the Rollins bench into a frenzy. The Statesman would get to within 14 but that is as close as they would get the rest of the way.
The Tars (23-10) who have now won 10 in a row and are the seventh seed in the region will play for the regional title for the third time in school history. In 2004 Rollins won the region, while they fell to Valdosta State in the regional final in 2010.
Other South Regional Semifinal:
Alabama Huntsville 96 Barry 82
Tuesday's Regional Final:
#1 Alabama Huntsville vs #7 Rollins
Sam Philpott and Jeff Merton each poured in a game high 22 points to lead the Tars attack. Eric Castaneda turned in a 14 point- 10 rebound effort off the Rollins bench in the victory. 10 Rollins players found the scoring column in this decisive victory. Rollins shot 48 percent as a team- went 17-30 (57 percent) from the 3-point line, including 12-18 in the first half. They shot 71 percent (15-21) from the free throw line. Rollins had 16 assists and a season low six turnovers in this one. They also won the rebounding battle 38-32.
The Statesman had three players tally double figures in the season ending loss. John Cornish led the way with 17 points- Devin Schmidt who was the all-time leading scoring in Gulf South Conference history was held to just 13- while Ravion Henry added 12.
Delta State (23-9) shot 39 percent from the field in the defeat- they shot 31 percent (10-32) from the 3-point line. The Statesman struggled at the free throw line where they shot 58 percent (7-12.) They had 16 assists and 12 turnovers.
The Tars took a 8-2 lead into the first media of the the game. Delta State would cut it to one (8-7) before the Tars 3-point barrage began. Rollins next 10 baskets would all be from the 3-point line and they would build a 13 point lead (38-25) at the 4:20 mark of the half. The Tars would get a late 3-pointer from Castaneda and take a 14 point lead (46-32) into the locker room.
The second half would see the Tars build a 19-point lead (60-41) after a Merton slam that sent the Rollins bench into a frenzy. The Statesman would get to within 14 but that is as close as they would get the rest of the way.
The Tars (23-10) who have now won 10 in a row and are the seventh seed in the region will play for the regional title for the third time in school history. In 2004 Rollins won the region, while they fell to Valdosta State in the regional final in 2010.
Other South Regional Semifinal:
Alabama Huntsville 96 Barry 82
Tuesday's Regional Final:
#1 Alabama Huntsville vs #7 Rollins
Rollins To Face Delta State In Regional Semifinal Sunday.
The Rollins Tars (22-10) will face the Delta State Statesmen in the South Region Semifinals at Spragins Hall in Huntsville, Alabama Sunday. Tip time will be at 6 PM Eastern time. You can catch the game on 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park and round the world at RollinsSports.com.
Rollins is coming off a thrilling 89-85 overtime win over Valdosta State on Saturday. Jeff Merton led six Tars in double figures in the victory with 16 points- Eric Castaneda (14) and Jakobi Bonner (13) were solid off the bench. Mike Bedulskis turned in a big game with 13 points and nine rebounds- Sam Philpott added 12- and- Joey Galvis turned in a double-double (10 points- 10 rebounds- three assists and three steals.)
Rollins season box score is led by Philpott at 14.9 per night- Merton scores 14.4 per game to go along with 5.8 rebounds a night- while Joey Galvis scores 10.5 points a game. Galvis is in the top ten in the country with 77 steals in 32 games. Connor McKim is averaging double figures on the season as well and leads the team dishing out nearly four assists a contest. The Tars average 80.8 points a game as a team and allow 79 a night on the defensive end coming into the weekend.
Delta State (23-8) averages 76.4 points a game on offense- while defensively they allow just 70.8 per contest. They are coming off a 80-67 win over Christian Brothers Saturday.
Devin Schmidt leads the Statesman average 22.4 points a game to go along with 4.7 assists a night- Brett Warner scores 12.1 a night- and- Ravion Henry averages 9.8 per game. Schmidt leads the team in rebounding at 6.5 per night as well.
The two teams have only met one previous time as the Tars were a 82-70 winner on November 12, 2010.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsbooks.com:
Delta State by 6.5
Other Regional Semifinal Line:
#1 Alabama Huntsville -3.5 vs #4 Barry
Tuesday's Regional Final:
#1 Alabama-Huntsville/#4 Barry winner vs #3 Delta State/ #7 Rollins winner
Rollins is coming off a thrilling 89-85 overtime win over Valdosta State on Saturday. Jeff Merton led six Tars in double figures in the victory with 16 points- Eric Castaneda (14) and Jakobi Bonner (13) were solid off the bench. Mike Bedulskis turned in a big game with 13 points and nine rebounds- Sam Philpott added 12- and- Joey Galvis turned in a double-double (10 points- 10 rebounds- three assists and three steals.)
Rollins season box score is led by Philpott at 14.9 per night- Merton scores 14.4 per game to go along with 5.8 rebounds a night- while Joey Galvis scores 10.5 points a game. Galvis is in the top ten in the country with 77 steals in 32 games. Connor McKim is averaging double figures on the season as well and leads the team dishing out nearly four assists a contest. The Tars average 80.8 points a game as a team and allow 79 a night on the defensive end coming into the weekend.
Delta State (23-8) averages 76.4 points a game on offense- while defensively they allow just 70.8 per contest. They are coming off a 80-67 win over Christian Brothers Saturday.
Devin Schmidt leads the Statesman average 22.4 points a game to go along with 4.7 assists a night- Brett Warner scores 12.1 a night- and- Ravion Henry averages 9.8 per game. Schmidt leads the team in rebounding at 6.5 per night as well.
