Mocs Begin Stretch of Three Home Games in Four Days Thursday With Eastern New Mexico

Moccasin Game Notes

LAKELAND - Florida Southern is set to conclude its pre-Christmas schedule here with three non-conference games in four days this week against Eastern New Mexico, Mount Olive and Miles College at Jenkins Field House.

The reigning National Champion Moccasins will open this three-game stretch on Thursday, Dec. 17 against Eastern New Mexico at 7:30 p.m., before facing Mount Olive on Saturday, Dec. 19 at 6 p.m. and concluding the three games in four day stretch on Sunday, Dec. 20 at 6 p.m. against Miles College. Thursday's Eastern New Mexico will be the third game of a tripleheader at Jenkins Field House as the 8-1 Moccasin women's team is hosting two games as part of its annual FSC/Terrace Hotel Classic.

Florida Southern will look to put the brakes on a four-game losing streak that has dropped its record to 4-6 overall on the season. The four-game losing skid is a first for the program since the 2006-07 squad dropped nine consecutive games en route to finishing the season with an 8-20 overall record.

The Mocs are playing just its fourth home game of the season and first since suffering a 99-93 setback to Florida Tech on Dec. 5 that snapped the Mocs 12-game home court win streak. Since that loss to Florida Tech, which came on the heels of a 91-89 loss at Saint Leo on Dec. 2, the Mocs dropped back-to-back road games last week at Stillman (99-82) and in overtime at Palm Beach Atlantic (99-96). 

Despite entering the week having lost four consecutive games, the Mocs do have one streak left standing they are looking to keep intact this weekend as FSC has won 23 consecutive non-conference regular season home games since suffering a 91-89 loss on a half-court buzzer-beating shot by St. Cloud State in the Ledger Media Group/Terrace Hotel Classic on Nov. 23, 2012. 

"It will be nice to play in front of our home crowd again. We haven't had many opportunities this season to play at home," Moccasin first year head coach Mike Donnelly said. "We've had several good days of practice and I hope we're ready to get after it. This is an important stretch of games we have heading into the holiday break. It would be nice to go into the holidays with some positive momentum."

Meanwhile, Eastern New Mexico comes into Thursday's game following a 15 day layoff between games as the Greyhounds haven't played since earning a 71-55 win in San Antonio, Texas, on Dec. 4 against St. Mary's. Since opening the 2015-16 season by losing its first three games, ENMU has won three of its last five games, including picking up a 78-67 victory over Nova Southeastern in its final game of the Pak-A-Sak West Texas A&M Invitational on Nov. 28. 

The Greyhounds have played all eight games this season away from home and won't play their first home game of the 2015-16 season until hosting Wayland Baptist to close out the 2015 calendar year on Dec. 31. ENMU, who play face 21st-ranked Eckerd and Tampa this weekend at the UT Classic, is 1-3 on opponents' home courts and is 2-2 on neutral courts this season. 

Thursday's game will mark the first-ever meeting in the series between the two schools and the first time in the 89 year history of the Moccasin men's basketball program that they are facing a school from the Lone Star Conference. 

FSC enters Thursday's home game with an offense that is fifth in the SSC and 51st nationally in scoring as they are averaging 85.5 points per game and have scored 85 or more points in six of its last seven games, including a season high 98 points in its 98-91 win at Lynn on Nov. 21. In addition to its scoring, the Mocs are shooting 42.7 percent from the floor and 35.8 percent from the 3-point line and are averaging 9.8 made treys per game, which is fourth best in the SSC and 38th nationally in Division II. In its last game, the Mocs shot a school record 46 treys and connected on a season high tying 14 triples in its overtime setback last Saturday at Palm Beach Atlantic. The 46 3-point attempts bettered the old record of 43 set against Rollins in 2009. 

While its offense has been strong this season, its defense has caused the Mocs problems, especially during its current four-game losing skid. On the year, FSC is allowing 86.5 points per game and its opponents are shooting 46 percent from the field and 33 percent from the 3-point line. The Mocs have allowed three straight opponents to score 99 points and they have allowed six of its 10 foes to score 90 or more points on the year. 

