Moccasin Game Notes
LAKELAND - Florida Southern will conclude a two-game road swing Saturday afternoon with a non-conference contest in West Palm Beach against Palm Beach Atlantic. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Rubin Arena.
The Moccasins come into Saturday's game looking to put the brakes on a three-game losing skid as the Mocs enter the game sporting a 4-5 overall record. The three game losing skid is the first for the reigning national champion Moccasins since dropping three consecutive games during the 2008-09 season.
FSC hasn't played since suffering a 99-82 loss on Monday at Stillman, which followed its 99-93 home defeat last Saturday against Florida Tech. The Mocs began its current losing skid with a 91-89 setback at Saint Leo last Wednesday. In the loss to Saint Leo, the Mocs led 87-76 with 2:49 left in the game, before the Lions outscored the Mocs 15-2 down the stretch to post the victory and snap FSC's four-game winning streak.
"We have to find a way to be more consistent in our play," Moccasin head coach Mike Donnelly said following his team's loss Monday at Stillman. "Our play has to improve in all facets of the game and I'm hoping to see improvement on Saturday."
Donnelly is seeking his 200th career collegiate coaching win on Saturday as the first-year Moccasin coach has compiled a 199-157 record in his 13th season as a collegiate head coach.
One area the Mocs have struggled with lately has been its defense as they've allowed its last three opponents to score 90 or more points, including allowing 99 points in back-to-back games. It marks the first time since the 1974-75 season that the Mocs have allowed three consecutive opponents to score 90-plus points.
Along with allowing 90 or more points in its last three games, the Mocs have also allowed its last three opponents to shoot over 50 percent from the field, including Florida Tech shooting 55.2 percent from the field last Saturday. On the season, the Mocs are allowing 85.1 points per game and its foes are shooting 45.9 percent from the field and 33.9 percent from the 3-point line.
While its defense has struggled at times this season, the Moccasin offense has been able to keep them in games as they come into Saturday's action averaging 84.3 points per game and have scored 80 or more points in six consecutive games, including scoring 90 or more points in three of those six games. Additionally, the Mocs are shooting 43 percent from the field and 37 percent from the 3-point line and are connecting on 9.3 treys per game, which is fourth best in the Sunshine State Conference.
Leading the way offensively for the Mocs through the first nine games this season is senior guard Dylan Travis (Omaha, Neb.). Travis, who was named the Division II Bulletin Player of the Month for November, is tied for the SSC lead in scoring as he is averaging 23.7 points per game and is also averaging 6.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.1 steals per game and is shooting 44 percent from the floor, 38 percent from downtown and 82 percent (60-for-73) from the free throw, including connecting on 15 consecutive free throws entering Saturday's game. Travis has scored in double figures in all nine games this season, including scoring 20 or more points in seven of those nine games and has a streak of 10 consecutive double figure scoring games dating to last season.
In addition to Travis, three other Mocs are scoring in double figures as senior guard Dominique Williams (Haines City, Fla.) is averaging 18.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game and has scored in double figures and has reached double-digits in seven straight games, while junior guard Sheldon Zablotny (Erie, Pa.) is averaging 12.9 points per game and has scored in double figures in three consecutive games and seven times on the year and junior guard Michael Volovic (Carmel, Ind.) is averaging 11.0 points per game, but has sat out the last seven games to foot injury suffered in the Mocs second game of the season against Delta State. Volovic returned to practice full time on Wednesday and is expected to return to action on Saturday against Palm Beach Atlantic.
Meanwhile, FSC's opponent on Saturday, Palm Beach Atlantic, comes into the game having lost two of its last three games with its only win being a 100-99 victory at home last Saturday against SSC preseason favorite Barry. In that win over the Buccaneers, PBA freshman guard Bakari Warthen scored on a tip-in with 0.4 seconds remaining in the game. Like the Mocs, the Sailfish, who are in their first season as provisional members of the SSC, are sporting a 4-5 overall record and are 1-2 against SSC teams as they have lost at home to Eckerd (83-78) and on the road against Nova Southeastern (98-79) and defeated Barry. PBA hasn't played since suffering a 67-52 home loss this past Sunday against Bowie State.
The Sailfish are led by the play of Warthen and senior guard Derick Yepes. Warthen, who is a West Palm Beach native, is averaging 18.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game and is shooting 48 percent from the field, 46 percent from the 3-point line and 85 percent at the free throw line and has scored in double figures in all nine games, including tallying 20 or more points in three of those games, while Yepes is averaging 11.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game and is shooting 51 percent from the floor and 35 percent from downtown and has scored in double figures in six games.
Other key players for the Sailfish are junior forward Shavanno Cooper, senior forward Michael Simpson and sophomore forward Milos Kostic. Cooper, who is a transfer from Polk State College, is averaging 9.7 points and 3.9 rebounds per game and is shooting 57 percent from the floor and is coming off a season high 20 point effort in his last outing against Bowie State, while Simpson is averaging 9.0 points and 3.3 rebounds per game and is shooting 37 percent from the field and Kostic is averaging 7.5 points and 2.9 boards per contest and is shooting 38 percent from the floor and 42 percent from long distance on the year.
The Sailfish are under the direction of third-year head coach Dave Balza. Balza is no stranger to the Sunshine State as he spent nine seasons as the head coach at Florida Gulf Coast as he helped the program usher in the Division I era. Balza, who has nearly 27 years of collegiate coaching experience, is 22-39 at PBA and has compiled a 236-227 career record in 16 seasons as a collegiate coach as he has been the head coach at St. Joseph's (Ind.), FGCU and Bethany (Minn.) Lutheran.
As a team, PBA is averaging 76.8 points per game and is shooting 45 percent from the field and 34 percent from the 3-point line and is getting outrebounded by a -1.4 margin. The Sailfish have scored over 80 points in two games, including a season high 100 points in the win over Barry and on defense, PBA is allowing 80.7 points per game and is allowing its foes t to shoot 47 percent from the field and 35 percent from long distance.
Saturday's game will mark the 27th all-time meeting against the two teams and the first of two meetings this season as the Sailfish will face the Mocs in Lakeland on Feb. 3. FSC holds a 23-3 edge all-time in the series and have won 14 consecutive games against the Sailfish since PBA earned an 81-75 win in West Palm Beach on Jan. 29, 2008. FSC holds a 13-0 lead in Lakeland and also leads 9-3 in West Palm Beach and 1-0 on neutral courts.
Following Saturday's game, the Mocs will return home to Jenkins Field House to close out the pre-Christmas portion of its schedule with three games in four days next week. The Mocs will open the three game stretch on Thursday, Dec. 17 with a 7:30 p.m. game against Eastern New Mexico, before hosting Mount Olive in a 6 p.m. game on Saturday, Dec. 19 and will conclude the stretch with a 6 p.m. game on Sunday, Dec. 20 against Miles College.
