Box Score WINTER PARK - In a game that saw the two teams combine to make 28 three-pointers, Rollins' Nikola Baran made just one, but his may have been the biggest of the night, as it came with 2.4 seconds left and gave the 20th-ranked Tars' a 91-88 victory over the previously unbeaten Moccasins Saturday at Rollins.
Baran's basket from the top of the key ended the Moccasins' 13-game winning streak and likely cost them a chance to be the No. 1 ranked team in the country next week. Top-ranked Central Missouri had already lost earlier in the week and the second-ranked Moccasins were in line to replace them if they had won Saturday.
Terry Jenkins sank a three-pointer with 17 seconds left to tie the game at 88-88, but after a Rollins timeout the Tars got the ball to Baran, who had missed his previous three attempts from three-point range in the game and who had attempted just 11 all season prior to this game. The Moccasins' desparation shot by Rion Rayfield from half court fell short at the final buzzer.
The game was tied 10 times and there nine lead changes. The Moccasins had a nine-point lead, 19-10, just over six minutes into the game. With the score tied at 24-24 with 9:47 left in the first half, the Tars went on a 20-2 run that included four three-pointers and built the lead to 44-26 with 6:41 left in the half. The Moccasins answered with a 17-4 run of their own that included five three-pointers and trimmed the Rollins lead to 48-43 at halftime.
The second half was a different story in terms of the lead, as eight points was the biggest lead either team had. With the Tars leading 83-80, Rayfield was fouled shooting a three-pointer and made all three free throws to tie the game at 83-83 with 1:06 to go. Rollins regained the lead on a conventional three-point play by Myk Brown with 48 seconds left. A.J. Hawkins sank a pair of free throws to make it a one-point game with 37 seconds to go. The Tars' Nick Wolf made a pair of free throws with 30 seconds remaining to put the Tars up three before Jenkins tied the game for the 10th and final time with his three pointer.
Jenkins was nine of 14 from three-point range and finished with a career-high 31 points. Rayfield sank seven three-pointers and scored 24 points, while Hawkins delivered a season-high 17 points. Brown led the Tars with 30 points and Wolf added 26.
The Moccasins (13-1, 3-1 SSC) connected on 18 of 35 three-pointers and the Tars (10-3, 2-1 SSC) hit 10 of 27.
The Moccasins return to action Wednesday night with a 7:30 p.m. Sunshine State Conference game at Saint Leo. The game will be broadcast live on the internet on SportsLine Radio Netowork (SLRN).
