LAKELAND - Florida Southern will conclude its two-game road swing in Sunshine State Conference play on Wednesday evening as the Moccasin men's and women's basketball teams travel about 35 miles north up Highway 98 for a key match-up against Saint Leo. Tip-off for the women's game is slated for 5:30 p.m., while the men's game is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Marion Bowman Activities Center on the SLU campus.
Wednesday's game is the second consecutive for the Mocs in the 2014 calendar year as both teams played a doubleheader this past Saturday in Boca Raton against Lynn. In that doubleheader, the Moccasin women rallied from a 14-point deficit, before falling 57-54 to the Fighting Knights, while the third-ranked Moccasin men outscored Lynn 11-1 over the final three minutes of the game to post an 85-74 win to run its win streak to 15 consecutive games.
In Wednesday's women's game, the Mocs come into action sporting a 4-9 overall record and an 0-4 mark in the SSC and they have dropped seven straight games since opening the season by winning four of its first six games. SLU, though, comes into the game sporting an 11-3 overall and is 2-2 in the league after picking up a 78-65 win last Saturday at Barry to snap its three-game losing skid.
The Mocs, who have dropped six straight SSC games since picking up a 60-53 win last season at home over Florida Tech, enter the game as one of the top 3-point shooting teams in the SSC as they are shooting 34.1 percent from long distance, which is fourth-best in the SSC and are averaging 4.8 made treys per game. Along with being strong at shooting the 3-point shot, the Mocs are also strong at defending the 3-point shot as they are limiting their opponents to 30.9 percent shooting from the 3-point line and has held five of its last six foes under 29 percent shooting from downtown, including holding Lynn to a 4-for-20 (20 percent) effort from the 3-point arc.
On the season, the Mocs are averaging 56.9 points per game and are shooting 38.2 percent from the field and are outrebounding its foes by a +1.2 margin and is getting outscored by a -10.1 margin as their foes are scoring 67.0 points per game. FSC's last two opponents, though, have been held under 60 points as Lynn scored 57 and Eckerd tallied 53.
Leading the way for the Mocs is sophomore guard Ali Sanders (Sleepy Hollow, Ill.), who is averaging 9.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game and is shooting 36 percent from the field and 36 percent from the 3-point line. In addition to Sanders, junior guard Cashala Thompson (Tucson, Ariz.) is averaging 8.8 points per game and is shooting 39 percent from the field and is 10th in the league in 3-point shooting (36.4 percent) and is second in the league in made 3-pointer per game (2.5).
Other key performers are freshman Christin Strawbridge (Lakeland, Fla.) and sophomore forward Mariah Harris (Gainesville, Fla.). Both of them are averaging 8.2 points per game, while Strawbridge is averaging 4.7 boards per game and is fourth in the SSC in field goal percentage (57.3 percent) and Harris is eighth in the SSC in rebounding at 7.8 boards per game and has recorded a team-best three double-doubles.
Meanwhile, SLU, who advanced to the SSC Tournament Championship game last season for the first time in school history, comes into the match-up as one of the top scoring and top defensive teams in the league as they are second in the league in scoring at 74.0 points per game and are second in the league in 11th nationally in field goal percentage defense (34.1 percent) and fourth in the SSC and 42nd nationally in 3-point field goal percentage defense (26.6 percent) and they lead the league in rebound margin at +9.1. The Lions are also second in the league in free throw percentage as they shoot 73.2 percent.ÂÂ
Leading the way for the Lions is senior guard Teresa Manigrasso, who is averaging 16.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game and is shooting 41 percent from the field and has reached double figures in 12 games, including seven straight double-digit scoring efforts. In addition to Manigrasso, senior forward Chelsea Williams is averaging 14.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game and is shooting 61 percent from the field and senior guard Chelsea Connelly is averaging 8.7 points and 7.8 rebounds per game and is shooting 32 percent from the field and 30 percent from the 3-point line.
Wednesday's game with Saint Leo will mark the 78th meeting all-time between the two teams as FSC holds a 69-8 edge in the series. The Mocs have lost just two times in the last 10 meetings between the schools with both of those losses coming last season. FSC holds a 33-3 edge in the series in Lakeland, a 31-5 edge in Saint Leo and is 5-0 on neutral courts. Last season, FSC fell 56-46 to the Lions in Saint Leo and fell 66-59 to SLU in Lakeland.
On the men's side of the ledger on Wednesday, the Mocs come into the game sporting a perfect 15-0 record and are 4-0 in the SSC. The 15-0 start this season is the sixth in school history and the first since the 2002-03 squad opened the season winning its first 16 games. The Mocs current 15-game winning streak is tied for the longest active streak in Division II men's basketball and they are one of just seven remaining undefeated teams in Division II.