The two teams have only met one previous time as the Tars were a 82-70 winner on November 12, 2010.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsbooks.com:
Delta State by 6.5
Other Regional Semifinal Line:
#1 Alabama Huntsville -3.5 vs #4 Barry
Tuesday's Regional Final:
#1 Alabama-Huntsville/#4 Barry winner vs #3 Delta State/ #7 Rollins winner
Survive and Advance. Tars Outlast VSU!
It took five extra minutes but the Rollins Tars advances to the semifinals of the South Regional with a 89-85 overtime thriller over the Blazers of Valdosta State in the opening round of the NCAA South Regional at Spragins Hall in Huntsville,Alabama Saturday.
Rollins (22-10) had six players score in double figures in the thrilling overtime victory. Jeff Merton led the way with 16 points-Eric Castaneda provided 14 off the bench- Mike Bedulskis nearly had a double-double (13 points and nine rebounds-) Jakobi Bonner scored 13 huge points- Sam Philpott scored 12 points- and- Joey Galvis posted a double-double (10 points- 10 rebounds- three assists- and- three steals.
Rollins shot 48 percent from the floor in the game- 27 percent (6-22) from the 3-point line- and shot 76 percent (25-33) from the free throw line. They had 15 assists and 14 turnovers as a team.
The Blazers were eliminated despite a career high 29 points from Damian Young- Jeremiah Hill provided all 19 of his points in the second half to go along with nine rebounds and seven assists- while Josh Lemons and Saddiq Muhammad each scored 10.
VSU shot 45 percent as a team- went 12-40 (30 percent) from the 3-point line- and shot 69 percent (11-16) from the free throw line. The Blazers won the rebounding battle 39-37. They had 22 assists and 15 turnovers.
Rollins scored the game's first five points and jumped out to a 9-5 lead at the first media timeout. The Tars would score the next seven point capped by a Galvis 3-pointer to make it 16-5 in there favor. They would maintain the lead and lead by as many as 17 (34-17) after a Merton layup at the 4:46 mark of the opening half. The Blazers would trim the lead to 12 (40-28) heading into the locker room.
The second half would see the Tars maintain a double digit lead until a 3-pointer by Lemons would make it 45-37 in favor of the Tars. VSU would battle back and take the lead (53-52) as Young would cap a 7-0 run with a layup at the 9:45 mark of regulation. The game would go back and forth for the next few minutes until Rollins would open up a five point lead (68-63) after a pair of Bonner free throws with just under six minutes to go. VSU would tie it on a Young 3-pointer a couple minutes later before Bonner gave the Tars the lead back with a pair more free throws at the 3:43 mark. Connor McKim would extend the Tars lead to four before five straight points by VSU would give them the lead back (73-72) after a Lemons layup at the 2:33 mark. The Tars would quickly regain the lead on a pair of Galvis free throws on the next trip. After a split pair of free throws by Rollins the game would be tied at 75 when Young made a layup at the 1:02 mark of regulation. Bedulskis would knock down a pair of free throws with 42 ticks left to give the Tars a two point lead. Young would knot the game at 77 on a pair of free throws with four seconds to go. Rollins then turned the ball over and survived regulation as the seventh seeded Tars and second seeded Blazers went into overtime.
The Blazers would score the first five points of the extra session and led 82-77 with 3:17 to go but the Tars battled back as they have all season long. The next eight points would go the Tars way as a Merton 3-pointer would give them the lead (85-82) with 1:44 to go in the overtime. Hill would tie it with a 3-pointer 23 seconds later. Castaneda would get to the free throw line for Rollins and split a pair to give them the lead (86-85) with just under a minute to go in overtime. After a Galvis steal the Tars would call timeout and Connor McKim would drive the lane and give them a three point lead (88-85) with 11 seconds to go. Castaneda would "seal it" for the Tars with a steal and a free throw.
Rollins will next play third seeded Delta State in the South Regional Semifinals Sunday. Tip time is set for 6 PM Eastern time. You can catch the game on the Geico Tars Sports Network at 91.5 FM WPRK and worldwide at RollinsSports.com
Other South Region Scores:
#3 Delta State 80 #6 Christian Brothers 67
#1 Alabama- Huntsville 96 #8 Clark-Atlanta 81
#4 Barry 91 #5 Eckerd 87
Sunday's Regional Semifinals:
#3 Delta State vs #7 Rollins
#1 Alabama Huntsville vs #4 Barry
Rollins (22-10) had six players score in double figures in the thrilling overtime victory. Jeff Merton led the way with 16 points-Eric Castaneda provided 14 off the bench- Mike Bedulskis nearly had a double-double (13 points and nine rebounds-) Jakobi Bonner scored 13 huge points- Sam Philpott scored 12 points- and- Joey Galvis posted a double-double (10 points- 10 rebounds- three assists- and- three steals.
Rollins shot 48 percent from the floor in the game- 27 percent (6-22) from the 3-point line- and shot 76 percent (25-33) from the free throw line. They had 15 assists and 14 turnovers as a team.
The Blazers were eliminated despite a career high 29 points from Damian Young- Jeremiah Hill provided all 19 of his points in the second half to go along with nine rebounds and seven assists- while Josh Lemons and Saddiq Muhammad each scored 10.
VSU shot 45 percent as a team- went 12-40 (30 percent) from the 3-point line- and shot 69 percent (11-16) from the free throw line. The Blazers won the rebounding battle 39-37. They had 22 assists and 15 turnovers.
