Mocs Put Six-Game Win Streak on Line Saturday Against Lynn

LAKELAND - Ninth-ranked Florida Southern will put its six game winning streak on the line here Saturday evening as the Moccasins open up the second half of Sunshine State Conference play with a 7:30 p.m. contest against Lynn at Jenkins Field House.

The Moccasins, who are 15-2 overall on the season, enter the game sitting atop the league standings with a 7-1 mark after collecting an impressive 97-74 win on Wednesday at 19th-ranked Rollins. Both Rollins and FSC entered the game tied for first in the SSC standings.

"Our win on Wednesday doesn't mean anything if we aren't we ready to play on Saturday," Mocs head coach Linc Darner said following Wednesday's game at Rollins about Saturday's match-up with Lynn.

FSC enters Saturday's contest having won six straight games overall, nine consecutive games on its homecourt and five straight SSC games since suffering a 71-63 loss at Saint Leo on Jan. 9. In addition, the Mocs have scored 90 or more points in five consecutive games for the first time since the 1974-75 season. FSC has never scored 90 or more points in six straight games in school history.

The Mocs are in control of their own fate entering the second-half of league play as they play five of their final eight league games at home and only have road trips left to Barry (Feb. 6), Eckerd (Feb. 20) and Tampa (Feb. 27). The only other team in the league that has played five road games in the first half of SSC play is Nova Southeastern, who visits Lakeland next Saturday, Feb. 9.

While the Mocs enter Saturday's game sitting atop the SSC standings, Lynn comes into the game reeling as they have dropped four of its last five games with its only win being a 78-50 victory at Palm Beach Atlantic on Jan. 23. The Fighting Knights are sporting a 10-8 overall record and are tied with Tampa for seventh in the SSC with a 2-6 mark.

Saturday's game will mark the 39th meeting all-time between the two teams, including the second meeting this season, as FSC holds a commanding 29-9 edge in the series. FSC opened SSC play this season with a come-from-behind 61-56 win over Lynn in Boca Raton on Dec. 1. The Mocs have won seven straight games in the series, including sweeping the season series in each of the past three seasons. The Fighting Knights haven't beaten the Mocs since posting a 70-69 win in Lakeland on Feb. 21, 2009. Mocs coach Linc Darner is 11-3 against Lynn, including going 4-2 at home.
  

Lynn, who was picked to finish seventh in the Preseason SSC poll, comes into Saturday's game as one of the top defensive teams in the SSC as the Fighting Knight are second in scoring defense (63.8 points per game) and are second in field goal percentage defense (40.1 percent) and are tied for fourth in three-point field goal defense (33.3 percent). In addition, Lynn is second in the SSC in rebound margin (+4.4) and are fourth in steals as they average 7.8 per game. Lynn has held five opponents under 60 points this season and limited the Mocs to season-low 61 points in the team's meeting earlier this season.

Leading the way for the Fighting Knights is senior forward Slobodan Miljanic, who is averaging 10.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game and is shooting 45 percent from the field, 44 percent from the 3-point line and 87 percent at the foul line. He has scored in double figures in 12 games entering play on Saturday. In addition to Miljanic, senior guard/forward Jeremy Lampkin and freshman Pavle Raickovic are each averaging 10.2 points per game. Lampkin is averaging 5.3 boards per game and is also shooting 54 percent from the field and 81 percent at the free throw line and Raickovic is averaging 6.7 rebounds per game and has blocked a team-best 19 shots. He is shooting 55 percent from the field and 73 percent at the foul line.

The Fighting Knights are under the direction of ninth-year head coach Scott McMillin, who has compiled a 157-122 record with the Fighting Knights.

While Lynn enters the game with one of the top defenses in the SSC, the Mocs will test that defense as they enter the game as the top-ranked offensive unit that is eighth in Division II in scoring at 86.6 points per game. The Mocs have scored 90 or more poinrs in five straight games and has scored 75 or more points in 15 of 17 games this season. Additionally, the Mocs are outscoring its foes by 12.9 points per game and have held 11 of its 17 foes under 75 points. The Mocs are shooting 46 percent from the field and 34 percent from the 3-point line and leads the SSC in steals (11.5), assists (17.6), turnover margin (+8.1) and assist/turnover ratio (1.4). FSC is second in Division II and sixth in all of NCAA men's basketball in turnover margin.

The Mocs offense has four players averaging in double figures as junior guard Dominic Lane (St. Petersburg, Fla.) leads the way with 15.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Lane, who was named this week's SSC Player of the Week presented by VALIC, has recorded three double-doubles and has posted double figures in 15 games, including seven straight double figure scoring contests. In addition to Lane, senior guard Seth Evans (Marseilles, Ill.) is averaging 14.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.1 steals and has an SSC-best 3.1 assist/turnover ratio. Evans is shooting 42 percent from the field, 38 percent from the 3-point line and 84 percent at the free throw line and has had 13 double-digit scoring games.

Along with Lane and Evans, sophomore guard Kevin Capers (Winter Haven, Fla.) is third on the team in scoring as he averages 11.9 points and 2.5 rebounds per game and is shooting 49 percent from the field and 80 percent at the free throw line and has scored in double figures in seven of his last eight games and 12 times overall on the season and senior forward Brett Bailey (Davie, Fla.) is averaging 10.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game and is shooting 55 percent from the field and over his last five games is averaging 11.6 points and 4.0 boards per game and is shooting 62 percent from the field.

Following Saturday's game, the Mocs will return to the road as they travel to Miami Shores, Fla., to face Barry in a 7:30 p.m. SSC contest on Wednesday, Feb. 6. The Mocs opened the home portion of its SSC schedule with a 96-70 win over the Buccaneers in Lakeland.

Live stats will be available here: http://fscmocs.athleticsite.net/livestats/mb/xlive.htm.

Live webcast and audio broadcast of the game will be available here: http://fscmocs.nmtvsports.com