DAYTONA BEACH - Florida Southern continues its quest for a Sunshine State Conference Championship here Saturday evening as the third-seeded Moccasins face second-seeded Florida Tech in a second of two semifinal games of the 2016 SSC Women's Basketball Championships held at the ICI Center on the campus of Embry-Riddle University.
The Mocs come into the game sporting a 24-4 overall record and the 24 wins are the most in single season since the 2011-12 team coached by Jarrod Olson finished the season with a 24-7 record. The 24 wins are 11 more than the squad won last season as they finished the 2014-15 season with a 13-14 overall record.
"It says a lot about the kids. They've bought into the program pretty quick, but I guess they kind of had too," Moccasin second year head coach Betsy Harris said following practice Friday at the ICI Center. "You have to have some mental toughness to have the record we have and to go on those road games out of conference we had and win them, it is night and day from last year's team to this year's team. I've seen the work they've (our players) put into it and they deserve it."
Saturday's game will be the third meeting this season between the two teams that tied for second in the SSC standings with identical 12-4 records. Tech won both of the regular season meetings against the Mocs as they posted a 73-61 win in Lakeland on Dec. 5 and then earned a 58-53 overtime win Melbourne on Feb. 6. The Mocs played the game at Melbourne without senior forward Mariah Harris (Gainesville, Fla.), who was attending the funeral of her uncle, Larry Jenkins, Jr.
In fact, Florida Tech (19-8) has won six straight games in the series against the Mocs since FSC picked up a 70-63 win in Lakeland on Feb. 23, 2013.
"We just have to go in there and be aggressive on both ends on the floor and we can't let their pressure make us nervous," said Harris, who was named this year's SSC co-Coach of the Year on Wednesday. "Our shooting percentages haven't been very good against them. We just have to stay calm and make sure we're mentally tough. Florida Tech is going to keep coming at you and the main thing is that we have to shoot the ball better and we have to make sure (Shequana) Harris doesn't get her points."
In the two games this season against the Mocs this season, Shequana Harris is averaging 18.0 points per game, while the Mocs have shot 35 percent from the field and 31 percent from the 3-point line and have committed 43 turnovers (21.5 per game).
In fact, Florida Tech (19-8) has won six straight games in the series against the Mocs since FSC picked up a 70-63 win in Lakeland on Feb. 23, 2013.
FSC (24-4) advanced to Saturday's semifinal round game after earning a 75-62 quarterfinal round win on Wednesday at Jenkins Field House against sixth-seeded Rollins, while Tech earned its trip to Daytona Beach after posting a 70-62 quarterfinal win over seventh-seeded Eckerd in Melbourne.
The winner of the game will advance to Sunday's championship game at 4 p.m. against the winner of Saturday's first semifinal that matches top-seeded and two-time regular season champion Nova Southeastern facing fifth-seeded Tampa, who posted a 64-55 upset on Wednesday at fourth-seeded Barry.
FSC is making its 35th all-time appearance this season in the SSC Tournament and has posted a 43-24 record in the tournament and has claimed a league-best 10 championships. FSC is playing its 25th semifinal game on Saturday and has posted an 18-6 record all-time in the SSC Tournament semifinals, but Saturday's game will the Mocs first appearance in the semifinals since posting a 66-47 win over Nova Southeastern in 2012 at Jenkins Field House in Lakeland.
FSC enters the game as one of the top offensive teams in the league as the Mocs are second in the league in scoring as they average 72.2 points per game and is third in the league in field goal percentage (43.8 percent), second in both 3-point field goal percentage (37.9 percent) and free throw percentage (75.4 percent). The Mocs have scored 70 or more points in 17 of 28 games, including topping the 90 point mark in its first two games this season.
Leading the way for the Mocs is the tandem of Harris and sophomore guard Jensen Blassage (Cherry Valley, Ill.), who were both of FSC's All-SSC selections as Harris earned first team honors and Blassage was a second team honoree.
Harris leads the way for the Mocs as she is seventh in the SSC in scoring (12.9 ppg) and 12th in rebounding (5.8) and is second in the league in field goal percentage (52.2 percent) and has scored in double figures in 18 games and has had two double-doubles, while Blassage is ninth in the SSC in scoring at 12.4 points per game and is third in assists (3.4), second in assist/turnover ratio (1.9) and is tied for the league lead and is seventh nationally in free throw shooting (89.4 percent) and has scored in double figures in 17 games and has had nine game of recording five or more assists. Blassage has reached double figures in four games and six times in her last eight outings.
Three other Mocs are averaging between 8.4 and 8.5 points as freshman guard Camille Giardina (Sarasota, Fla.), who was named the SSC Freshman of the Year on Wednesday, is averaging 8.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game and is shooting 41 percent from the field 82 percent at the free throw line and has reached double figures 12 times, while senior guards Shaquita Snow (Racine, Wis.) and Sydni Payne (Conyers, Ga.) are each averaging 8.4 points per game, while Payne is tied for fourth in the SSC in steals (1.7 per game) and Snow is sixth in assists (3.0 apg) and third in assist/turnover ratio (1.8). Payne has scored in double figures in 12 games and has had two double-doubles and Snow has reached double figures nine times, including tallying 15 points in the Mocs quarterfinal win over Rollins on Wednesday.
Florida Southern's offensive prowess will be tested by a Florida Tech team that comes into play on Saturday as one of the top defensive teams in the league.
On the season, the Panthers, who are 28-23 all-time in the SSC Tournament and have won four titles and had six runner-up finishes, are second in the league in scoring defense (59.6 ppg) and field goal percentage defense (37.8 percent) and leads the league in 3-point field goal percentage defense (29.9 percent), steals (9.7 spg) and blocked shots (4.4 bpg).
The Panthers have three players averaging in double figures on offense as redshirt junior guard Shequana Harris, who was named a Second-Team All-SSC selection, is averaging 14.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game and leads the SSC in steals as she averages 2.4 per game.
In addition to Harris, sophomore guard DeLise Williams is averaging 10.6 points and 5.0 boards per game and has hit a team-best 25 3-pointers, while senior guard Tiesha Flagler is averaging 10.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.
"Their top two scorers against us this season have been Harris and (DeLise) Williams. They have been the ones that have been killing us in both games so we have to limit their touches and if they get a shot off, we have to make sure we have a lot of pressure on the ball and on the shot," said Harris, who was tabbed the SSC co-Coach of the Year this season, when asked about the keys to Saturday's game. "We have to shoot the ball better, because we haven't shot well against them this season and we also have to be able to handle their pressure. Additionally, we have to share the ball more and we can't and watch on the offensive end of the floor and we have to play together as a team."
On offense, Florida Tech averages 63.9 points per game and shoots 35 percent from the field and 28 percent from the 3-point line and have a +7.0 rebound margin.
Saturday's meeting with Florida Tech will mark the 75th all-time meeting in the series as FSC holds a slight 38-36 edge in the series. The two teams have met six times previously on a neutral court and they are both 3-3 in those six games. In addition, the two teams have met 11 times previously in the SSC Tournament and Tech holds a 6-5 advantage, including both teams being tied 2-2 against each other when meeting in the semifinals of the SSC Tournament.
