Mocs Open Second Half of SSC Play at Home Saturday Against Lynn

Moccasin Game Notes

OPENING NUMBERS OF NOTE...
1978-79 - The last time the Mocs lost its first two games to open a season.
1,052 - # of career points scored by Dominique Williams. He is the 40th Moccasin to score 1,000 points and is tied for 31st on all-time scoring list.
203 - # of career coaching wins for Mike Donnelly entering Saturday's game with Lynn.
165 - # of wins for the Mocs since beginning of the 2009-10 season, which is the second most among South Region schools.
89 - # of seasons of Moccasin men's basketball entering 2015-16.
50 - # of years for Jenkins Field House entering 2015-16 season.
31 - # of wins for the Mocs during the 2015 calendar year.31-8 - FSC's record during the 2015 calendar year.29 - # of NCAA Division II Tournament appearances all-time.
26-15 - FSC's record in SSC openers all-time in school history.
23 - Single game school record 3-pointers hit by the Mocs in its 128-84 win against Miles on Dec. 20, 2015.
8 - # of consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances for the Mocs.4 - # of consecutive SSC Tournament titles for the Mocs.
2 - # of Division II basketball national titles won by FSC (1981 & 2015).
1 - # of triple-doubles in school history as Dylan Travis recorded the school's lone triple-double against Miles (11 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists).

MOCCASIN QUICK NOTES
* - This is the 89th season of Moccasin basketball.
* - The Mocs played two Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opponents in exhibition play as they opened the exhibition slate with a 112-68 loss at reigning Division I National Champion Duke on Oct. 30 and then fell 96-54 to Syracuse on Nov. 8 to conclude exhibition play.  
* - It is the first time the Mocs opened the season with an exhibition game against an NCAA Division I foe since falling 110-88 to Florida to open the 2013-14 season. FSC also faced Tennessee during exhibition play in 2013-14. 
* - FSC opened the season with back-to-back losses at the SSC/GSC Challenge last weekend in Livingston, Ala., as the Mocs fell to West Alabama (90-78) and Delta State (77-63). The 0-2 start to the season is the first for the Mocs since the 1978-79 season. 
* - Since losing its first two games this season, the Mocs had reeled off four consecutive victories, including opening SSC play with wins at home over Barry and on the road against Lynn, before dropping its last four games at Saint Leo, at home against Florida Tech, at Stillman and at Palm Beach Atlantic. 
* - Following its four game losing skid, the Mocs have won four of its last eight games with the only losses being a 94-84 home setback against Mount Olive on Dec. 19, a 112-91 setback at Embry-Riddle and an 84-70 loss at home to Eckerd on Jan. 9 and an 89-72 loss on Wednesday at Rollins. 
* - With its wins over Barry and Lynn to open SSC play this season, it marked the third time in the last four seasons that the Mocs had opened SSC play by winning its first two games. 
* - FSC finished the 2014-15 season with a school record 36 wins and posted a 36-1 overall record and captured the school's second-ever national title in men's basketball and first since 1981. In addition, the Mocs also won its third consecutive Sunshine State Conference regular season title and took home its fourth straight SSC Tournament championship.
* - The Mocs were tabbed to finish third in the Preseason SSC Coaches' Poll and earned 36 votes in the Preseason NABC Division II Coaches' Poll. In addition, the Mocs were ranked 15th in Preseason D2SIDA National Media Poll. 
* - The Mocs came into the 2015-16 season having won a school record 25 consecutive games since suffering a 107-102 loss to Barry in its SSC opener on Jan. 2, 2015, before dropping its season opener against West Alabama. Since that loss to the Bucs, the Mocs closed last year's regular season by winning its final 16 games, before winning all nine of its games in the 2015 postseason.  
* - FSC returns four key reserves from last season's national championship squad, but must replace all five of its starters who were seniors a season ago.
* - The Mocs opened the 2014-15 season with an 11-0 record for the second consecutive season and 10th time in school history last season. In 2013-14, the Mocs opened the season by winning its first 18 games. 
* - Over the past eight seasons, FSC is the second winningest NCAA men's basketball program in the state of Florida as they have won 218 games. Only first year NCAA Division II member Embry-Riddle has won more games (223) over that same span than the Mocs.
* - FSC stands 17th all-time in wins in NCAA Division II with 1,383 wins and is one of 20 D-II programs to  record more than 1,350 all-time victories. In addition, FSC's .638 all-time winning percentage is 18th best in Division II.
* - The Mocs are seeking to win 20 or more games for the ninth consecutive season in 2015-16. FSC is one of just two Division II schools (West Liberty is the other) to post 20-win campaigns the past eight seasons.
* - FSC has won an SSC-best 22 regular season and 23 SSC Tournament titles and has made 29 NCAA Tournament appearances, which is third most in Division II.
* - The Mocs have advanced to the NCAA Tournament the past eight seasons and is one of just two Division II schools to play in the NCAA Tournament the past eight seasons, the other being Seattle Pacific, who earned its 11th consecutive tournament berth in 2014-15. 
* - The Mocs finished 2014-15 ranked No. 1 in the final NABC/Division II Coaches' Poll. The Mocs have been ranked in the Top 10 for 29 of the past 31 regular season polls, including being ranked No. 1 in the final five polls of last season.
* - FSC earned 36 votes in this year's Preseason NABC Coaches' Poll and is third among the 40 schools earning votes in the Preseason poll. It marked just the seventh time since the NABC began a preseason poll in 1996 that the Mocs have not been preseason ranked and the second straight season that the defending Division II national champion wasn't preseason ranked. 

