WINTER PARK, Fla. –
Senior Kevin Hogan guided the Rollins College men's
basketball team with 23 points as the Tars routed the Saint Leo
Lions, 75-67 Wednesday evening at Warden Arena.
The Pensacola, Fla., native, Hogan, was 4-of-7 from 3-point range
and finished 9-of-9 from the charity stripes to record his fourth
20-point game of the season, 10th of his career. Hogan also moved
into a tie with former Rollins (16-5, 8-2 Sunshine State
Conference) sharp shooter Caleb Springer (1998-2001) on the Tars'
all-time 3-point field goals list with 254.
Nick Wolf and Jeremy
Sharpe followed Hogan in double figures with 18 and 15,
respectively. Wolf hauled in a team-high nine rebounds, while Zach
Pancratz trailed with seven.
Leading the way for the Lions (12-11, 5-5 SSC) was a pair of
20-point scorers. Quentin Cullop and Matthew Salay both netted 20
points as Cullop drained a game-high six 3-pointers, while Salay
notched five. Guard Josue Vazquez was the lone player to record a
double-double in the game as he finished with 10 points and 10
rebounds.
The Tars went 13-for-31 (.419) behind the arc and tallied 16
assists, six from senior Craig Reichel.
Rollins outscored Saint Leo in the second half, 44-34.
Trailing 33-31 at halftime, Rollins tied the game 56 seconds into
the second half with a Sharpe lay-in on a Pancratz assist. After a
Saint Leo free throw, Hogan responded with an old fashion
three-point play on the ensuing the possession to regain the lead
36-34 with 18:30 remaining.
A minute later, Salay made good on a Lions 3-pointer to take a
one-point lead, but Pancratz got its revenge on the Tars next trip
down with a 3-pointer of its own to give Rollins a 39-37 lead at
the 16:53 mark.
Rollins didn't look back the rest of the way increasing its lead to
as many as 12 points with 6:06 left in regulation. After building
a 10-point lead with less than 12 minutes to play, the Lions would
cut the lead to four with 7:51 left, but could not get any closer
the rest of the way.
In the second half, Rollins shot 48.3 percent to the Lions' 36.0
percent as the Tars finished with a shooting percentage of 42.9 and
41.9 from 3-point range.
The Lions won the battle on the glass hauling in four more
rebounds, 41-37. Saint Leo's Prais grabbed a game-best 14 boards
as Kyle Rowland rounded out the Lions in double-digits rebounds
with 10.
In the first half, Saint Leo took the lead early on back-to-back
3-pointers from Cullop and Salay. Leading 8-3 with 17:43 left
until intermission, another Salay 3-pointer increased the Lion's
lead to six, which it would eventually build to 10, three minutes
later.
With a 10-point Lions advantage and 14:24 on the clock, Rollins
made an 8-0 run to cut the lead to two with just over 11 minutes
left. The Tars eventually tied the game at the 8:01 mark with a
3-pointer from Julian Wilkison, but Saint Leo countered and
capitalized on a Cullop 3-pointer with 1:10 remaining, which would
hold up until the teams went into the locker room.
Rollins continues to dominate the all-time series against the Lions
as it improves to 73-14 and have won the last 19 meetings between
the schools.
The Tars return to the hardwood for more Sunshine State Conference
action, Saturday, Feb. 7 at 4 p.m. when it travels to Tampa.
