AT A GLANCE - Despite a pair of victories,
Rollins dropped one spot to No. 11 in the WBCA Division II poll,
but will look to keep rolling with a Sunshine State Conference road
trip to Lynn. The Tars (11-1) have won 11 straight and are tied
atop the SSC standings with Barry at 3-0. Rollins boasts one of the
nation's top defenses, ranking 13th in Division II,
allowing just 52.8 points per game. The offense generates 66.6
points a night, and the Tars lead the SSC with a +13.8 scoring
margin. Rollins has only allowed more than 70 points once while
six-times not allowing an opponent more than 55. The Tars last time
out was a 72-31 thrashing of Eckerd, snapping a three-game losing
streak to the Tritons. Tera McDaniel led the way with 15 points
while the defense held EC to just nine field goals and scoreless
for an eight minute stretch in the second half. The only kink in
Rollins' armor on the season has been its 3-point shooting as the
Tars rank sixth in the SSC, hitting 29 percent from beyond the arc.
Rollins is a perfect 2-0 in true road games on the season while the
Fighting Knights are 5-2 at home...Lynn is 7-6 on the season and
2-1 in the conference, but has lost its last two. The Fighting
Knights lost to Barry by six to start 2012 and most recently
dropped a 64-53 decision to Palm Beach Atlantic. LU ranks seventh
in the league in scoring with 59.2 points a game and is allowing
58.1. They are one of the top teams in the SSC at forcing bad shots
as opponents are hitting just 35 percent from the floor. Lynn also
leads the league in blocked shots with 4.7 a game.
THE STARS - Ashley Jones leads Rollins' offense
with 10.3 points a game while also pulling down a team-best 4.7
rebounds a night. Kourtnie Berry is netting 9.5 points a game,
leading the team in 3-pointers with 22. Sarah Blackburn averages
8.5 points a game off the bench while Tera McDaniel puts up 7.9
points and 2.6 assists a night...Lynn is led by Marquis Lee, who
ranks fifth in the SSC with 13.1 points a game. Kira Harvey adds
11.6 a night while Charla Nelson-James puts up 10.3 points and 9.7
rebounds a night. Her 2.5 blocks a game rank 18th in
Division II.
THE COACHES - Glenn Wilkes Jr. (Stetson '81) is
in his 26th season leading the team and has built Rollins into a
SSC powerhouse and national contender year in and year out. His
career record of 563-183 is the 39th best mark among active coaches
in all divisions...Niki Washington (SIU-Carbondale '99) is in her
second year leading the Fighting Knights and has a career record of
26-17 at the helm of the program.
THE SERIES - Rollins is 25-4 all-time against
Lynn with LU taking the last meeting on the Tars floor to close the
2010-11 regular season. Kristina Mingos and Amber Heistan each
netted 13 to lead the Tars while Kira Harvey went off for 21 points
and six rebounds to lead Lynn.
UP NEXT - Rollins is on the road again
Saturday, traveling to Saint Leo to take on the SLU Lions at 2 p.m.
They will then return home to host fellow SSC front-runner Barry on
Wednesday, Jan. 18 at 5:30 p.m.
