Mocs Look to Even Score Wednesday Against Saint Leo

LAKELAND - Florida Southern will be looking for some revenge on Wednesday evening as the sixth-ranked Moccasins host 16th-ranked Saint Leo in a key Sunshine State Conference match-up against two nationally ranked foes at Jenkins Field House that is slated to tip at 7:30 p.m. Saint Leo is the only team to defeat the Mocs in SSC play this season as the Lions earned a 71-63 win at Saint Leo a little over a month ago.

Since that loss to Saint Leo, the Mocs (18-2) have reeled off nine consecutive victories overall and have won eight straight SSC games to move into sole possession of first place in the league standings with a 10-1 mark. The Mocs, who has won 17 of its last 18 games, only other loss was a 91-89 setback at home on a half-court buzzer beater by St. Cloud in both team's opening game of the 2012 FSC Ledger Media Group/Terrace Hotel Classic in Lakeland.

The Mocs nine-game winning streak is tied for the eighth longest active streak in Division II Men's Basketball. No. 2 ranked Westen Washington (22-0) has won 28 straight games dating to last season, while top-ranked Metro State (21-0) has won 21 straight games.

Along with winning nine consecutive games, the Mocs enter play on Wednesday having also won 11 straight home games since that loss to St. Cloud State and have also won six straight home games in SSC play dating to last season. In fact, FSC's last home loss in SSC play came against Saint Leo (75-72) in its second to last regular season home game a year ago.

While the Mocs enter play on Wednesday sporting the longest active winning streak in the league, Saint Leo (17-4), who moved into this week's NABC/Division II Coaches' Poll at No. 16, enters with the second longest active win streak as the Lions have won five straight games and six of its last seven overall with its only setback being a 61-57 loss at Eckerd on Jan. 23. Since earning its home win over FSC, SLU has posted am 8-2 record with its two losses coming on the road to Tampa and Eckerd. The Lions are sitting in second place in the SSC standings with a 9-2 record and are one game behind the Mocs in the standings with five regular season games remaining.

Wednesday's meeting with Saint Leo will mark the 100th all-time in the series and the second meeting this season. The Mocs hold a commanding 84-15 lead in the series, but have lost three of the last four games in the series with the Mocs only win being a 61-58 victory in the championship game of the 2012 SSC Tournament in Lakeland. The two teams will be playing for the fifth time since the beginning of last season. FSC holds a 42-4 edge in Lakeland and also leads 36-9 in Saint Leo. On neutrual courts, FSC holds a 6-2 lead and Mocs head coach Linc Darner is 10-5 all-time against the Lions. 

Saint Leo, who was tabbed to win the SSC title in the Preseason poll, comes into this week's action as one of the top defensive teams, not only in the SSC, but in all of Division II as the Lions lead the SSC and are 20th nationally in scoring defense as they allow just 61.9 points per game. The Lions also lead the league and are 10th nationally in field goal percentage defense (38.8 percent) and they lead the SSC in three-point field goal defense as their opponents are shooting 31.6 percent from downtown. The Lions are second in the league in both blocked shots (3.8 per game) and turnover margin (+3.4). Offensively, SLU averages 70.6 points per game and is shooting 42 percent from the field and is second in the SSC in 3-point shooting (37.9 percent) and they average 7.9 made treys per game. Two areas the Lions struggle in are free throw shooting and rebound margin as they are eighth in the league in free throws (68.6 percent) and are getting outrebounded by a little less than a board per contest.

The Lions, who feature a balanced offensive attack that has six players averaging over five points per game, are led by senior guard Marcus Ruh. Ruh is second in the league in scoring as he averages 17.8 points per game and is also averaging 5.7 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game and is shooting 49 percent from the floor, an SSC-best 51 percent from downtown and 79 percent at the foul line. On the season, Ruh has scored in double figures in 17 games and is averaging 18.6 points and is shooting 50 percent from the floor and 47 percent from long distance in SSC play. In addition to Ruh, redshirt junior guard Jerrel Harris is averaging 14.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game and is shooting 41 percent from the floor and 47 percent from the 3-point line and reached double figures in 16 games, including six times in his last seven outings and senior guard Trent Thomas, who is averaging 13.3 points and 3.9 boards per game and is shooting 36 percent from the 3-point line and 75 percent at the line and has scored in double figures in 17 games.

SLU is under the direction of second-year head coach Lance Randall. Randall, who has led the Lions to back-to-back winning records in SSC play, is 35-16 at SLU and has compiled a 78-51 record in his fifth season as a collegiate coach.

In the team's earlier meeting this season, the Mocs, who trailed 27-22 at the half, led by seven points (49-42) midway through the second half, but SLU would respond with a 25-9 run to take a 67-58 lead with 55 seconds left in the game, during the run the Lions had two five-point plays. The Mocs would eventually pull within 68-63 with 19 seconds left, but the Lions hit four free throws to seal the victory. The game was dominated by whistles and free throws as a combined 45 fouls were called in the game and a combined 60 free throws were attempted, including 41 by the Lions. In the second half, SLU shot 30 free throws and scored 21 of its 44 points at the line, while the Mocs only shot 19 free throws in the game.

Junior guard Dominic Lane (St. Petersburg, Fla.) was one of three Mocs in double figures as he scored 12 points and had 10 rebounds for a double-double, while senior guard Seth Evans (Marseilles, Ill.) added 11 points and sophomore guard Kevin Capers (Winter Haven, Fla.) had 10 points off the bench before fouling out. In the game, three Mocs fouled out. Thomas led SLU with 28 points off the bench, while Ruh had 18 points and Harris added 17 points in the win.

Meanwhile, the Mocs enter Wednesday's action as one of the top scoring teams in the country as they are averaging 87.4 points per game, which is sixth nationally and the Mocs have topped 90 points in seven of its last eight games. Along with averaging almost 90 points per game, the Mocs as a team are shooting 46 percent from the field and 36 percent from the 3-point line and also lead the league in scoring margin (+13.5), assists (18.3), steals (11.4), assist/turnover ratio (1.4) and turnover margin (+7.6), which is second-best in Division II and tied for fifth in all of NCAA Men's Basketball. On defense, the Mocs are allowing 73.9 points per game and is third in the league in 3-point defense as their opponents are shooting just 32 percent from long distance.

Lane and Evans continue to lead the way for the Mocs through the first 20 games, as Lane is averaging 15.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game and Evans, who was named this week's SSC Player of the Week, is averaging 15.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.0 steals per game and is connecting on an SSC-best 2.9 treys per game. Other Mocs averaging in double figures include Capers, junior forward Brett Bailey (Davie, Fla.) and junior forward Lamar McKnight (Cleveland, Ohio). Capers is averaging 12.2 points and 2.0 steals per game and is shooting 48 percent from the floor and 79 at the free throw line, while Bailey is averaging 10.9 points and 5.1 boards per game and is second in the SSC in field goal percentage as he shoots 59 percent from the field and enters Wednesday's game having made 23 of his last 27 field goal attempts and McKnight, who is averaging 10.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game and is shooting 50 percent from the field and 83 percent at the charity stripe.

Following Wednesday's game, the Mocs will conclude its non-conference schedule by traveling to West Palm Beach to face Palm Beach Atlantic in a 4 p.m. game on Saturday, Feb. 16. FSC picked up a 98-62 win over the Sailfish in Lakeland on Jan. 19.

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

Complete Saint Leo Game Notes