Rollins scored the game's first five points and jumped out to a 9-5 lead at the first media timeout. The Tars would score the next seven point capped by a Galvis 3-pointer to make it 16-5 in there favor. They would maintain the lead and lead by as many as 17 (34-17) after a Merton layup at the 4:46 mark of the opening half. The Blazers would trim the lead to 12 (40-28) heading into the locker room.
The second half would see the Tars maintain a double digit lead until a 3-pointer by Lemons would make it 45-37 in favor of the Tars. VSU would battle back and take the lead (53-52) as Young would cap a 7-0 run with a layup at the 9:45 mark of regulation. The game would go back and forth for the next few minutes until Rollins would open up a five point lead (68-63) after a pair of Bonner free throws with just under six minutes to go. VSU would tie it on a Young 3-pointer a couple minutes later before Bonner gave the Tars the lead back with a pair more free throws at the 3:43 mark. Connor McKim would extend the Tars lead to four before five straight points by VSU would give them the lead back (73-72) after a Lemons layup at the 2:33 mark. The Tars would quickly regain the lead on a pair of Galvis free throws on the next trip. After a split pair of free throws by Rollins the game would be tied at 75 when Young made a layup at the 1:02 mark of regulation. Bedulskis would knock down a pair of free throws with 42 ticks left to give the Tars a two point lead. Young would knot the game at 77 on a pair of free throws with four seconds to go. Rollins then turned the ball over and survived regulation as the seventh seeded Tars and second seeded Blazers went into overtime.
The Blazers would score the first five points of the extra session and led 82-77 with 3:17 to go but the Tars battled back as they have all season long. The next eight points would go the Tars way as a Merton 3-pointer would give them the lead (85-82) with 1:44 to go in the overtime. Hill would tie it with a 3-pointer 23 seconds later. Castaneda would get to the free throw line for Rollins and split a pair to give them the lead (86-85) with just under a minute to go in overtime. After a Galvis steal the Tars would call timeout and Connor McKim would drive the lane and give them a three point lead (88-85) with 11 seconds to go. Castaneda would "seal it" for the Tars with a steal and a free throw.
Rollins will next play third seeded Delta State in the South Regional Semifinals Sunday. Tip time is set for 6 PM Eastern time. You can catch the game on the Geico Tars Sports Network at 91.5 FM WPRK and worldwide at RollinsSports.com
Other South Region Scores:
#3 Delta State 80 #6 Christian Brothers 67
#1 Alabama- Huntsville 96 #8 Clark-Atlanta 81
#4 Barry 91 #5 Eckerd 87
Sunday's Regional Semifinals:
#3 Delta State vs #7 Rollins
#1 Alabama Huntsville vs #4 Barry
Friday, March 10, 2017
Rollins Battles Valdosta State In Opening Round Saturday.
The Rollins Tars gained a return trip to the NCAA South Region and for a second straight year will participate in the Division II NCAA Tournament. In Saturday's opening round the Tars (21-10) will take on the Blazers of Valdosta State (26-5.) The game will tip at 330 PM Eastern time from Spragins Hall in Huntsville,Alabama. You can catch the game on the Geico Tars Sports Network at 91.5 FM WPRK and worldwide on RollinsSports.com. Jim "Shooter" Ferro and Nate Weyant will be on the call, with Austin David and Juan Bernal providing halftime and post-game analysis.
The seventh seeded Tars are coming off a thrilling SSC Championship run a week ago, that was capped by a 71-70 win over Palm Beach Atlantic in the title game. Rollins took care of sixth seeded Lynn and second seeded Eckerd in the previous two contest.
Rollins comes into the game shooting 42 percent from the 3-point line as a team. They average 80.8 points a game on offense, while giving up 79 a night on the defensive end. Sam Philpott leads Rollins in scoring averaging 15 points a game- Jeff Merton puts up 14.4 a night- while grabbing a team leading 5.8 rebounds a night. Connor McKim, who was the hero in two of the three tournament wins in the conference tournament is averaging 10.5 points a night- while he dishes out 3.9 assists a game. Joey Galvis is in the top ten in the country in Division II and led the SSC with 74 steals in 31 games.
Valdosta State (26-5) was ranked 16th in the latest NABC Division II coaches poll. The last time out they were a 94-91 loser to Alabama Huntsville in a winner take all contest to host the South Region. The Blazers are a member of the Gulf South Conference and have won seven of the past eight. As a team the Blazers averaging 88.7 points a game on offense- while defensively they give up 78.5 per contest. Six players score in double figures for Valdosta led by Jeremiah Hill who is scoring 16.9 per game- Hill also leads the team in assists (4.3 per game) and steals with just under two per contest. Sadie Muhhamed and Jimmy Kodet both have had big years. The two have combined for 51 blocked shots on the season. Muhhamed leads the team averaging 6.7 rebounds a night.
The last time the two teams met was in the 2010 SSC- GSC crossover. Valdosta was a 93-83 winner in that one. Rollins is 7-6 all time in the first round of the NCAA tournament and 2-1 as the 7th seed.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com:
Valdosta State by 6.5
Other South Region Games and Lines Saturday:
#4 Barry -4.5 vs #5 Eckerd
#3 Delta State -6 vs Christian Brothers
#1 Alabama-Huntsville -11.5 vs #8 Clark-Atlanta
The seventh seeded Tars are coming off a thrilling SSC Championship run a week ago, that was capped by a 71-70 win over Palm Beach Atlantic in the title game. Rollins took care of sixth seeded Lynn and second seeded Eckerd in the previous two contest.
