Mocs Look to Win Seventh Straight, Host Rollins Wednesday Night

Moccasin Game Notes vs. Rollins

LAKELAND - Florida Southern is set to conclude the first half of its Sunshine State Conference schedule here Wednesday evening as the third-ranked Moccasins will host Rollins College in a 7:30 p.m. tilt on Red Out Night at Jenkins Field House. 

The Mocs, who are playing its first home game since collecting a 109-96 win over Florida Tech on Jan. 17, come into Wednesday's action having won six consecutive games since suffering its lone loss of the year on Jan. 3 at home to then 11th-ranked Barry (107-102) and are sporting a 17-1 overall record and are in second place in the SSC standings with a 6-1 mark. The Mocs are 11-1 at home this season and have won 41 of its last 46 games on its homecourt dating to the beginning of the 2012-13 season.

FSC's latest victory during its current six-game win streak was an 87-77 win this past Saturday at then 24th-ranked Lynn. The win over Lynn came three days after the Mocs posted a come-from-behind 81-75 at Tampa.

Meanwhile, Rollins comes into play on Wednesday looking to put the brakes on a six-game losing skid that has dropped its record 7-11 overall and 0-7 in the SSC. The Tars are the lone winless team in league play as they have lost eight straight SSC games since picking up a 75-71 win at Barry in the second to last game of last year's regular season. Ironicially, Rollins' SSC losing skid began with a 72-68 loss to the Mocs in Lakeland in last year's regular season finale. The Tars latest loss in this stretch was an 81-71 setback last Saturday at home to Tampa. 

Wednesday's meeting is the 172nd all-time meeting between the two schools and the first of two games this season between the two winningest men's basketball programs in SSC history. The Mocs lead the all-time series, 118-53 and have won 10 of the last 15 meetings in the series as the two teams split last season's two match-ups. FSC holds a 58-18 edge in Lakeland and Mocs head coach Linc Darner is 12-8 all-time against Rollins, including being 6-2 in Lakeland. 

Rollins, who was tabbed to finish tied for seventh in the Preseason SSC Coaches' Poll, comes into action on Wednesday as the hard-luck team of the year in the league as two of the Tars' losses in league play came in overtime as they fell at home to Saint Leo (57-54) and on the road at Eckerd (64-62) and has lost four of its first seven league contests by a combined 11 points. The Tars' haven't won a game since opening the 2015 calendar year with a 71-47 home win over Florida Memorial. 

The Tars are still one of the top defensive teams in the league as they are second in the SSC in scoring defense (66.3 points per game) and are fourth in both field goal percentage defense (42.3 percent) and 3-point field goal defense (34.9 percent), fourth in blocked shots as they average 4.1 blocks per game and are third in the SSC and 24th nationally in steals per game as they average 9.5 per contest. Rollins has only allowed six teams this season score over 70 points, but has held three of their last four foe to less than 65 points. On offense, Rollins is averaging 68.1 points per game and is shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 36.6 percent from the 3-point line and is third in the league in both assists (16.9 per game) and assist/turnover ratio (1.3). 

Leading the way for the Tars, who are coached by Tom Klusman, who is in his 35th season at his alma mater, is junior guard Alex Blessig. Blessig is averaging 11.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.3 steals per game and is shooting 47 percent from the field, 43 percent from the 3-point line and 81 percent at the free throw line. He has scored in double figures in 10 games this season. In addition to Blessig, senior forward Chris Uhle is averaging 10.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game and is shooting 46 percent from the field and 41 percent from the 3-point line and is third in the SSC in blocked shots as he averages 2.1 blocks per game. Uhle has scored in double figures in nine games, including four times in his last six outings.  

The Tars defense will be tested by a Moccasin offense that leads the SSC and is fourth in Division II in scoring at 92.6 points per game. The Mocs have scored 80 or more points in 16 of 18 games this year, including 11 games of scoring 93 or more points and topping the century mark five times. In addition to leading the league in scoring, the Mocs are also shooting 44 percent from the field, 37 percent from the 3-point line, which is third-best in the SSC and 78 percent from the free throw line, which is second in the SSC and fifth nationally. The Mocs are also second nationally in turnover margin (+8.3) and is second in steals (10.0 per game).

On defense, FSC is allowing 77.4 points per game and is limiting teams to 44 percent from the field, 33 percent from the 3-point line and 70 percent from the free throw line. The 33 percent 3-point field goal percentage is tops in the league.  

Leading the way offensively for the Mocs is senior All-American guard Kevin Capers. Capers, who has scored in double figures in 16 of 18 games, is averaging an SSC best 22.1 points per game and is also averaging 3.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.1 steals per game and is shooting 45 percent from the field, 35 percent from the 3-point line and 79.7 percent from the free throw line. He enters the game second on the school's career scoring chart with 1,932 points and is the No. 2 leading active scorer in Division II and is also the Division II active leader in made free throws (656), free throw attempts (881) and steals (214). 

In addition to Capers, three other Mocs are averaging in double figures this season. The three other double-digit scorers are senior forward Stephen Battle (Waldorf, Md.), junior guard Dylan Travis (Omaha, Neb.) and senior guard Tyler Kelly (Pickerington, Ohio). Battle is averaging 13.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per game and is shooting 49 percent from the field, 52 percent from the 3-point line and 76 percent at the free throw line and has scored in double figures in 13 games, including seven times in his last eight outings, while Travis is averaging 11.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game and is shooting 44 percent from the field, 33 percent from long distance and 83 percent at the line and has reached double figures in eight of his last 10 games and 12 times overall on the season and Kelly is averaging 10.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game and leads the SSC in assist/turnover ratio (2.9). 

Following Wednesday's game, the Mocs will return to the road as they conclude the non-conference portion of its schedule on Saturday, Jan. 31 with a 4 p.m. game in West Palm Beach against Palm Beach Atlantic. The Mocs collected a 101-74 win over the Sailfish in Lakeland on Dec. 5.