Moccasin Game Notes vs. Lynn

MOCCASIN QUICK NOTES
* - FSC opens the second half of Sunshine State Conference play on Saturday, Jan. 23 as they return home to Jenkins Field House (2,500) for a 5:30 p.m. match-up against Lynn (2-14 overall, 0-8 SSC). The game will mark the 10th home game of the season for the Mocs and the first at home since picking up a 73-65 victory over Eckerd nearly two weeks ago. 
* - The Mocs are 8-1 at home this season and have won five consecutive home matches since suffering a 73-61 loss to Florida Tech on Dec. 5. Along with being 8-1 overall at home on the year, the Mocs went 3-1 at home during the first half of SSC play as they picked up wins over Barry (71-55), Tampa (71-67) and Eckerd (73-65). 
* - The Mocs have opened league play by winning six of its first eight games and has won three of its last four league contests since suffering a home loss to Florida Tech on Dec. 5. The only loss since the setback to Florida Tech came last Saturday at then 11th-ranked Nova Southeastern as the Mocs fell in overtime to the Sharks, 81-79.
* - The Mocs come into play on Saturday sporting a 15-2 overall record and a 6-2 mark in the SSC. FSC, who is tied for second in the league with Florida Tech, has won seven of its last eight games overall since having its eight game win streak to open the 2015-16 season snapped at home on Dec. 5 against Florida Tech. In that game, the Panthers earned a 73-61 win over the Mocs. The loss last Saturday at Nova Southeastern snapped the Mocs six game win streak and the Mocs started a new win streak with a 72-66 road win Wednesday over Rollins.
* - The 15 wins this season has already eclipsed last season's victory total by two victories as the Mocs posted a 13-14 overall record in 2014-15. The 15 wins are the most for the Mocs in a season since winning 24 games in 2011-12.
* - Prior to the loss to Florida Tech, the Mocs had opened the season with an 8-0 record, which is the second best start to a season in program history and just the second 8-0 start ever as the only other 8-0 start came in 1992-93 as that team coached by FSC Hall of Famer Norm Benn opened the season winning its first 16 games. 
* - The eight game winning streak earlier this season was the longest for the Mocs since recording seven straight victories during the 2011-12 season. 
* - The 15-2 start to this season is tied for the second best 17 game start in school history. The best 17 game start for the Mocs after is 16-1 in 1992-93. The last time the Mocs opened the season by winning 15 of its first 17 games was in 2009-10. They finished that season with a 19-9 overall record. 
* - The Mocs opened SSC play winning its first three games for the first time since the 2010-11 squad opened league play winning its first six games en route to finishing with a 14-2 record. 
* - With its win on Wednesday at Rollins, FSC improved 7-1 away from home this season, including being 3-1 on the road in SSC play. Wednesday's game at Rollins was just the fourth road game for the Mocs since Dec. 2 and third in the 2016 calendar year.
* - The Mocs are a perfect 9-0 in non-conference play this season following its win at Embry-Riddle on Jan. 6 and the Mocs have won nine straight regular season games against non-conference foes since falling at Palm Beach Atlantic 53-47 on Jan. 31, 2015. The Mocs have two non-conference regular season games left this season.
* - The Mocs are ranked 25th in the latest D2SIDA National Media Poll and received 37 votes in this week's latest USA Today Sports/WBCA Division II Coaches' Poll. In addition, the Mocs are tied for third in the latest D2SIDA South Region Media poll. In the D2SIDA National Media poll, the Mocs earned 41 points to sit 11 points behind No. 24 Winona State.  
* - Through 17 games this season, the Mocs have are averaging 75.6 points per game, which leads the SSC and is 27th nationally and the Mocs are also third in the SSC and 21st nationally in field goal percentage (44.9 percent) and is fourth in the SSC and 40th nationally in 3-point field goal percentage (35.8 percent). 
* - The Mocs are second in the SSC and is 17th nationally in free throw shooting as they are shooting 75.8 percent at the line on the year.* - On the season, the Mocs have scored 75 or more points in eight games and have been held under 65 points in just three games as they tallied 63 at USC Aiken, scored a season low 60 in its win at Palm Beach Atlantic and had 61 against Florida Tech.
* - FSC scored over 90 points in its first two games this season and that marked the first time since the 2008-09 season that the Mocs had scored 90 or more points in back-to-back games. The Mocs haven't had more than two consecutive games of scoring 90+ plus points since a four game stretch of 90+ point games during the 1995-96 season. During the 1995-96 season, FSC had 13 games of scoring 90 or more points. 
* - The Mocs have have a player tabbed as the SSC Player of the Week five times this season, including sweeping both the Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week accolade on Nov. 30. Sophomore guard Jensen Blassage (Offensive) and senior forward Mariah Harris (Defensive) swept the award on Nov. 30, while senior guard Sydni Payne was named the SSC Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 23 and was named the SSC Offensive Player of the Week on Nov. 16. Blassage was also named the Defensive Player of the Week on Jan. 11 and Harris was named this week's Defensive Player of the Week (Jan. 18).
* - With their two Player of the Week honors this season, Blassage, Harris and Payne are just the third, fourth and fifth Moccasins since 2005 to twice be named SSC Player of the Week in the same season. Michaela Hawley earned the honor four times in 2011-12, while Emma Cannon was also a four-time recipient in 2010-11. FSC Hall of Famer Lucresia West is the most recognized Moccasin with 15 SSC Player of the Week honors during her four-year career from 2001-02 to 2004-05. 
* - As a team, the Mocs are third in the SSC in rebound margin (+1.3), lead the SSC and is 28th nationally in turnover margin (+4.4) and is third in the SSC in steals (9.4 per game).
* - With the 15 wins this season, Moccasin second year coach Betsy Harris has improved her FSC coaching record to 28-16 as the Mocs coach. In addition, she is 96-43 in her fifth season as a collegiate coach and is four victories shy of winning 100 career games.  
* - FSC's seven SSC wins last season were one more than the Mocs had won the previous two years combined in SSC play as they went a combined 9-26 in SSC play as they went 4-12 in 2012-13 and 2-14 in 2013-14. FSC was 7-9 in SSC play a season ago. 
*  - The Mocs 13 overall wins last season were six more than they won all of the previous season combined as they closed the 2013-14 season with a 7-20 overall record and went 13-14 in 2014-15.  
* - Mariah Harris has scored 888 points and collected 560 career rebounds in 97 games as a Moccasin. She is 112 points away from becoming the 20th member of the school's 1,000 Point Club entering this weekend's action and went over the 500 career rebound mark against Saint Leo on Dec. 2. She is one of 22 Moccasins in school history to pull down 500 or more career rebounds and is 18th on the school's all-time rebound with 560 career rebounds.

