AT A GLANCE - Back on the winning track, third
place Rollins hosts second place Florida Tech in a key Sunshine
State Conference at Warden Arena Saturday. Both teams have an
outside chance at the SSC regular season title and will be keeping
a close eye on first place Eckerd at Saint Leo. The Tars, ranked
ninth in the NCAA Division II South Region rankings, snapped a
three-game losing streak on Wednesday, beating Lynn 61-58. Chris Malcolm led Rollins with 21 points, shooting
5-5 from the field, 2-2 of 3-point range and 9-of-11 from the free
throw line, while also racking up six blocks. Rollins ranks sixth
in conference scoring with 68 points a game and allows 67 a night,
ranking fifth. In the month of February, however, Rollins has been
outscored by an average of 13 points a game. The Tars are 10-4 at
home on the season, but just one for the last three...Florida Tech
(18-5, 10-4 SSC) rides into Winter Park winners of its last four,
just a half game back of Eckerd in the SSC standings, and ranked
fifth in the South Region. The Panthers are coming off a 53-46 win
over Barry on Wednesday. Simon Cummings led the way with 13 points
in a game that saw both teams shoot just 31 percent from the field.
Despite the tough night against Barry, Tech ranks second in the SSC
in offense, putting up 76 points a game. On the other end of the
court, Tech allows a SSC seventh-best 68 points a night and leads
the SSC in steals with nearly 10 a game. Florida Tech is 3-4 on the
road this season.
THE STARS - Two members of the Rollins 1,000
point club headline the Tars attack. Jeremy Sharpe (1,037 points) averages 13.1 points a
game while Myk Brown (1,137 points) is netting 11.9 a game. Chris Malcolm fills the stat sheet with 11
points, 6.5 rebounds and a SSC-leading 2.6 blocks a game. He needs
just two more swats to become Rollins' all-time blocks leader,
surpassing Craig Reichel. Ian Scott leads the conference with four assists a
game...Simon Cummings leads the SSC and Florida Tech with 17.8
points a game. Julius Reid, Anthony Jackson and Derek Helleman each
add 13 points a night. Edgars Eglitis is second in the SSC with 8.5
rebounds a game while Reid's 2.7 steals tops the conference.
THE COACHES - Tom Klusman (Rollins '76), now in his 32nd
year at the helm of his alma mater, ranks fifth among active
Division II coaches and ranks 18th all-time with a record of
590-325... Billy Mims (The Baptist College of Charleston '81) is in
his seventh season leading Florida Tech and is 101-95 with the
Panthers.
THE SERIES - Rollins leads the all-time series
against Florida Tech 56-24 with FIT now riding a two-game winning
streak after the Tars had won the 12 previous meetings. Earlier
this season in Melbourne, Tech used a 53-point second half to run
away with an 84-70 victory. Dave Diakite led Rollins with 20 points, seven
rebounds and four assists. Jermaine Jackson netted 22 while Anthony
Jackson added 15 off the bench to pace Florida Tech.