During its current four game losing skid, the Mocs are allowing 97 points per game and their four opponents are shooting 50 percent from the field and 31 percent from the 3-point line, while the Moccasin offense is averaging 90 points per game and is shooting 43 percent from the floor and 37 percent from the 3-point line. 

"Our defense hasn't played very well and that is something that has to improve for us to have success moving forward," the Moccasin coach said. "We have allowed way too many easy baskets and haven't been able to hold late leads in several games thanks to our play on the defensive end of the floor."

Leading the way for the Moccasins on offense through 10 games is senior guard Dylan Travis (Omaha, Neb.). Travis leads the Sunshine State Conference and is 12th nationally in scoring at 24.2 points per game and is also averaging 7.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.1 steals per game and is shooting 43 percent from the field, 38 percent from the 3-point line and 84 percent at the free throw line and has hit 22 consecutive free throws. He has scored 20 or more points in eight of 10 games and has scored in double figures in 11 straight games and 15 times in his last 17 outings dating to last season. Additionally, he has recorded three double-doubles on the year.

In addition to Travis, the Mocs No. 2 scorer this season is senior guard Dominique Williams (Haines City, Fla.). Williams, who is 107 points shy of becoming the 40th Moccasin to join the 1,000 Point Club, is averaging 18.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game and is shooting 42 percent from the field and 37 percent from the 3-point line and has reached double figures in eight straight games and has scored 20 or more points in three of his last five outings.

Along with Travis and Williams, two other Mocs are averaging in double figures on the season as junior guard Michael Volovic (Carmel, Ind.) is averaging 16.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game and is shooting 39 percent from the field, 32 percent from downtown and 88 percent at the free throw line and is coming off a career high 27 point effort in his last action at Palm Beach Atlantic, while junior guard Sheldon Zablotny (Erie, Pa.) is averaging 11.8 points per game and is shooting 43 percent from the floor, 30 percent from the 3-point line and 86 percent at the free throw line and has scored in double figures in seven of 10 games, including six times in his last seven games.  

Eastern New Mexico comes into play on Thursday averaging a little over 74 points per game and is allowing 77 points per game on the year. The Greyhounds, who were tabbed to finish seventh in the Preseason LSC Poll and earned a first place votes, have scored 70 or more points in six consecutive games, including a season high 86 points in an 86-82 win against Colorado Mesa. On defense, ENMU has allowed six of its first eight foes to score 70 or more points, but held St. Mary's to 55 points in its most recent action. 

Along with averaging 74.2 points per game, the Greyhounds are shooting 40 percent from the field and 31 percent from the 3-point line and is outrebounding its foes by a +5.1 advantage, but has had 16 more turnovers than its opponents (126-110) on the season. Defensively, ENMU's foes are shooting 43 percent from the field and 31 percent from the 3-point line.

Leading the way for the Greyhounds this season is senior guard John Gilliam. Gilliam, who was named an Honorable Mention All-LSC selection a season ago, is averaging 18.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game and is shooting 44 percent from the field, 36 percent from the 3-point line and 78 percent at the free throw line. He has scored in double figures in six games, including a season high 31 points at Western State.

In addition to Gilliam, other key performers for the Greyhounds are junior forward Stephon Edwards and junior guard Javandon Staves. Edwards is averaging 8.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game and is shooting 44 percent from the floor, while Staves is averaging 8.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game and is shooting 34 percent from the field and 36 percent from downtown and has scored in double figures in two games.

The Greyhounds are coached by Stott Carter, who is in his second season at Eastern New Mexico and has compiled a 10-26 record. Carter, though, is no stranger to the Sunshine State as he served as a student assistant and then a graduate assistant on Billy Donovan's staff at the University of Florida when the Gators advanced to the Final Four, made an appearance in the national championship game, had two Sweet 16 appearances and earned an SSC title. Along with working at Florida, Carter was an assistant at both Pfeiffer University and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and was also an assistant with the Greyhounds before being named the school's head coach on April 25, 2014.  

Following this weekend's action, the Mocs will take 12 days off before returning to the court on Saturday, Jan. 2 as they host Tampa in a 7:30 p.m. SSC game at Jenkins Field House. Seven of those 12 days off (Dec. 21-27) are mandated by the NCAA as part of its Division II "Life in Balance" initiative that was implemented a few seasons ago.