SLU comes into the game sporting a 13-3 overall record and a 2-2 in the SSC after picking up a come-from-behind 84-81 win this past Saturday at Barry. The Lions have won five of its last six games with the only loss being a 59-57 setback at Tampa on Jan. 8. In addition, SLU has been strong at home this season as they are 7-1 on its home court and have won five straight games on its home court since falling 68-62 to Virginia Union on Nov. 22. Since the beginning of the 2011-12 season, SLU has posted a 25-12 record in SSC play and has won a combined 53 games, including a school record 22 victories last season that helped them claim a share of the SSC regular season title with FSC.
The Mocs come into Wednesday's action sporting one of the top offensive teams in the league as they are averaging a league-best 90.5 points per game and have scored 85 or more points in all but two games this year and they lead the league in field goal percentage (48.9 percent) and scoring margin (+15.9) and is second in the league in free throw shooting at 72.9 percent and is averaging 5.5 made treys per game. Along with a strong offense, the Mocs defense has also been effective this season as they are allowing 74.5 points per game and allowed its foes to shoot 42.8 percent from the field and is second in the SSC and 26th nationally in 3-point field goal percentage defense (30.4 percent) and leads the league in steals as they average 9.4 per game and are fifth in rebound margin (+3.4).
Leading the way for the Mocs, who have three players averaging in double figures, is junior guard Kevin Capers (Winter Haven, Fla.) and senior guard Dominic Lane (St. Petersburg, Fla.). Capers is averaging 17.2 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.9 steals per game and is shooting 52 percent from the field and has reached double figures in 12 of 15 games, including a team-best seven 20-plus point games. He has scored 20 or more points in three of his last five outings, including tallying 24 points in the Mocs win this past Saturday at Lynn. Lane is averaging 14.8 points and a team-best 5.7 rebounds per game and is shooting 42 percent from the field and 35 percent from the 3-point line and his 2.3 made treys per game is third-best in the SSC. He enters Wednesday's action having scored in double figures in nine of his last 10 games and has had three 20-plus point outings.
The third Moc averaging in double figures is junior forward Stephen Battle (Waldorf, Md.). Battle, who is a transfer from Gannon (Pa.) University, is averaging 10.0 points and 4.3 rebounds per game and is second in the SSC in field goal percentage (62.1 percent) and has reached double figures in eight of 15 games.
Meanwhile, SLU comes into play sporting one of the best defensive teams in the league as they holding teams to 66 points per game and lead the league in field goal percentage defense (40.0 percent) and is third in 3-point field goal defense (30.6 percent) and is second in the league in 17th nationally in rebound margin (+8.6). On offense, SLU averages 77.9 points per game, which is fourth-best in the SSC and is shooting 45 percent from the field and leads the SSC in 3-point shooting (36.1 percent) and is third in the league in made 3-pointers per game (8.1).
Leading the way for the Lions, who lost 84-65 to the Mocs in the semifinals of last season's NCAA Division II South Regional Tournament in Lakeland, is senior guard Jerrel Harris. Harris is averaging an SSC-best 20.8 points per game and is also averaging 3.5 boards per contest and is shooting 46 percent from the field, 40 percent from the 3-point line and 80 percent at the foul line. Harris, who is this week's reigning SSC Player of the Week, has scored in double figures in 15 games, including tallying a career-high 41 points in its win last Saturday over Barry.
In addition to Harris, senior guard Chim Kadima is averaging 11.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game and is shooting 46 percent from the field and 45 percent from the 3-point line, while senior forward Spenser Mitchell is averaging 7.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game and is shooting an SSC-best 66 percent from the field.
Wednesday's game will mark the 102nd meeting all-time in the series as the Mocs hold an 85-16 edge all-time. The game will be the seventh time these two teams have met since the beginning of the 2011-12 season as they met three times in each of the previous two campaigns. The Mocs have dropped four of the last six games in the series with both of the wins coming in the postseason as FSC defeated SLU, 61-58 in the finals of the 2012 SSC Tournament and then they collected an 84-65 win in last season's South Regional semifinal game. Both of those postseason wins came in Lakeland. The hold a commanding 43-5 edge in the series in Lakeland and also lead 36-9 at Saint Leo, but have dropped two straight games at the Bowman Center. On neutral courts, FSC leads 6-2.
Following Wednesday's games at Saint Leo, the Mocs will return home to begin a two-game homestand as they open the homestand on Saturday, Jan.18 against Florida Tech, before facing Tampa on Wednesday, Jan. 22. The women's game will begin at 5:30 p.m., while the men's game is slated to tip at 7:30 p.m. respectively on both days.
Live stats will be available here:
Women - http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=35946
Men - http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=35930
Live audio broadcast of both FSC games at Saint Leo are available here: http://fscmocs.nmtvsports.com
Moccasin women's game notes vs. Saint Leo
Moccasin men's game notes vs. Saint Leo