Rollins comes into the game shooting 42 percent from the 3-point line as a team. They average 80.8 points a game on offense, while giving up 79 a night on the defensive end. Sam Philpott leads Rollins in scoring averaging 15 points a game- Jeff Merton puts up 14.4 a night- while grabbing a team leading 5.8 rebounds a night. Connor McKim, who was the hero in two of the three tournament wins in the conference tournament is averaging 10.5 points a night- while he dishes out 3.9 assists a game. Joey Galvis is in the top ten in the country in Division II and led the SSC with 74 steals in 31 games.
Valdosta State (26-5) was ranked 16th in the latest NABC Division II coaches poll. The last time out they were a 94-91 loser to Alabama Huntsville in a winner take all contest to host the South Region. The Blazers are a member of the Gulf South Conference and have won seven of the past eight. As a team the Blazers averaging 88.7 points a game on offense- while defensively they give up 78.5 per contest. Six players score in double figures for Valdosta led by Jeremiah Hill who is scoring 16.9 per game- Hill also leads the team in assists (4.3 per game) and steals with just under two per contest. Sadie Muhhamed and Jimmy Kodet both have had big years. The two have combined for 51 blocked shots on the season. Muhhamed leads the team averaging 6.7 rebounds a night.
The last time the two teams met was in the 2010 SSC- GSC crossover. Valdosta was a 93-83 winner in that one. Rollins is 7-6 all time in the first round of the NCAA tournament and 2-1 as the 7th seed.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com:
Valdosta State by 6.5
Other South Region Games and Lines Saturday:
#4 Barry -4.5 vs #5 Eckerd
#3 Delta State -6 vs Christian Brothers
#1 Alabama-Huntsville -11.5 vs #8 Clark-Atlanta
Monday, March 6, 2017
Rollins Returns To South Region.
For the second straight season the Rollins Tars (21-10) will advance to the NCAA South Region tournament. Once again Alabama-Huntsville will serve as the hosts. Rollins will be the seventh seed, as the automatic qualifier from the Sunshine State Conference after the thrilling 71-70 win over Palm Beach Atlantic Sunday. The Tars will face second seeded Valdosta State. The Blazers fell to Huntsville in the Gulf South Championship Game Sunday. Huntsville will be the top seed and face eight seed Clark-Atlanta- #4 Barry will face #5 Eckerd- while third seeded Delta State will face sixth seeded Christian Brothers.
The Tars- Valdosta game will be at 3:30 ET time on Saturday. Stay tuned, as the preview of this game and the rest of the lines around the region will come in the coming days.
The Tars- Valdosta game will be at 3:30 ET time on Saturday. Stay tuned, as the preview of this game and the rest of the lines around the region will come in the coming days.
Sunday, March 5, 2017
Tournament Champs!
Connor McKim nailed a 3-pointer with three seconds to go that proved to be the game winner, as the Rollins Tars captured the school's first tournament championship since 2011 with a 71-70 win over Palm Beach Atlantic at the ICI Center in Daytona Beach Sunday.
Rollins (21-10) will be the automatic qualifier from the Sunshine State Conference, and will play in the South Region of the NCAA Tournament. The Tars come into the tournament winners of 13 of the last 15 contests.
The Tars trailed by 10 with less than eight minutes to go and rallied for the stunning victory. They were down six with 1:34 to go in the contest.
Jeff Merton was the tournament MVP and had a double-double (19 points and 12 rebounds) to lead the Tars. The Naples native set a new career high with 12 rebounds in this one- Eric Castaneda knocked down four 3-pointer's en route to his 12 points- Joey Galvis stuffed the stat sheet once again with nine points- eight assists- and- three steals- while McKim also scored nine including the game winner. Galvis and McKim joined Merton on the All-Tournament team.
Bakhari Warthen and Milos Kostic paced PBA (16-13) with 21 points each. Malik Barber also scored in double figures with 10.
The game began with Rollins jumping out to a 8-1 lead four and a half minutes in. After a Sailfish run they would climb to within two (17-15) at the 10 minute mark of the opening half. The Tars would lead by 16 (37-21) with 3:28 to go in the first, before the Sailfish finished the half on a 8-0 run. Rollins led 37-29 at the intermission.
The second half was a wild one, with plenty of swings of momentum. With 14:01 in the game the Tars would have a six point lead (46-40) before the Sailfish rattled off a 18-2 run that put the Tars down eight (58-50) with 7:30 to go. Rollins would be down six (70-64) with 1:34 to play after Castaneda hit a pair of huge 3-pointer's. Philpott would get the Tars within four after a pair of free throws- and then McKim would knock down a pair of his own to trim the PBA lead to two (70-68) with 48 seconds to go. After Rollins missed the front end of a one and one, Galvis would come up with a huge hustle play to force a jump ball as the arrow favored the Tars. Galvis found McKim in the left corner and he knocked down what proved to be the game winner. PBA had one last chance but could not convert as the Tars players stormed the court in celebration.
Rollins shot 50 percent as a team in the contest- they shot 41 percent (7-17) from the 3-point line. The Tars were a solid 76 percent (12-16) at the free throw line. They had 16 assists and 15 turnovers as a team.
PBA shot 45 percent as a team- 47 percent (7-15) from the 3-point line- and 63 percent (15-24) at the free throw line. The Sailfish won the rebounding battle 35-29- they had 13 assists and 14 turnovers as a team.
The tournament title was the fifth in program history. It was the first time in Tom Klusman's coaching career that his team won the title when they did not also win the regular season title.