MOCS RETURN HOME SATURDAY TO HOST LYNN TO OPEN SECOND HALF OF SSC SCHEDULE 
The reigning NCAA Division II National Champion Florida Southern Moccasins (8-10 overall, 4-4 SSC) is set to open the second half of its Sunshine State Conference schedule on Saturday, Jan. 23 as they host Lynn (8-8 overall, 2-6 SSC) in a 7:30 p.m. game at Jenkins Field House (2,500). Saturday's game will mark the ninth conference game of the season for the Mocs and its ninth home game of the season, but just its fifth home game in league play. The game is the second of a doubleheader at Jenkins Field House as the Moccasin women (15-2 overall, 6-2 SSC) face the Lynn women (2-14 overall, 0-8 SSC) at 5:30 p.m.

FSC is playing its sixth game of the New Year and its third home game in 2016 as the Mocs are 5-3 at home this season, including being 2-2 at home in SSC play. The Mocs have lost three of its last four games with the only victory being an 84-79 win last Saturday at Nova Southeastern on ESPN3.

The win at Nova Southeastern not only snapped a two-game losing skid for the Mocs, its also snapped a four game road losing skid since picking up an 88-80 overtime win at USC Aiken. The four game road losing streak was the longest for the Mocs since dropping 15 straight games away from home from Feb. 22, 2006 through Feb. 28, 2007.

After opening the season by losing its first two games, the Mocs reeled off four consecutive victories, including opening SSC play with back-to-back victories over Barry (74-72) and Lynn (98-91). Following the four-game winning streak, FSC lost four straight games. Since that four game losing skid, the Mocs have won four of its last eight games with the only losses being a 94-84 home loss to Mount Olive on Dec. 19, a 112-91 setback at Embry-Riddle and an 84-70 loss at home to then 12th-ranked Eckerd on Jan. 9 and an 89-72 road loss on Wednesday at Rollins.

MOCS LOOK TO CONTINUE MASTERY IN SSC PLAY IN 2015-16 
FSC has been strong in SSC play since the beginning of last season as the Mocs have won 19 of its last 24 league games, including a 17 game win streak in league play before falling at Saint Leo earlier this season. Prior to the Saint Leo loss, the Mocs last loss in SSC play came on Jan. 3, 2015 in its SSC opener against Barry. Since that loss, the Mocs ended the 2014-15 season winning its final 15 SSC games and opened this season by winning four of its first seven league contests.

Since the beginning of the 2010-11 season, the Mocs have posted a 63-24 record in SSC games and have claimed three consecutive SSC regular season titles and four straight SSC Tournament titles. In addition to winning 19 of its last 24 SSC games, the Mocs have also won 10 of its last 12 SSC road games since falling to Tampa (71-69) in its final league road game to close the 2013-14 season with the only road setbacks being its loss earlier this season at Saint Leo and at Rollins on Wednesday night.  
  
WILLIAMS JOINS 1,000 POINT CLUB 
Senior guard Dominique Williams  made history in the Mocs game on Jan. 9 against 12th-ranked Eckerd as he scored 17 points to become the 40th all-time member of Florida Southern's 1,000 Point Club. He entered the Eckerd game needing just one point to reach the 1,000 point plateau and he scored that one point he needed on a free throw just 72 seconds into the game.

In his three-plus seasons as a Moccasin, Williams has now scored 1,052 points, including scoring 326 points in 17 games this season and is now tie for 31st with former Moccasin Frank DeSavino (1953-56) on the school's all-time scoring chart.

Williams, who is the ninth Moccasin to score 1,000 points since the 2006-07 season, is averaging 9.4 points per game as he has shot 353-for-800 from the field (44.1 percent) and is 146-for-361 (40.4 percent) from the 3-point line and has reached double figures in 41 career games, including 16 times this season and has scored 20 or more points in a game 12 times in his career, including scoring 20 or more points in eight games this season. Williams has scored in double figures in 16 consecutive games since being held to five points against Delta State. 

