Mocs Set to Open Home SSC Slate Saturday Against No. 25 Barry

LAKELAND - Fourth-ranked Florida Southern will look to shake off the rust from a 12-day layoff here on Saturday evening as the Moccasins host 25th-ranked Barry in a Sunshine State Conference match-up. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. at Jenkins Field House on the FSC campus.

Saturday's game, which will mark the Mocs first game of the New Year and its first since posting a 106-90 victory over Tuskegee on Dec. 22 to conclude the pre-Christmas portion of its schedule, is the first home SSC game of the season for the Mocs as FSC opened league play with a 79-73 win at Nova Southeastern on Dec. 7.

The Mocs come into Saturday's contest having opened the season by winning its first 12 games and is sporting a 12-0 record. FSC, who is 1-0 in the SSC, is one of 15 remaining undefeated teams in Division II and its 12 game win streak is the second longest active streak in D-II as No. 3 ranked Drury has won 32 straight games. The 12-0 start by the Mocs is the ninth in school history and first since FSC won its first 13 games to open the 2009-10 season.

Meanwhile, Barry enters the contest also riding a hot streak as the Buccaneers have opened the season by winning its first nine games as they are 9-0 overall on the season. The Bucs, who were tabbed to finish eighth in the Preseason SSC Coaches' Poll, are 1-0 in the league after opening SSC play with a 73-71 home win over Tampa on Dec. 7. The Bucs haven't played since concluding its pre-Christmas schedule with an 84-79 win over then 13th-ranked Livingstone in its final game of the Lynn Courtyard by Marriott Holiday Classic in Boca Raton on Dec. 21.  

Saturday's match-up will mark the 59th meeting all-time in the series between the two schools as FSC holds a 44-14 edge in the series. The Mocs have won six straight games in the series, including sweeping winning three games last season. FSC holds a 22-4 lead in the series Lakeland and Barry hasn't won in Lakeland since earning a 68-58 victory on Feb. 10, 2007. Seventh-year Moc coach Linc Darner is 12-5 all-time against Barry, including being 6-1 in Lakeland against the Bucs.

The Buccaneers early success this season can be attributed to an offense that is second in the SSC in scoring as they are averaging 86.8 points per game and they lead the SSC in both field goal percentage (49.4 percent) and 3-point field goal percentage (38.1 percent) and they also lead the league and are fourth nationally in rebound margin (+13.3). In addition, the Bucs lead the SSC in assists (19.6 per game) and are third in scoring margin (+12.9) and fourth in the league in 3-pointers made per game (7.4). Barry has scored over 80 points in eight of its nine games, including scoring 90 or more points three times.

As a team, Barry, who returns just two players from last season's squad, has five players averaging in double figures led by junior guard Juan Ferrales. Ferrales, who is one of two transfers from Florida International, is averaging 18.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game and is shooting 46 percent from the field, 48 percent from the 3-point line and 74 percent at the line and is averaging an SSC-best 3.4 made 3-pointers per game. He has scored 20 or more points in five games, including 30-plus point outings. In addition to Ferrales, freshman guard Adrian Gonzalez is averaging 13.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game and is shooting 63 percent from the floor and 89 percent at the free throw line, while senior forward Magne Fivelstad is averaging 13.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game and is shooting 61 percent from the field and has scored in double figures in all nine games and has had two double-doubles.

The other two Bucs averaging in double figures are junior forward Savad Garner and sophomore forward Yunio Barrueta. Garner is averaging 11.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game and is shooting 54 percent from the field and has scored in double figures in seven games and has posted two double-doubles, while Barrueta, who is a transfer from East Tennessee State, is averaging 10.8 points and is third in the league in rebounding at 8.6 boards per game and is shooting 39 percent from the field and he has scored in double figures in six games and is tied for fourth in the league with a team-best three double-doubles.

Barry is under the direction of first-year head coach Butch Estes. Estes, who is in his 30th season as a collegiate head coach and 18th season at a four-year school, is 452-309 as a head coach, including posting a 279-243 mark at the four year level. Prior to his arrival at Barry, Estes spent the past three seasons at Palm Beach State College, where he led the Panthers to three consecutive conference titles, including posting a school record 29 wins in 2012-13. Along with being a head coach, Estes was also an assistant at Division I schools, Miami (Fla.) and Seattle University.

The Bucs will see a team that plays a similar style offensively this weekend as the Mocs come into the game leading the league in scoring as they are averaging 91.1 points per game and they also lead the league in scoring margin (+15.6) and are second in the SSC in field goal percentage (49.2 percent), fifth in 3-point field goal percentage (33.9 percent) and lead the SSC in free throw shooting (73.7 percent). FSC has scored 80 or more points in 10 of 12 games, including scoring 90 or more points in three consecutive games. The Mocs also lead the league in steals (9.3 per game) and turnover margin (+4.2) and is fifth in rebound margin (+3.6).

FSC has three players averaging in double figures led by junior guard Kevin Capers (Winter Haven, Fla.). Capers is averaging 16.2 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.2 steals per game and is shooting 51 percent from the field and has scored in double figures in nine of 12 games, including a team-best five 20-plus point outings. In addition to Capers, senior guard Dominic Lane (St. Petersburg, Fla.) is averaging 15.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game and is shooting 44 percent from the field and 40 percent from the 3-point line and is averaging 2.5 made treys per game, which is fourth-best in the SSC. Lane enters the weekend having scored in double figures in seven consecutive games, including tallying a career-high 30 points in his last game against Tuskegee and junior forward Stephen Battle (Waldorf, Md.) is averaging 11.3 points and 4.9 boards per game and is he leads the SSC in field goal percentage (66.3 percent) and has reached double figures in eight of 12 games, including six times in his last eight games.

Following Saturday's game, the Mocs will conclude the five-game homestand on Wednesday, Jan. 8 as they host Eckerd in a 7:30 p.m. SSC game at Jenkins Field House. Following the Eckerd game, the Mocs will hit the road for two straight games as they will play at Lynn on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 4 p.m. and at Saint Leo on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 7:30 p.m.

Live stats for the Barry game will be available here: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=30014.

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

Complete Barry Game Notes