Moccasin Game Notes
FSC/Terrace Hotel Classic Home Page
LAKELAND - Florida Southern will conclude the pre-Christmas portion of its 2015-16 schedule with the FSC/Terrace Hotel Classic at Jenkins Field House schedule for Thursday, Dec. 17 through Friday, Dec. 18.
The Moccasins will host Emmanuel (Ga.) College on Dec. 17 at 4 p.m. and then face Lake Superior State on Dec. 18 at 4 p.m. In addition, Livingstone is the other team in the two-day event as they will face Lake Superior State on Dec. 17 and Emmanuel on Dec. 18 at 2 p.m. each day respectively.
This is the 11th consecutive year Florida Southern has hosted the Classic, and the fifth year in a row The Terrace Hotel will serve as the title sponsor. Emmanuel, Lake Superior State and Livingstone are all making their first-ever appearances in the Terrace Hotel Classic. FSC has posted a 10-10 all-time record in its own Christmas Tournament, including going 1-1 last season.
FSC (8-1), who earned eight votes in this week's USA Today Sports/WBCA Division II Coaches' Poll and one vote in the latest D2SIDA National Media Poll, enters its own Terrace Hotel Classic having opened the season by winning eight of its first nine games, including winning its first eight games for its second best start in school history. The Mocs, though, haven't played since suffering a 73-61 setback at home on Dec. 5 against Florida Tech.
"These two games this week will be kind of a measuring stick to see how good we are against the teams coming in here," Moccasin second year head coach Betsy Harris. "They're going to be good teams we're playing. It's not a Christmas tournament where you're going to get easy wins."
A big key to the Mocs early season success can be attributed to an offense that is second in the league in scoring (75.8 points per game) and leads the SSC and is in the Top 20 nationally in both field goal percentage (46.6 percent) and 3-point field goal percentage (39.1 percent). FSC is also second in the SSC in free throw shooting as they are connecting on 72 percent of its attempts from the foul line.
As a team, the Mocs have scored 70 or more points in six games, including topping the 90 point plateau in its first two games of the year against Paine and Clark Atlanta at the SSC/SIAC Challenge in Lakeland, but have been under 65 points in two of its last three games.
The Mocs feature a balanced offensive attack that has four players averaging in double figures and two others averaging a little over 8.0 points per game. Sophomore guard Jensen Blassage (Cherry Valley, Ill.) leads the way as she is averaging 12.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game and is shooting 50 percent from the field and 85 percent from the free throw line. Blassage, who was named the SSC Player of the Week on Nov. 30, has reached double figures in five games and has had five or more assists in four consecutive games.
Along with Blassage, the team's No. 2 scorer this season is senior forward Mariah Harris (Gainesville, Fla.). Harris is averaging 12.2 points and a team-best 6.1 rebounds per game and is shooting 61 percent from the field and has scored in double figures in six straight games and seven times overall on the season. The other two double-digit scorers are senior guard Syndi Payne (Conyers, Ga.), who is averaging 11.6 points and 4.1 boards per game and freshman guard Camille Giardina (Sarasota, Fla.) is averaging 10.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game.
While its offense has been strong in the early going, the Mocs defense has also played well as they come into this week's action allowing 65.3 points per game and is limiting teams to 42 percent shooting from the field and 33.3 percent from the 3-point line. In addition, the Mocs have a +3.0 rebound margin and are third in the league in steals as they are averaging 9.6 per game.
Emmanuel, who is a provisional member of Conference Carolinas as it is in the second year of transitioning from NAIA to NCAA Division II, enters the FSC/Terrace Hotel Classic having won six of its first games on the year with its tow losses coming at home to Limestone (62-47) and at King (Tenn.) 57-51. The Lions, though, haven't played since earning an 85-72 home win this past Saturday against Georgia Southwestern.
"I know a little about Emmanuel. They used to be in the NAIA, I coached against them when I was at Coastal (Georgia)," the Mocs coach added.
The Lions are led by junior forward Elise Coberly. Coberly averages a team high 13 points and 8.0 rebounds per game and is shooting 46 percent from the field and 36 percent from the 3-point line and has scored in double figures in four straight games and seven times overall on the year.