Rollins will learn where they will play and when as the NCAA Selection Show will be held at 1030 PM on NCAA.com
Rollins (21-10) will be the automatic qualifier from the Sunshine State Conference, and will play in the South Region of the NCAA Tournament. The Tars come into the tournament winners of 13 of the last 15 contests.
The Tars trailed by 10 with less than eight minutes to go and rallied for the stunning victory. They were down six with 1:34 to go in the contest.
Jeff Merton was the tournament MVP and had a double-double (19 points and 12 rebounds) to lead the Tars. The Naples native set a new career high with 12 rebounds in this one- Eric Castaneda knocked down four 3-pointer's en route to his 12 points- Joey Galvis stuffed the stat sheet once again with nine points- eight assists- and- three steals- while McKim also scored nine including the game winner. Galvis and McKim joined Merton on the All-Tournament team.
Bakhari Warthen and Milos Kostic paced PBA (16-13) with 21 points each. Malik Barber also scored in double figures with 10.
The game began with Rollins jumping out to a 8-1 lead four and a half minutes in. After a Sailfish run they would climb to within two (17-15) at the 10 minute mark of the opening half. The Tars would lead by 16 (37-21) with 3:28 to go in the first, before the Sailfish finished the half on a 8-0 run. Rollins led 37-29 at the intermission.
The second half was a wild one, with plenty of swings of momentum. With 14:01 in the game the Tars would have a six point lead (46-40) before the Sailfish rattled off a 18-2 run that put the Tars down eight (58-50) with 7:30 to go. Rollins would be down six (70-64) with 1:34 to play after Castaneda hit a pair of huge 3-pointer's. Philpott would get the Tars within four after a pair of free throws- and then McKim would knock down a pair of his own to trim the PBA lead to two (70-68) with 48 seconds to go. After Rollins missed the front end of a one and one, Galvis would come up with a huge hustle play to force a jump ball as the arrow favored the Tars. Galvis found McKim in the left corner and he knocked down what proved to be the game winner. PBA had one last chance but could not convert as the Tars players stormed the court in celebration.
Rollins shot 50 percent as a team in the contest- they shot 41 percent (7-17) from the 3-point line. The Tars were a solid 76 percent (12-16) at the free throw line. They had 16 assists and 15 turnovers as a team.
PBA shot 45 percent as a team- 47 percent (7-15) from the 3-point line- and 63 percent (15-24) at the free throw line. The Sailfish won the rebounding battle 35-29- they had 13 assists and 14 turnovers as a team.
The tournament title was the fifth in program history. It was the first time in Tom Klusman's coaching career that his team won the title when they did not also win the regular season title.
Rollins will learn where they will play and when as the NCAA Selection Show will be held at 1030 PM on NCAA.com
Rollins-PBA Battle For SSC Title Sunday.
The third seeded Rollins Tars and the four seed Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish will battle Sunday at 4 PM inside the ICI Center on the campus of Embry-Riddle. You can catch the game on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com and 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park with Jim "Shooter" Ferro and Robert Segal. The game will also be broadcast on SunshineStateConference.com, as well as ESPN 3.
The Tars are coming off a big 81-70 win over Eckerd on Saturday night. The Tars scored 44 points and just had a pair of turnovers in the second half Saturday. Rollins won both meetings in the regular season with the Sailfish.
Sam Philpott paces the tars at 15.2 points a game- Jeff Meron puts up 14.2 a night to go along with 5.6 rebounds a contest. Connor McKim and Joey Galvis each score 10.6 a game- while McKim dishes out 3.9 assists a contest. Galvis is 10th nationally with 71 steals for the season. The Tars average 81.1 points a game on offense-while defensively they give up 79.3 per game. The Tars lead the SSC shooting 42 percent from the 3-point line.
Bakhari Warten leads PBA with 13.8 points and 5.1 rebounds a game- Grant Gullett scores 13 a night- and Dakota Zinser scores 10.2 a contest. Lucas Morales leads the team in rebounding at 6.6 a game- while Michale Stone has a team high 93 assists. The Sailfish score 77.4 a game- while they give up 78.5 a contest.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com:
Rollins by 6
The Tars are coming off a big 81-70 win over Eckerd on Saturday night. The Tars scored 44 points and just had a pair of turnovers in the second half Saturday. Rollins won both meetings in the regular season with the Sailfish.
Sam Philpott paces the tars at 15.2 points a game- Jeff Meron puts up 14.2 a night to go along with 5.6 rebounds a contest. Connor McKim and Joey Galvis each score 10.6 a game- while McKim dishes out 3.9 assists a contest. Galvis is 10th nationally with 71 steals for the season. The Tars average 81.1 points a game on offense-while defensively they give up 79.3 per game. The Tars lead the SSC shooting 42 percent from the 3-point line.
Bakhari Warten leads PBA with 13.8 points and 5.1 rebounds a game- Grant Gullett scores 13 a night- and Dakota Zinser scores 10.2 a contest. Lucas Morales leads the team in rebounding at 6.6 a game- while Michale Stone has a team high 93 assists. The Sailfish score 77.4 a game- while they give up 78.5 a contest.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com:
Rollins by 6
Rollins Knocks Off Eckerd To Advance To Title Game.
When they were 8-8 and 1-5 in the SSC who would have guessed the Rollins Tars would be in this spot? The Tars were a 81-70 winner over Eckerd in the SSC Semifinals at the ICI Center in Daytona Beach on the campus of Embry-Riddle.
