DAVIE - Florida Southern will look to snap a two-game losing streak here Saturday afternoon as the reigning National Champion Moccasins face Nova Southeastern in a 4 p.m. Sunshine State Conference match-up at the NSU Arena. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3 as part of the Division II National Game of the Week package.
The Mocs come into Saturday's action sporting a 7-9 overall record on the season and 3-3 mark in the SSC. Saturday's game will mark the second road game of the New Year for the Mocs and the ninth overall road game of the season.
FSC, who hasn't played since suffering an 84-70 home loss last Saturday against then 12th-ranked Eckerd, has struggled away from home this season as the Mocs are just 2-6 in road games this season, including being 1-1 on the road in SSC play. The Mocs, who haven't played a road SSC game since falling 91-89 at Saint Leo on Dec. 2, have lost four straight games on the road since picking up an 88-80 overtime win at USC Aiken on Nov. 29.
The four game road losing streak is the longest for the Mocs since losing 15 consecutive game away from home from Feb. 22, 2006 through Feb. 27, 2007. Prior to this season, the Mocs has posted a 40-6 record away from Lakeland since the beginning of 2012-13 campaign. The six losses away from home this season are the most for the team since losing seven games away from home in 2011-12.
In addition to losing to Eckerd in its most recent game a week ago, the current two-game losing skid began with a 112-91 loss at Embry-Riddle 10 days ago.
Much like Florida Southern, Nova Southeastern comes into Saturday's game looking to also snap a two-game losing streak that has lowered its record to 5-8 overall and 1-4 in the SSC. The Sharks most recent loss on this current streak came on Wednesday at 23rd-ranked Barry as the Sharks fell 89-86 to the Buccaneers in Miami Shores. In fact, Nova has lost four of its last five games overall with its only win being an 87-64 victory at home against Embry-Riddle to open the New Year on Jan. 2.
Saturday's game will mark the seventh home game of the season for the Sharks as they are 5-1 at home this season and have won two straight and three of its last four home games with the only loss being a 75-74 setback to Rollins on Dec. 4. NSU's only win in SSC play came at home in its league opener on Nov. 18 against Lynn. In that game, the Sharks posted an 88-84 win over the Fighting Knights.
FSC and Nova Southeastern will be facing off against each other for the 30th time on Saturday as the Mocs hold a commanding 24-5 edge in the series all-time, including winning seven straight in the series and 16 of the last 17 overall. FSC holds a 15-1 edge in Lakeland and a 9-4 edge in Davie and the two teams have never met on a neutral court. The Mocs most recent loss to the Sharks came in Davie on Jan. 7, 2012, as they picked up a 90-79 victory.
Nova Southeastern, who was tabbed to finish fourth in the Preseason SSC Coaches' Poll, has two players averaging in double figures and two others players averaging over eight points per game. Leading the way for the Sharks is senior guard Chris Page, who is averaging 20.1 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game and is shooting 48 percent from the field, 36 percent from long distance and 86 percent at the free throw line. Page, who is fifth in the SSC in scoring and is seventh on the school's all-time scoring chart with 1,191 points, has reached double figures in all 13 games, including scoring 20 or more points in seven games, including three times in his last four games.
In addition to Page, junior forward Harrison Goodrick is the team's other double digit scorer on the year as he is averaging 11.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game and is shooting 49 percent from the field and has reached double figures in nine games and has had three double-doubles, including a double-double of 16 points and 11 boards in the Sharks loss Wednesday at Barry.
Other key performers for the Sharks are redshirt junior forward Casey Carroll, sophomore guard/forward Troy Spears and freshman guard/forward Dwayne Gibson. Carroll, who missed the entire 2014-15 season due to injury, is averaging 8.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game and is shooting 42 percent from the field and 33 percent from the 3-point line, while Spears is averaging 8.2 points and 2.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game and is coming off a season high 20 point game against Barry and Gibson is averaging 6.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game and is shooting 50 percent from the field and has scored in double figures in three games.