MOCS OPEN SECOND HALF OF SSC PLAY SATURDAY AT HOME WITH LYNN 
25th-ranked Florida Southern (15-2 overall, 6-2 SSC) is set to open the second half of its SSC slate on Saturday, Jan. 23 as they return home to Jenkins Field House (2,500) to host Lynn (2-14 overall, 0-8 SSC) in a 5:30 p.m. tilt. The game will be the second this season between the two teams as the Mocs picked up a 77-61 win in Boca Raton on Nov. 21.

FSC comes into the game sitting in a tie for second place in the SSC standings with Florida Tech and both teams are just one game behind Nova Southeastern, who leads the league with a 7-1 record, while Lynn comes into the game reeling as the Fighting Knights are the lone winless team in league play as they completed its first half league slate 0-8 and has lost eight straight games since picking up a 61-54 home win on Dec. 10 against Southeastern. In fact, Lynn has lost 18 consecutive SSC games since earning a 66-45 home win last season against Barry. Since that win over the Buccaneers on Jan. 21, 2015, Lynn ended the 2014-15 campaign by losing its final 10 league games and has lost its first eight league contests this season.

The Mocs, who opened the 2015-16 season with an 8-0 record, began a new win streak this past Wednesday as they picked up a 72-66 win over Rollins. The win over Rollins came four days after FSC had its six game win streak snapped with an overtime loss last Saturday at then 11th-ranked Nova Southeastern. Prior to the loss to the Sharks, the Mocs had reeled off six consecutive victories as they earned home wins over Eckerd (73-65) and Tampa (71-67) and at Embry-Riddle (87-71) to open the New Year and also earned a win over Flager (73-47) to close out the 2015 calendar year and also picked up wins against both Emmanuel (79-67) and Lake Superior State (69-64) at the FSC/Terrace Hotel Classic to close out its pre-Christmas schedule on Dec. 17-18. 

MOCS SEEK ITS SIXTH STRAIGHT HOME WIN ON SATURDAY
Along with looking to keep pace in the league standings, the Mocs also looking to extend its home win streak to six consecutive victories with a win on Saturday against Lynn. The six game home win streak is the longest for the Mocs since winning seven straight home games during the 2011-12 season. With eight home wins this season, the Mocs are two home wins shy of achieving its 22nd season of winning at least 10 home games.

MOCS START NEW ROAD WIN STREAK WITH WEDNESDAY'S VICTORY AT ROLLINS
The Mocs began a new road win streak following its 72-66 win on Wednesday at Rollins. The Rollins win came of the heels of FSC having its six-game road win streak snapped last Saturday at then 11th-ranked Nova Southeastern. FSC is 7-1 away from home, including being 3-1 on the road in SSC play. The seven road wins are the most for the Mocs in a season since the 2011-12 squad went 12-4 away from home, including posting an 8-3 record on opponents home courts. 