SCOUTING THE MOCCASINS
Florida Southern enters Saturday's game looking to rebound after suffering an 89-72 loss on Wednesday at Rollins. The Mocs are sporting an 8-10 overall record and a 4-4 mark in the SSC following its loss at Rollins. The loss at Rollins followed an 84-79 win last Saturday at Nova Southeastern. That win over Nova snapped a two-game losing skid for the Mocs and also snapped a four game road losing skid.

FSC's eight wins in its first 18 games of the season are its fewest since the 2006-07 squad coached by former coach Linc Darner posted a 6-12 record through its first 18 games. FSC's four wins in SSC play have come at home against Barry (74-72) and Tampa (93-75) and on the road at Lynn (98-91) and Nova Southeastern (84-79) and its four league losses came at Saint Leo (91-89) and at Rollins (89-72) and at home to both Florida Tech (99-93) and Eckerd (84-70). The SLU and Florida Tech losses were part of a four game losing skid for the Mocs that came on the heels of a four game winning streak for the Mocs.

That four game winning streak came on the heels of FSC dropping back-to-back games at the SSC/GSC Challenge in Livingston, Ala., to open the 2015-16 season. At the SSC/GSC Challenge, the Mocs opened the season with a 90-76 loss to West Alabama, before suffering a 77-63 loss to Delta State. The 63 points scored against Delta State were the fewest in a game since being held to 63 points in a 71-63 loss at Saint Leo on Jan. 9, 2013. In addition, the 0-2 start to the season was the first for the Mocs since the 1978-79 squad coached by Dr. Hal Wissel opened with a 93-91 loss at home to Ursinus College and then followed with a 97-79 defeat at Holy Cross. 

The Mocs come into the 2015-16 season looking to continue its recent run of success as the program has won 20 or more games the past eight seasons and has taken home the last three Sunshine State Conference regular season and last four SSC Tournament championships and has advanced to the Division II Elite Eight in two of the last three seasons and captured the program's second ever national title in men's basketball last season. The Mocs won 36 games a season ago and has now won 20 or more games in a season 32 times and the current streak of eight consecutive 20-plus win campaigns is the longest for the program since reeling off nine straight seasons of winning 20 or more games from 1995-96 to 2003-04. Since the beginning of the 1979-80 season, FSC has won 20 or more games 31 times, including 12 times in the last 14 seasons. The Mocs are one of just two Division II schools (West Liberty being the other) to win 20 or more games the past eight seasons. 

As a team, the Mocs are second in the SSC and 21st nationally in scoring as they are averaging 87.6 points per game and have scored 90 or more points in six of its last 11 games, including topping the century mark in two of its last four victories. Along with averaging 87.6 points per game, the Mocs are shooting 43 percent from the field, 38 percent from the 3-point line and 74 percent from the free throw line. FSC leads the SSC and is sixth nationally in 3-pointers made per game as they are making 11.7 treys per game and have hit 10 or more treys in 10 straight games, including a school record 23 treys in its 44-point win over  Miles and 12 games overall on the season. On defense, the Mocs are allowing a league worst 87.3 points per game and have allowed nine of its 18 opponents to score 90 or more points, including allowing a season high 112 points to Embry-Riddle. FSC's foes are shooting 47 percent from the floor, 37 percent from the 3-point line and 70 percent from the free throw line and the Mocs have a +1.4 turnover margin and a -1.3 rebound margin.

TRAVIS, WILLIAMS LEADING THE WAY FOR THE MOCS
Leading the way for the Mocs this season are senior guards Dylan Travis (Omaha, Neb.) and Dominique Williams (Haines City, Fla.).

Travis, who has been named a two-time SSC Player of the Week this season as he earned the Defensive Player of the Week accolade on Dec. 21 and was named the Player of the Week on Nov. 23 and was also named the USBWA Division II National Player of the Week on Nov. 24, is second in the league and 22nd nationally in scoring at 21.9 points per game and is third in the league in rebounding (8.1 rpg), third in assists (4.7 apg) and leads the league in steals (2.0 spg) and is shooting 45 percent from the field, 37 percent from the 3-point line and 83 percent (106-for-128) from the free throw line. Travis has hit 47 of his last 56 free throws (83.9 percent), including going 9-for-9 at the line in his last outing against Nova Southeastern and is 15th nationally in made free throws and 19th nationally in free throw attempts. Travis, who was named the Division II Bulletin Player of the Month for November, has scored 20 or more points in 11 of 17 games, including tallying a career high 32 points against Eastern New Mexico and has scored in double figures in 18 straight games, including all 17 games this season and 22 times in his last 23 games overall dating to last season and leads the team in double-doubles with five and recorded the program's first-ever triple-double (11 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) against Miles in the Mocs final game before the holiday break.