With the victory third seeded Rollins (20-10) will take on fourth seeded Palm Beach Atlantic in the SSC Title game at 4 PM Sunday. You can catch the the game on RollinsSports.com and locally on 91.5 FM WPRK.
Rollins was led by five players in double figures on the evening. Jeff Merton led the way with 23 points- Sam Philpott scored 17- Joey Galvis stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points- nine rebounds- seven assists- and three steals. Eric Castaneda had 13 off the bench- while Connor McKim scored all 11 of his points in the second half.
The Tars shot 47 percent as a team- 46 percent (12-26) from the 3-point line- and shot 79 percent (15-19) at the free throw line. The Tars had 14 assists and eight turnovers.
Eckerd (21-8) was led by Matt Beneduci with 21 points- Trevon Young had 15 points and nine rebounds- while Drushaun McLaurn added 14.
The Tritons shot 46 percent as a team- 37 percent (11-30) from the 3-point line- and- 56 percent (5-9) at the free throw line. The Tritons edged Rollins on the glass 35-32. They had 20 assists and 13 turnovers as a team.
Both teams got off to a very slow start and it was 4-0 at Eckerd at the first media. Castaneda would get the Tars on the board at the 15:30 mark of the opening half. After a four 3-pointer first half from Beneduci and a pair from Walsh Eckerd led by 12 (32-20) with 5:45 in the opening half. The Tars trailed by 10 with 2:24 in the half but got the lead down to two (39-37) after a deep Castaneda 3-pointer right before the intermission.
With 14:45 to go the Tars would take the first lead of the game after a Philpott 3-pointer. Eckerd would run off the next six points, but the Tars would fight back right away. Rollins would go on a 15-2 run and take a eight point lead (65-57.) Eckerd would get to within five but that is the closest they would get the rest of the way as Rollins advances to Sunday's 4 PM title game.
Other SSC Semifinal:
#4 Palm Beach Atlantic 97 #1 Barry 95 (OT)
Sunday SSC Final:
#3 Rollins vs #4 Palm Beach Atlantic
With the victory third seeded Rollins (20-10) will take on fourth seeded Palm Beach Atlantic in the SSC Title game at 4 PM Sunday. You can catch the the game on RollinsSports.com and locally on 91.5 FM WPRK.
Rollins was led by five players in double figures on the evening. Jeff Merton led the way with 23 points- Sam Philpott scored 17- Joey Galvis stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points- nine rebounds- seven assists- and three steals. Eric Castaneda had 13 off the bench- while Connor McKim scored all 11 of his points in the second half.
The Tars shot 47 percent as a team- 46 percent (12-26) from the 3-point line- and shot 79 percent (15-19) at the free throw line. The Tars had 14 assists and eight turnovers.
Eckerd (21-8) was led by Matt Beneduci with 21 points- Trevon Young had 15 points and nine rebounds- while Drushaun McLaurn added 14.
The Tritons shot 46 percent as a team- 37 percent (11-30) from the 3-point line- and- 56 percent (5-9) at the free throw line. The Tritons edged Rollins on the glass 35-32. They had 20 assists and 13 turnovers as a team.
Both teams got off to a very slow start and it was 4-0 at Eckerd at the first media. Castaneda would get the Tars on the board at the 15:30 mark of the opening half. After a four 3-pointer first half from Beneduci and a pair from Walsh Eckerd led by 12 (32-20) with 5:45 in the opening half. The Tars trailed by 10 with 2:24 in the half but got the lead down to two (39-37) after a deep Castaneda 3-pointer right before the intermission.
With 14:45 to go the Tars would take the first lead of the game after a Philpott 3-pointer. Eckerd would run off the next six points, but the Tars would fight back right away. Rollins would go on a 15-2 run and take a eight point lead (65-57.) Eckerd would get to within five but that is the closest they would get the rest of the way as Rollins advances to Sunday's 4 PM title game.
Other SSC Semifinal:
#4 Palm Beach Atlantic 97 #1 Barry 95 (OT)
Sunday SSC Final:
#3 Rollins vs #4 Palm Beach Atlantic
Saturday, March 4, 2017
SSC Semifinal Pits Rollins-Eckerd.
The Sunshine State Conference Semifinals Saturday night pits the second seeded Eckerd Tritons and the third seeded Rollins College Tars for a 730 PM tip at the ICI Center in Daytona Beach. You can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com and locally on 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park. You can also view the game on SunshineStateconference.Com. Jim "Shooter" Ferro and Robert Segal will have the call of the Rollins broadcast with Austin David and Juan Bernal doing the pre game, post game and halftime shows.
Rollins (19-10) is coming off a thrilling 75-73 win over Lynn in the SSC Quarterfinals on Wednesday night. Connor McKim scored the game winning layup with three seconds left and Rollins survived a good look at a 3-pointer by Lynn to survive the contest. The Tars have won six straight and 11 of the past 13 after a 8-8 start.
Sam Philpott leads the Tars in scoring at 15.1 points a game- he grabs 4.2 rebounds a night- and- is shooting a conference third best 56 percent from the field on the season. SSC Second Team member Jeff Merton scores 13.9 points a game to go along with a team leading 5.6 rebounds a contest. Freshman of the Year Connor McKim scores 10.6 per night to go along with 4.1 assists a game. McKim is coming off a career high 11 assists in Wednesday's victory over Lynn. Joey Galvis scores 10.5 a game and is ninth in the nation with 68 steals. The Tars are the ninth best 3-point shooting team in Division II shooting at a 41.4 percent clip for the year. The Tars average 81.1 points a game on offense- while they give up 79.6 at the defensive end.