In addition to Coberly, junior guard Timia Reynolds is averaging 11.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game and is shooting 48.3 percent from the floor and 83 percent at the free throw line, but is the team's leading scorer in four Conference Carolinas as she is averaging 13.5 points per game.
The Lions are coached by Mike Bona, who is in his 35th season at Emmanuel and has compiled a 648-277 all-time record.
As a team, Emmanuel is averaging 68.6 points per game and is shooting 42 percent from the field and 35 percent from the 3-point line and on defense, the Lions are allowing 59.8 points per game and are limiting its foes to 34 percent shooting from the field and 27 percent shooting from long distance. The Lions are also outrebounding its foes by a +6.7 margin and are averaging 11.5 turnovers per game.
Lake Superior State, who are members of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, is sporting a 2-6 overall record and has lost two straight games and three of its last four overall with its only win being a 55-40 home victory on Dec. 5 against Wayne State (Mich.). The Lakers, though, haven't played since suffering a 66-50 road loss this past Saturday against Walsh.
The Lakers are led by the play of sophomore center Tamara Novic. Novic is averaging a team best 10.1 points per game off the bench and is shooting 53 percent from the field and 71 percent from the free throw line and has scored in double figures in four games, including 24 points at Malone.
Along with Novic, junior guard Mackenzie Edwards is averaging 9.9 points per game and is shooting 36 percent from the field, 33 percent from the 3-point line and 70 percent at the line, while freshman guard Valerie Meissner is averaging 8.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game and is shooting 35 percent from both the field and 3-point line and 71 percent from the free throw line. Edwards was named a Preseason Second-Team All-GLIAC selection.
The Lakers are coached by Kristen Rogers, who is in her second season at LSSU and has compiled a 9-25 overall record. In the Preseason GLIAC poll, the Lakers were tabbed to finish eighth in the North Division.
As a team, the Lakers are averaging 53.8 points per game and has scored over 70 points in one game and they are shooting 40 percent from the field and 32 percent from the 3-point line and is getting outrebounded by 4.0 boards per contest. On defense, LSSU is allowing 60.6 points per game and is allowing its opponents to shoot 41 percent from the field and 26 percent from the 3-point line, which is 28th nationally in the latest NCAA Division II statistics.
Livingstone, who is from Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, comes to Lakeland sporting a 3-3 overall record as the Blue Bears have lost three of its last four games with its only win being an 80-74 home win on Monday over Paine College. That win snapped a three-game losing skid for Livingstone. In the Preseason CIAA poll, the Blue Bears, who went 26-2 a season ago and lost in the CIAA Tournament semifinals to Lincoln (Pa.), were tabbed to finish first in the South Division.
Leading the way for the Blue Bears is senior guard Amber Curtis. Curtis, who was named a Preseason All-CIAA selection, is averaging 20.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game and is shooting 36 percent from the field and 40 percent from the 3-point line. Curtis has scored in double figures in five of six games, including three games of scoring 20 or more points.
In addition to Curtis, sophomore guard Kyala Searcy is averaging 15.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game and is shooting 30 percent from the field and 78 percent at the free throw line and has collected 16 steals, while junior guard Brittany Taylor is averaging 9.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game and is shooting 36 percent from the field and 71 percent at the line.
The Blue Bears are coached by Anita Howard, who is 29-5 in her second season at the helm of the Livingstone program.
As a team, Livingstone is averaging 67.2 points per game and is shooting 34 percent from floor and 27 percent from the 3-point line and is getting outrebounded by nearly three boards per game. Defensively, the Blue Bears are allowing 78.2 points per game and their foes are shooting 41 percent from the field and 27 percent from the 3-point line.
Following the FSC/Terrace Hotel Classic, the Mocs will take another 12 days off from action, including a mandated seven day break from all activities from Dec. 21-27 thanks to the NCAA's "Life in Balance" initiative, before returning to action on Wednesday, Dec. 30 with a 2 p.m. game in Jenkins Field House against Flagler. That game will mark the final game of the 2015 calendar year for the Mocs.