Williams is seventh in the SSC in scoring as he is averaging 19.2 points per game and is also averaging 3.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game and is shooting 44 percent from the field, 42 percent from the 3-point line, which is seventh in the SSC and is averaging 3.0 made treys per game, which is third in the SSC and has reached double figures in 16 straight games, including scoring a career-high 29 points in the Mocs win earlier this season at Lynn and has scored 20 or more points in seven of his last 13 games.      

MOCS TIED FOR FOURTH IN D-II IN MADE TREYS, FIFTH IN 3-POINTERS ATTEMPTED
FSC comes into this weekend's action leading the SSC and is tied for fourth in Division II in made three-pointers with 210 and is fifth in Division II in 3-point shot attempts (558). The Mocs 210 made treys is nine less than the Division II leader Adelphi has hit as they have made 219 treys in 18 games this season.

The Mocs are one of seven D-II teams that have made 190 or more 3-pointers on the year as King (Tenn.) is second with 216 made treys. As a team, FSC is averaging 11.7 made treys per game, which is tops in the SSC and sixth nationally. FSC has hit 10 or more treys in a game 12 times, including 10 consecutive games of hitting 10 or more treys. While they are averaging 11.7 made treys per game, the Mocs are averaging 31 3-point shot attempts per game.

FSC-LYNN SERIES 
Saturday's game with Lynn will mark the 47th all-time meeting between the two schools as FSC holds a 37-9 edge in the series, including winning all four meetings last season. The Mocs, who picked up a 98-91 win earlier this season in Boca Raton, have won 15 straight games and 19 of the last 20 games overall in the series with Lynn's only win coming on Feb. 21, 2009, as they defeated the Mocs, 70-69 in Lakeland.

The Mocs lead the series, 17-4 in Lakeland, while also holding a 15-4 edge at Lynn and leads 5-1 on neutral courts. The Mocs have won seven straight games in the series in Lakeland, including two times last season as FSC defeated Lynn in the regular season and then posted an 88-80 win in the South Regional final. 

SCOUTING LYNN
Lynn, who was tabbed to finish second in the Preseason SSC Coaches' Poll, has struggled this season as the Fighting Knights come into play on Saturday having five of its last seven games overall and are sporting an 8-8 record and a 2-6 mark in the SSC. Lynn is currently sitting in eighth place in the league standings. LU's only wins in its last seven games came at home against Tampa (82-71) on Jan. 9 and at Embry-Riddle (87-84) last Saturday. Prior to this current stretch, Lynn opened the 2015-16 campaign by winning six of its first nine games with two of those three losses coming against FSC and Barry. 

The Fighting Knights, who are playing its eighth road game of the season on Saturday, has struggled away from home on the year as they are just 3-4 on the road this year, including posting an 0-4 mark on the road in SSC play. LU's road losses this season in SSC play have come at Nova Southeastern (88-84), at Barry (109-101), at Rollins (85-69) and at Eckerd (70-56).

Lynn is coached by Jeff Price (Pikeville, '81), who is in his third second of this second stint with the Fighting Knights. In his first go-around at Lynn from 1993-99, Price averaged 23 wins per season, including posting 20 or more wins in five of six seasons. His best Lynn team came in 1996-97, when the Fighting Knights put together a 20-game winning streak en route to advancing to the national semifinals of the NCAA Division II Tournament and finishing the season with a school record 28 wins and posting a 28-3 record. In his eight-plus seasons at Lynn, he has recorded a 162-80 record and is 330-221 in 21 years as a collegiate head coach.     

Price's team features three players averaging in double figures led by senior guard/forward Fred Landers. Landers, who scored 30 points against the Mocs in the first meeting this season, is averaging 21.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game and is shooting 45 percent from the floor, 33 percent from downtown and 82 percent at the line. On the year, he has scored in double figures in all 14 games he's played, including seven games of scoring 20 or more points.

In addition to Landers, senior forward David Johnson is averaging 15.3 points and 5.7 boards per game and has blocked 21 shots and is shooting 46 percent from the floor and 36 percent from downtown and has reached double figures in 13 games, including four straight games of scoring in double digits, while freshman guard Jamal Palmer is averaging 10.2 points per game and is shooting 46 percent from the field and has reached double figures in nine games on the year.

Lynn's offensive attack is led by senior guard Russell Wilson as he is averaging 6.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and is second in the SSC in assists and he averages 6.6 per game and has dished out six or more assists in a game 11 times, including four times in his last six games. 

As a team, Lynn is averaging 82.9 points per game and is allowing 83.2 points per game. They are shooting 42 percent from the field and just 30 percent from the 3-point line. In addition, they are also shooting just 63 percent from the free throw line. On defense, LU's opponents are shooting 47 percent from the field and 35 from long distance and the Fighting Knights are forcing 18.2 turnovers per game and have a +4.4 turnover margin and are averaging 9.8 steals per game, which is second in the SSC.