Mocs Look to Rebound Saturday At Home Against Nova Southeastern

LAKELAND - Florida Southern will hit the court here Saturday evening looking to rebound after suffering its first loss of the season less than two days ago at Rollins as the No. 2 ranked Moccasins return home to Jenkins Field House to open the second half of Sunshine State Conference play with a 7:30 p.m. contest against Nova Southeastern.

During halftime of Saturday's game, the Mocs will honor and recognize its 1981 NCAA Division II National Championship in an on-court ceremony. The 1981 Moccasins, who were coached by Hal Wissel and anchored by three-time All-American forward John Ebeling, posted a 24-8 overall record, including a 5-7 mark against NCAA Division I schools in 1980-81 and are still the only men's basketball team from the SSC to claim a national championship. 

The Mocs, who had its school-record tying 18 game win streak snapped with its 82-76 overtime loss on Wednesday in Winter Park against Rollins, enters Saturday's game sporting an 18-1 overall record and is sitting atop the SSC standings with a 7-1 mark. While the loss at Rollins snapped not only snapped FSC's 18-game winning streak, it also snapped its 10 game win streak in SSC play and an eight-game road win streak.

FSC, though, has one streak ongoing as they have won 15 consecutive home games since falling 83-78 to Florida Tech in its second-to-last regular season game of the 2012-13 season. Since that loss to the Panthers, the Mocs won its final four home games last season and have opened this season by winning its first 11 home contests.

Saturday's game will be the second meeting this season between the two teams as the Mocs opened its league slate this year with a 79-73 win over the Sharks in Davie on Dec. 7.

While FSC comes into the game looking to rebound after a loss, the Sharks come in one of the hottest teams in the league as they have won four of its last games with its only setback being a 97-86 loss at Florida Tech on Jan. 22. Since that loss to the Panthers, NSU has picked up back-to-back impressive wins at Tampa (94-65) and an 89-63 win this past Wednesday at home over Saint Leo. In fact, since falling to the Mocs on Dec. 7, NSU has posted a 6-6 record, including having a 75-71 home loss to then No. 3 ranked Drury prior to the Christmas holiday break.

Saturday's game will mark the 27th meeting all-time between the two teams, including the second this season, as FSC holds a commanding 21-5 edge in the series. FSC has won four straight games in the series and 11 of its last 12 meetings with the Sharks only win coming in Fort Lauderdale during the 2011-12 season as they defeated the Mocs 90-79. The Mocs holds a 13-1 lead in Lakeland and also lead 8-4 at NSU. Mocs coach Linc Darner is 13-4 against the Sharks, including being 8-1 at home against NSU. 

Nova Southeastern, who was tabbed to finish seventh in the Preseason SSC Coaches' Poll, comes into this weekend's action leading the SSC in free throw shooting (73.8 percent), 3-point field goal percentage (39.4 percent) and 3-point field goals made (10.5 per game). Over its last three games, the Sharks are averaging 18 made 3-pointers per game and are shooting 55 percent from downtown during that span, including hitting 18 treys in the loss to Florida Tech. As a team, NSU is averaging 76.2 points per game and have scored over 85 points in its last three games and they are shooting 46 percent from the field and has held three of its last four foes under 66 points, including allowing just 46 points to Rollins in its 54-46 win over the Tars on Jan. 18. On defense, the Sharks are allowing its opponents to score 75.9 points per game and shoot 47 percent from the field and 38 percent from the 3-point line and are getting outrebounded by a -4.4 margin.

Leading the way for the Sharks is junior guard Brian Cahill. Cahill, who has scored in double figures in 14 games and eight times in his last nine outings, is averaging 13.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game and is shooting 43 percent from the field, 37 percent from downtown and 77 percent at the line. In addition to Cahill, who was held to just two points in the teams meeting earlier this season, sophomore guard/forward Chris Page is averaging 13.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game and is shooting 46 percent from the field and has recorded 15 double-digit scoring games and junior guard Justin Jeangerard is averaging 12.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game and is shooting 50 percent from the field, 41 percent from the 3-point line and 74 percent at the free throw line and has scored in double figures in 15 games, including two straight games of scoring 15 points apiece. In the earlier meeting this season, Page and Jeangerard combined to score 37 points of NSU's 73 points.

The Sharks are under the direction of 10th-year head coach Gary Tuell, who has compiled a 124-143 record at NSU and is 434-348 in his 20th season as a collegiate head coach.

In the earlier meeting this season in Davie, the Mocs survived a second-half rally by the Sharks that saw them turn an 18-point deficit into a five-point deficit with a little more than two minutes left in the game, before senior guard Dominic Lane (St. Petersburg, Fla.) hit four consecutive free throws in the final 33 seconds to seal FSC's 79-73 win. Lane finished the game with 29 points.

NSU's second rally was aided by three consecutive 3-pointers from Jeangerard and capped by a free throw from Stian Berg. Berg led the way offensive for the Sharks as he tallied 22 points, while Jeangerard finished with 19 points.

In addition to Lane's 29 points, junior forward Stephen Battle (Waldorf, Md.) scored 12 points off the bench, while senior guard Frank Adams added 11 points in the win. Junior guard Kevin Capers (Winter Haven, Fla.) was held to six points while battling foul trouble.

NSU's defensive challenge on Saturday will be to slow down a Moc offense that is averaging an SSC-best 89.4 points per game and haven't been held under 75 points this season. In fact, FSC's 79 points scored at NSU earlier this season is its third-lowest point total of the year. Along with averaging nearly 90 points per game, the Mocs are also shooting 47 percent from the field, but are connecting on just 31 percent (128-for-413) of its 3-pointers and is third in the league in free throw shooting at 73.6 percent. The Mocs lead the league in scoring margin (+12.9), steals (8.8) and turnover margin (+4.5) and is third in assists (16.5) and fifth in rebound margin (+2.9).

Leading the way for the Mocs through the first 19 games is Capers, who is averaging 19.1 points per game and has scored 20 or more points in five consecutive games, including tying a career-high with 32 points in the Mocs 87-85 win over Florida Tech nearly two weeks ago. Along with averaging 19.1 points per game, Capers is also averaging 2.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.8 steals per game and is shooting 51 percent from the field and 77 percent at the line. In addition to Capers, Battle is averaging 10.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game and is shooting 57 percent from the field, while Adams and senior forward Lamar McKnight (Cleveland, Ohio) are each averaging 9.1 points per game.

The Mocs, though, will be without the services of Lane once again on Saturday as the team's second leading scorer and leading rebounder (14.1 points and 5.3 rebounds) is expected to miss the rest of the season due to a foot injury suffered early in the first half against Florida Tech on Jan. 18. Since Lane's injury, Capers is averaging 27 points per game and is shooting 47 percent from the field and 78 percent at the line, while junior guard Tyler Kelly (Pickerington, Ohio) is averaging 14.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game.

Following Saturday's game, the Mocs will hit the road once again as they will travel to Miami Shores, Fla., for a 7:30 p.m. game at Barry. The Mocs picked up a 95-79 win over the then 25th-ranked Buccaneers in its SSC home opener on Jan. 4.

Live stats will be available here: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=30018.

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

Nova Southeastern Game Notes