Florida Southern will take the court at home for the first time this year when it hosts the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. It marks the third time in the last four years the Moccasins have played their first home game against the Gallitos, and the Mocs are looking to even their record after a loss to Division I South Florida on Wednesday.
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Florida Southern Probable Starters:
F, #23, Garrett Putman (4.0 pts., 7.0 rebs.)
F, #40, Brett Bailey (12.0 pts., 3.0 rebs.)
G, #0, Kevin Capers (13.0 pts., 2 .0 rebs., 2.0 asts.)
G, #5, Dominic Lane (2.0 pts., 4.0 rebs.)
G, #21, Seth Evans (3.0 pts., 3.0 rebs., 2.0 asts.)
SERIES HISTORY... Florida Southern has won all three of the previous meetings with Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras, including a 92-72 win last year in the Terrace Hotel/Ledger Classic. Five Moccasins scored in double figures in that game, with Brett Bailey scoring 12 points with 10 rebounds. The Moccasins led from start to finish, but it was still a 6-point game midway through the second half when a 12-1 run finally gave them control. The Mocs also won in November of 2008 by the score of 109-86, and in November of 2009 by the score of 103-61.
ABOUT FLORIDA SOUTHERN... The Moccasins began the season on Wednesday with a 73-43 loss to the University of South Florida at the Lakeland Center. It was the Mocs' first game against a member of the Big East Conference since 1985, when they lost to Georgetown, 71-39. Against the Bulls on Wednesday, the Mocs were only 1-for-20 from 3-point range, but committed just eight turnovers, their fewest in a season opener in 27 years. Kevin Capers led the Mocs with 13 points and added two assists and two steals without any turnovers in his first collegiate game. He became just the fifth freshman in team history to lead the Mocs in scoring in his college debut, and the first true freshman since Jim Stephenson in 1976. Brett Bailey, who is Florida Southern's only returning starter from the end of last season, added 12 points. Garrett Putman and Kyle Tazioli, a pair of transfers from other Division II schools, were the Mocs' top rebounders with seven and six respectively.
ABOUT UPR-RIO PIEDRAS... The Gallitos are playing their first game of the season, and the first of five games on their trip to Florida. They'll also play Flagler and Rollins, and two games at a tournament hosted by Florida Tech. Last year they went 0-6 in Florida, though in three of those games they had the lead for most of the game. They have nine players back from last year, including Joseph Vegerano, who led the Gallitos with 23 points in the two tournament games at Florida Southern. He scored 19 against the Moccasins, going five-for-11 from 3-point range. Vegerano was the team's leading scorer in the 6-game Florida road trip with a 12.8 scoring average, and he also scored 16 points against the Mocs as a freshman. Ramon Matos is another returning veteran who scored 11 points against Florida Southern last year, while Angel Acevedo had a 15-point game against the Mocs in 2009.