Second seeded Eckerd has won eight of the last nine. The Tritons are coming off a convincing 88-72 win over Florida Southern in the Quarterfinals Wednesday. Eckerd currently is the 5th seed in the latest South Region Rankings. The Tritons lead the SSC in defense as they give u only 73.1 points per night. At the other end they score 81.7 points a contest. Drushaun McLaurn leads the Tritons scoring 16.3 points and 7.2 rebounds a night. Kevin Walsh is shooting 46 percent from the 3-point line (leading the conference) and is scoring 13.6 points a game. Trevon Young scores 12.1 points and grabs 6.6 rebounds a contest- While Obi Kyei is scoring 11.3 points and hauling in 8 rebounds a night. The Tritons out rebound the opponent by nearly eight rebounds a night and is 11th in the country in rebounding margin.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com:
Eckerd by 7
Other SSC Semifinal:
#1 Barry -8.5 vs #4 Palm Beach Atlantic
South Region Rankings:
1. Delta State
2. Alabama Huntsville
3. Valdosta State
4. Barry
5. Eckerd
6. West Florida
7. Christian Brothers
8. Morehouse
9. Rollins
10. Shorter
Rollins (19-10) is coming off a thrilling 75-73 win over Lynn in the SSC Quarterfinals on Wednesday night. Connor McKim scored the game winning layup with three seconds left and Rollins survived a good look at a 3-pointer by Lynn to survive the contest. The Tars have won six straight and 11 of the past 13 after a 8-8 start.
Sam Philpott leads the Tars in scoring at 15.1 points a game- he grabs 4.2 rebounds a night- and- is shooting a conference third best 56 percent from the field on the season. SSC Second Team member Jeff Merton scores 13.9 points a game to go along with a team leading 5.6 rebounds a contest. Freshman of the Year Connor McKim scores 10.6 per night to go along with 4.1 assists a game. McKim is coming off a career high 11 assists in Wednesday's victory over Lynn. Joey Galvis scores 10.5 a game and is ninth in the nation with 68 steals. The Tars are the ninth best 3-point shooting team in Division II shooting at a 41.4 percent clip for the year. The Tars average 81.1 points a game on offense- while they give up 79.6 at the defensive end.
Second seeded Eckerd has won eight of the last nine. The Tritons are coming off a convincing 88-72 win over Florida Southern in the Quarterfinals Wednesday. Eckerd currently is the 5th seed in the latest South Region Rankings. The Tritons lead the SSC in defense as they give u only 73.1 points per night. At the other end they score 81.7 points a contest. Drushaun McLaurn leads the Tritons scoring 16.3 points and 7.2 rebounds a night. Kevin Walsh is shooting 46 percent from the 3-point line (leading the conference) and is scoring 13.6 points a game. Trevon Young scores 12.1 points and grabs 6.6 rebounds a contest- While Obi Kyei is scoring 11.3 points and hauling in 8 rebounds a night. The Tritons out rebound the opponent by nearly eight rebounds a night and is 11th in the country in rebounding margin.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com:
Eckerd by 7
Other SSC Semifinal:
#1 Barry -8.5 vs #4 Palm Beach Atlantic
South Region Rankings:
1. Delta State
2. Alabama Huntsville
3. Valdosta State
4. Barry
5. Eckerd
6. West Florida
7. Christian Brothers
8. Morehouse
9. Rollins
10. Shorter
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
McKim Lifts Tars Into SSC Semis!
What a day for Connor McKim and the Rollins Tars. They had a 15 point lead at halftime inside Warden Arena against Lynn, trailed by four with 2:20 to go in regulation- and- would ultimately advance after a McKim layup with 3.5 seconds to go. The Tars won 75-73 and advance to Saturday's Semifinal against #2 Eckerd.
Sam Philpott paced the Tars (19-10) with 18 points on the night- Joey Galvis knocked down five 3-pointer's to net his 15 points- Eric Castaneda added 14- and- McKim posted a double double with 11 points and 11 assists- Jeff Merton just missed a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds.
Rollins shot 47 percent as a team- this included shooting at a 37 percent clip from the 3-point line. The Tars really struggled at the free throw line, where they shot 52 percent (11-21.) They had 18 assists and 11 turnovers.
The Fighting Knights (13-14) saw the season come to an end in Winter Park. MarQuan Botley led Lynn with 18 points- while Kevin O'Brien and Jamal Palmer scored 16 points each. The Knights shot 49 percent as a team- 36 percent (11-31) from the 3-point line- and shot at a 71 percent clip (10-14) from the free throw line. They won the rebounding battle 36-29- and- had 21 assists as opposed to 19 turnovers.
The Tars would come out of the gates quickly and take a 5-0 lead after Galvis's first of five 3-pointer's on the night. They would take a eight point lead (13-5) at the first media timeout of the opening half. The lead would be stretched to 10 (20-10) after a Castaneda 3-pointer at the 13:07 mark in the first. The lead would grow to 12 (27-15) after a Castaneda free throw 5:30 minutes later. After Lynn got to within nine (35-26) the Tars would score the next eight points to go up 17 and ultimately held a 15 point (46-31) halftime lead.