Nova Southeastern is under the direction of Gary Tuell, who is in his 12th season with the Sharks and has compiled a 147-173 record. In his 29 year collegiate coaching career, Tuell, who is the winningest coach in program history, has posted a 450-390 all-time coaching record.
As a team, the Sharks are one of the top defensive teams in the SSC as they are third in the league in scoring defense (79.5 ppg) and is second in field goal percentage defense (43.4 percent), is third in 3-point field goal defense (33.2 percent) and is second in steals as they average 8.8 per game. NSU has allowed just six of its foes to score 80 or more points and has held four of its last six foes under 75 points. On offense, NSU is averaging 78.1 points per game and are shooting 44 percent from the field and 34 percent from the 3-point line and is fourth in the SSC in 3-pointers made per game (9.5)
The Sharks defense will be tested on Saturday by a Moccasin team averaging 88.8 points per game and has scored 80 or more points in all but four games this season, including scoring 90 or more points in three of its last four games and five times in their last seven outings. Along with averaging 88.8 points per game, the Mocs are third in Division II in made 3-pointers as they have hit 180 on the year and are averaging 11.3 made treys per game, which is eighth in Division II. Additionally, the Mocs are shooting 43 percent from the field, 37 percent from the 3-point line and are fourth in the SSC in free throw shooting at 72.8 percent. Along with being third nationally in 3-pointers made on the season, FSC is fifth in 3-point field goal attempts as they have shot 481 in 16 games. In fact, 42 percent of FSC's shots this season have come from behind the 3-point arc.
On defense, the Mocs have struggled at times this season as they are allowing 87.8 points per game and have allowed 12 foes to score over 80 points, including allowing eight opponents to score over 90 points.
FSC's opponents are shooting 47 percent from the field and 37 percent from the 3-point line and are averaging 8.9 made treys per game. In addition, FSC's opponents are averaging 23.2 free throw attempts per game.
Leading the way for the Moccasins offensively this season is senior guard Dylan Travis (Omaha, Neb.). Travis is third in the SSC and 33rd nationally in scoring as he is averaging 21.7 points per game and is also averaging 8.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists and a league-leading 2.1 steals per game and is shooting 44 percent from the field, 36 percent from downtown and 82 percent (97-for-119) from the free throw line. Travis has hit 38 of his last 47 free throws and ranks in the Top 15 in Division II in both free throws made and free throws attempted. He has scored 20 or more points in 10 of 16 games and has scored in double figures in 17 straight games and 21 times in his last 22 outings dating to last season. Additionally, he has recorded a team-best five double-doubles on the year and recorded the programs first-ever triple-double in the win over Miles. Against Miles, Travis, who was named the SSC Defensive Player of the Week on Dec. 21, scored 11 points, pulled down 10 rebounds and dished out a career high 10 assists.
In addition to Travis, senior guard Dominique Williams (Haines City, Fla.) is the Mocs No. 2 scorer on the season. Williams, who became the 40th Moccasin to score 1,000 career points after tallying 17 points in last Saturday's game against Eckerd, is averaging 19.3 points and 3.8 rebounds per game and is shooting 45 percent from the field and 42 percent from the 3-point line and is third in the SSC in made treys per game at 2.9. Williams, who has scored 1,016 career points, has reached double figures in 14 straight games and has scored 20 or more points in four of his last seven outings.
Along with Travis and Williams, two other Mocs are averaging double figures on the season as junior guard Michael Volovic (Carmel, Ind.) is averaging 14.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists per contest and is shooting 37 percent from the field, 34 percent from the 3-point line and 80 percent from the free throw line and has scored in double figures in five of his last six games, while junior guard Sheldon Zablotny (Erie, Pa.) is averaging 11.8 points per game and is shooting 42 percent from the field, 35 percent from the 3-point line and 91 percent at the line and has scored in double figures in 11 of 16 games, including reaching double figures in four of his last six games and is averaging 11.5 points per game off the bench on the year.
Following Saturday's game, the Mocs will conclude the first half of SSC play on Wednesday, Jan. 20 with a 7:30 p.m. match-up in Winter Park against Rollins.
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