LAKELAND – When Coach Betsy Harris leads her women's basketball team onto the court this Saturday for a 5:30 pm home game against Florida Tech, she'll field an undefeated team ranked 19th in D2SIDA National Media Poll and one that received earned votes in this week's USA Today Sports/WBCA Coaches' Poll.
Florida Southern is off to a perfect 8-0 start, including a 3-0 mark in the Sunshine State Conference, after posting a 82-73 road win at Saint Leo on Wednesday. The 8-0 beginning to the season is second best in the program's history, bested only by the 1992-93 team, under the leadership of FSC Hall of Famer Norm Benn, which won its first 16 games of the year.
The Moccasins feature a balanced attack with three players scoring in double figures and three more netting nine or more points per contest. Sophomore Jensen Blassage, the reigning SSC Player of the Week, leads with 13.7 points per game and is followed by senior Sydni Payne at 12.8 points per contest. Fellow senior Mariah Harris, the reigning SSC Defensive Player of the Week, is next with 12.0 points per game while grabbing a team-high 6.3 rebounds per outing.
Close behind is junior Gianna Vastola (9.9 ppg), freshman Camille Giardina (9.8 ppg), and senior Shaquita Snow (9.2). Vastola is second on the squad with 4.9 boards per game while Blassage and Payne each average 4.3 rebounds per game. Giardina is coming off a career high 22 point performance in Wednesday's victory at Saint Leo.
Florida Southern leads the Sunshine State Conference in scoring average (77.6); field goal percentage (47.7); three-point field goal percentage (40.4); free-throw percentage (73.4), and total steals (74). The squad is also second in the league in total assists (121) and total rebounds (303).
Florida Tech comes into the contest with just one player in double figures, but redshirt junior Shequana Harris accounts for well over one-quarter of her team's scoring with 19.3 points per game. Senior Tiesha Flagler and junior Julie McCarty each net 9.9 points.
Coach John Reynolds' Panthers are shooting 36.7 percent from the field, including 21-of-65 treys, and have converted on 69.8 percent at the charity stripe while out-rebounding their opponents 41.3 to 35.6. Florida Tech is averaging 66.4 points per game while holding opponents to 62.9 points per contest.
Saturday's match-up will be the 73rd in the series between these two squads with the Moccasins holding a slim 38-34 advantage. Florida Southern will be looking to snap a four-game win streak by Florida Tech in the series.
Following the Florida Tech game, the Mocs will have 12 days away from competition before returning to action following final exams with the FSC/Terrace Hotel Classic on Dec. 17-18. Florida Southern will play Emmanuel on Dec. 17 and Lake Superior State on Dec. 18. Livingstone rounds out the four-team field.
