Florida Southern's five-game homestand ends this Wednesday as the Moccasins host Eckerd College in another Sunshine State Conference game at Jenkins Field House. The Mocs are seeking a 3-0 start in conference play, while the Tritons are looking for their first conference win after a 98-87 loss to Barry on Saturday.
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Florida Southern Probable Starters:
F, #15, John Thompson (14.8 ppg., 8.1 rebs., .571 fg%)
F, #32, A.J. Hawkins (6.7 ppg., 4.0 rebs., .653 fg%)
G, #1, Brandon Jenkins (13.9 pts., 5.3 rebs., 4.7 asts., .519 3-pt.%)
G, #2, Terry Jenkins (13.7 pts., 3.0 rebs., 3.6 asts., .455 3-pt.%)
G, #20, Rion Rayfield (16.9 pts., 3.1 rebs., 5.5 asts., .453 3-pt.%)
Eckerd Probable Starters:
G, #11, Lewis Lampley (6.7 pts., 5.5 rebs., 2.3 asts.)
G, #20, Woody Taylor (5.8 pts., 2.3 rebs., 3.5 asts.)
G, #22, John Harper (14.2 pts., 2.4 rebs., .889 ft%)
F, #32, Walade Wade (5.9 pts., 4.9 rebs.)
F, #34, Zaronn Cann (12.4 pts., 5.0 rebs., .629 fg%)
SERIES HISTORY... Florida Southern owns a 57-29 all-time record against Eckerd, though the Tritons are 9-5 against the Moccasins over the last five years. That includes wins in the 2004 SSC Championship Game and the first round of the 2004 NCAA South Region Tournament. Last year, however, the Moccasins swept the Tritons, winning 86-78 in Lakeland, and 87-79 in St. Petersburg.
ABOUT FLORIDA SOUTHERN... Florida Southern's winning streak is now at 12 games, giving the Moccasins their best start since winning their first 16 games in 2002-03. It's the eighth time the Moccasins have started a season with a 12-0 record. Scoring more than 89 points per game, the Mocs have four players averaging at least 13.7, three starters shooting well over 50 percent from the floor, three who are shooting at least 46 percent from 3-point range, and all five are 70 percent or better from the free throw line. They've scored at least 80 points in all but one game this season, and made at least seven 3-pointers in all but one game as well. There's no doubt the hottest player has been Rion Rayfield, who was named the SSC Player-of-the-Week on Monday for the second time this year. In the Mocs' last three games since returning from Christmas break, Rayfield averaged 22.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 3.3 steals. John Thompson, Brandon Jenkins and Terry Jenkins all have a double figure scoring average too, and lately A.J. Hawkins has joined that list, averaging 10.3 points over his last four games. It was Hawkins and Rayfield who lifted the Mocs past Florida Tech midway through the second half of their most recent game, before Terry Jenkins hit the game-winning 3-pointer in the final minute. but Florida Southern also got outstanding work off the bench in the first half from Preston Fredrick, Damon Ellison, Jon Gardner and Brett Bailey in that game, allowing the Mocs to show off their depth in a game where Hawkins picked up two fouls in the first two minutes, and Thompson and Terry Jenkins had combined for only three points in the first 20 minutes.
ABOUT ECKERD... The Tritons are 6-4 overall and have so far played only one conference game, a 98-87 loss to Barry on Saturday. That game went back and forth, with 15 lead changes and six ties, but the Tritons allowed the Buccaneers to shoot 72 percent in the second half. Barry also went 13-for-19 from 3-point range in that game, the third time in the last five games a team has shot better than 50 percent behind the arc against the Eckerd defense. The Tritons rank last in the SSC in that defensive category, and will be going against a Florida Southern team that ranks among the national leaders in 3-point shooting percentage at .442. Offensively, however, Eckerd has held its own, and along with Florida Southern and Florida Tech, is one of three SSC teams averaging more than 80 points per game. John Harper leads the team with a 14.2 scoring average and is also second in the SSC in 3-point field goals per game, trailing only the Moccasins' Rion Rayfield. Wayne Sears has only started two games this year, but is tied with Harper for the team scoring lead, and is also a strong 3-point shooter, making 39 percent of his long range shots. Overall the Tritons are shooting 48 percent from the floor, 38 percent from 3-point distance, and 75 percent from the free throw line. Ironically, both Eckerd and Florida Southern share the league's single-game scoring high this season with 111 points in separate wins over Puerto Rico-Bayamon.