The Fighting Knights would get to within five (49-44) after a 13-3 run that was capped by a Palmer layup with 15:41 to go. The Tars would get the lead back to nine (53-44) after a Philpott three-point play only to see Lynn answer right back. This time it was a 9-2 run that got the Knight within two (55-53)after a Botley 3-pointer with 11:15 to go. The Tars would score the next basket, then would go on a 7-0 spurt to take a three point lead (60-57) with 9:21 to go. The Knights would maintain the lead for a couple minutes until Philpott gave Rollins a 68-67 lead with 4:41 to go. The next five points would belong to the Fighting Knights and they led by four (72-68) after a Vieux Kande layup at the 3:42 mark. After each team made one free throw on the next possession, Galvis would drain a huge 3-pointer with 2:18 on the clock. Philpott would split a pair of free throws for the Tars with just over a minute to go and it would be knotted at 73. Castaneda would come up with a huge steal for the Tars, then Galvis would get a giant rebound of a Castaneda missed layup to set up the wild finish. Rollins would call a timeout with 22 seconds to go. They would get McKim who won the SSC Freshman of The Year earlier in the day in a pick and roll with Philpott and McKim would score with the left hand. It would not be over yet as Botley had a good look from the 3-point line as time expired and the Tars advanced to Saturday's Semifinals at the ICI Center in Daytona Beach. Tip time is set for 7:30 PM and you can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com
Other SSC Tournament Scores:
#1 Barry 87 #8 Florida Tech 84
#4 Palm Beach Atlantic 66 #5 Tampa 63
#2 Eckerd 88 #7 Florida Southern 72
SSC Semis Saturday (At the ICI Center in Daytona Beach:
#1 Barry vs #4 Palm Beach Atlantic 5 PM
#2 Eckerd vs #3 Rollins 730 PM
South Region Rankings (Top Eight Qualify For 2017 NCAA Tournament:)
1. Valdosta State (23-4)
2. Alabama-Huntsville (21-7)
3. Delta State (19-7)
4. Barry (21-5)
5. Eckerd (20-7)
6. West Florida (20-8)
7. Christian Brothers (17-11)
8. Morehouse (16-9)
9. Rollins (18-10)
10. Shorter (14-11)
Sam Philpott paced the Tars (19-10) with 18 points on the night- Joey Galvis knocked down five 3-pointer's to net his 15 points- Eric Castaneda added 14- and- McKim posted a double double with 11 points and 11 assists- Jeff Merton just missed a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds.
Rollins shot 47 percent as a team- this included shooting at a 37 percent clip from the 3-point line. The Tars really struggled at the free throw line, where they shot 52 percent (11-21.) They had 18 assists and 11 turnovers.
The Fighting Knights (13-14) saw the season come to an end in Winter Park. MarQuan Botley led Lynn with 18 points- while Kevin O'Brien and Jamal Palmer scored 16 points each. The Knights shot 49 percent as a team- 36 percent (11-31) from the 3-point line- and shot at a 71 percent clip (10-14) from the free throw line. They won the rebounding battle 36-29- and- had 21 assists as opposed to 19 turnovers.
The Tars would come out of the gates quickly and take a 5-0 lead after Galvis's first of five 3-pointer's on the night. They would take a eight point lead (13-5) at the first media timeout of the opening half. The lead would be stretched to 10 (20-10) after a Castaneda 3-pointer at the 13:07 mark in the first. The lead would grow to 12 (27-15) after a Castaneda free throw 5:30 minutes later. After Lynn got to within nine (35-26) the Tars would score the next eight points to go up 17 and ultimately held a 15 point (46-31) halftime lead.
The Fighting Knights would get to within five (49-44) after a 13-3 run that was capped by a Palmer layup with 15:41 to go. The Tars would get the lead back to nine (53-44) after a Philpott three-point play only to see Lynn answer right back. This time it was a 9-2 run that got the Knight within two (55-53)after a Botley 3-pointer with 11:15 to go. The Tars would score the next basket, then would go on a 7-0 spurt to take a three point lead (60-57) with 9:21 to go. The Knights would maintain the lead for a couple minutes until Philpott gave Rollins a 68-67 lead with 4:41 to go. The next five points would belong to the Fighting Knights and they led by four (72-68) after a Vieux Kande layup at the 3:42 mark. After each team made one free throw on the next possession, Galvis would drain a huge 3-pointer with 2:18 on the clock. Philpott would split a pair of free throws for the Tars with just over a minute to go and it would be knotted at 73. Castaneda would come up with a huge steal for the Tars, then Galvis would get a giant rebound of a Castaneda missed layup to set up the wild finish. Rollins would call a timeout with 22 seconds to go. They would get McKim who won the SSC Freshman of The Year earlier in the day in a pick and roll with Philpott and McKim would score with the left hand. It would not be over yet as Botley had a good look from the 3-point line as time expired and the Tars advanced to Saturday's Semifinals at the ICI Center in Daytona Beach. Tip time is set for 7:30 PM and you can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com
Other SSC Tournament Scores:
#1 Barry 87 #8 Florida Tech 84
#4 Palm Beach Atlantic 66 #5 Tampa 63
#2 Eckerd 88 #7 Florida Southern 72
SSC Semis Saturday (At the ICI Center in Daytona Beach:
#1 Barry vs #4 Palm Beach Atlantic 5 PM
#2 Eckerd vs #3 Rollins 730 PM
South Region Rankings (Top Eight Qualify For 2017 NCAA Tournament:)
1. Valdosta State (23-4)
2. Alabama-Huntsville (21-7)
3. Delta State (19-7)
4. Barry (21-5)
5. Eckerd (20-7)
6. West Florida (20-8)
7. Christian Brothers (17-11)
8. Morehouse (16-9)
9. Rollins (18-10)
10. Shorter (14-11)
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