A WIN WOULD...
• Give FSC its 16th victory of the season, which would be the most wins in a season since finishing with 24 wins (24-7 overall record) in 2011-12.
• Give FSC its seventh win in SSC play this season and improve its league record to 7-2.
• Improve FSC to 9-1 at home and 4-1 at home in SSC play. 
• Extend its home court win streak to six straight games.
• Earn its fifth consecutive victory over Lynn and help the Mocs sweep the season series against the Fighting Knights for the second straight year.

MOCS HAVE TWO MORE WINS THAN LAST SEASON'S VICTORY TOTAL
Thanks to its 72-66 win on Wednesday at Rollins, the Mocs have now won two more games than they won all of last season as the Mocs won 13 games in 2014-15 and have already won 15 games this season. FSC completed last season with a 13-14 overall record. The 15 wins this season are the most in a season for the Mocs since earning 24 wins during the 2011-12 season and finishing with a 24-7 overall record.

MOCS WITHIN FIVE WINS OF 17TH ALL-TIME 20 WIN SEASON
The Mocs are within five wins of earning the program's 17th all-time 20 win campaign in school history and the first 20 win season for the Mocs since posting a 24-7 record in 2011-12. Since the beginning of the 2000-01 season, FSC has posted four 20 win campaigns and have also had nine winning seasons during that stretch.

MOCS OFF TO SECOND BEST 17 GAME START IN SCHOOL HISTORY
As the Mocs have now reached the half-way point of the 2015-16 season, FSC has opened the season by winning 15 of its first 17 games. The 15-2 record is tied for the second-best 17 game start in school history. In addition to opening this season with a 15-2 record, the Mocs also opened the 2009-10 and 1995-96 seasons with a 15-2 record. The all-time best 17 game start in school history is 16-1, which was set by the 1992-93 squad coached by Moccasin Hall of Fame coach Norm Benn.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. LYNN
The Mocs lead the all-time series vs. Lynn, 26-14. They have won four straight over the Fighting Knights and nine of the last 12 in the series. Florida Southern lost the first-ever contest against Lynn, a 79-67 loss in Boca Raton on Nov. 21, 1994. From there, the Mocs went on a series-long nine-game win streak from Dec. 13, 1996 to Feb. 14, 2001.

Saturday's game with Lynn will mark the second meeting this season between the two schools as the Mocs picked up a 77-61 win earlier this season (Nov. 21) in Boca Raton. In that game, the Mocs held Lynn to 36 percent shooting from the field and 27 percent shooting from the 3-point line and outscored the Fighting Knights, 41-25 in the second and third quarters combined to hold a 61-41 lead after three quarters. The Mocs shot 46 percent from the field in the win and forced Lynn int0 25 turnovers that led to 25 points. FSC finished with a season high 24 turnovers. 

FSC leads the series 14-6 in Lakeland and is 12-8 in Boca Raton.

SCOUTING LYNN
Lynn enters Saturday's game with a 2-14 overall record and an 0-8 mark in the SSC. The Fighting Knights have dropped eight straight games since picking up a 61-54 home win on Dec. 10 against Southeastern. Lynn's latest loss came on Wednesday night at home as they fell 60-53 to Palm Beach Atlantic.

The Fighting Knights, who are 0-7 away from home, have lost 14 consecutive road games dating to last season. In addition, Lynn has also lost 18 straight SSC games since earning a 66-45 home win last season against Barry. Since that win over the Buccaneers on Jan. 21, 2015, Lynn ended the 2014-15 campaign by losing its final 10 league games and has lost its first eight league contests this season.  

Leading the way for the Fighting Knights is senior guard Tiffani Kerrison, who is averaging a team best 11.6 points per game and leads the team in steals with 23 and is also averaging 4.6 boards per game. Kerrison, who scored 16 points in the earlier meeting this season with the Mocs, has scored in double figures in 12 games, including a season high 17 points in an 88-84 loss to Nova Southeastern.

In addition to Kerrison, the team's other double-digit scorer is redshirt senior forward Charla Nelson-James. Nelson James is averaging 11.2 and 6.9 rebounds per game and is shooting 51 percent from the field and has reached double figures in eight games. She has missed three of the last five games for the Fighting Knights, including its game on Wednesday against Palm Beach Atlantic.

As a team, Lynn is averaging 60.6 points per game and is shooting 37 percent from the field and 26 percent from the 3-point line and are getting outrebounded by -3.7 boards per game. On defense, the Fighting Knights are allowing 67.8 points per game and their foe are shooting 44 percent from the field and 31 percent from the 3-point line. 

Lynn is coached by Julia Huddleston, who is in her first season with the Fighting Knights after spending five seasons as an assistant at Furman. Huddleston, who is a 2002 graduate of Eckerd College, is making her collegiate head coaching debut this season.