Matchup:
Rollins (2-0) vs. Warner (5-1)
When:
November 18, 2014 - 7 p.m.
Where:
Warden Arena inside the Alfond Sports Center - Winter
Park, Fla.
Rollins opens the 2014-15 home schedule Tuesday night, hosting
Warner University at Warden Arena. The Tars are seeking their first
3-0 start to the season since 2011 after sweeping the South Region
Challenge in Atlanta last weekend. The Royals visit Winter Park as
weary road travelers having played Florida Atlanta in Boca Raton
Monday night. Fans who can't make it to the game can watch all the
action live on the GEICO Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com
and listen on 91.5 FM WPRK.
ROLLINS AT A GLANCE: The new look Tars posted a
pair of convincing wins in Atlanta to open the season, beating host
Clark Atlanta and Paine. Four players suited up for Tom
Klusman for the first time in Jeff
Merton, Sam
Philpott, Kyle Kozuta and Mike
Bedulskis. Merton was the first true freshman to start opening
night for the Tars since Eric Faber in 2001.
In front of a full house against CAU, Sharif
Almulla and Chris
Uhle each netted 16 points to lead the Tars in an 80-76
victory. Alex
Blessig and Scott
Schuette both scored 12. With the game tied 72-72 in the final
two minutes, Schuette drilled a 3-pointer up against the shot clock
and later came up with a clutch steal to seal the win. Less than
24-hours later, the Tars beat Paine 65-51, led by 15 points and
five blocks from Uhle. Jeff
Dirkin added 12 points and a career-high seven assists while
Schuette chipped in 12 points.
Uhle now has 115 career blocks and needs just two more to break
the program record set by Chris Malcolm in 2012.
Tars coach Tom
Klusman (Rollins '76, '78MBA) is in his 35th-year leading the
program and carries a 625-354 career record. He has the fourth most
victories among active Division II coaches, trailing only Herb
Magee of Philadelphia, Bob Chipman from Washburn and Tampa's
Richard Schmidt. All-time, Klusman ranks 11th in total
victories.
WARNER AT A GLANCE: The Royals were in action
Monday night, falling to Division I Florida Atlantic 74-49 on the
road. Bladimyr Santiago and Warren Hall each scored 15 to lead
Warner. The Royals trailed just 33-29 at halftime, but were
outscored 41-20 in the second frame.
Warner is 5-1 on the season, which does not include a loss to
Florida Southern (86-75) in the exhibition season. Prior to the
loss at FAU, the Royals were beating opponents by an average of 32
points a game during the season opening-winning streak. They have
been on the road for all but two games this season and are
finishing a five-game road trip in Winter Park.
Warren Hall leads the way with 19.4 points and seven rebounds a
game. Eddie Delegal adds 13.6 points and 9.4 rebounds a night while
Santiago is getting 12 points a game. Warner is shooting nearly 50
percent from the field as a team and is out rebounding opponents by
more than eight a game.
Sean Hanrahan (Hanover) is in his ninth-year and carries a
154-102 career record. The Cincinnati native served four-years as
an assistant at Florida Southern after spending two seasons
(1999-01) on Tom
Klusman's bench at Rollins. Hanrahan was instrumental in the
Tars recruiting classes that advanced to the 2004 NCAA Elite
Eight.
THE SERIES: Rollins leads the all-time series
11-4, but Warner won last season and two of the last three. A year
ago, the Royals bested the Tars 66-64 in overtime at Rollins.
Blessig and Adam
Allen each scored 14 points to lead the Tars while Jason
Pospichal pumped in 22 for Warner.
NEXT UP FOR ROLLINS: The Tars are back on the
road over the weekend, traveling to Charlotte for the Johnson C.
Smith Tip-off Classic. Rollins meets host Livingstone at 5:30 p.m.
on Nov. 21 to open the event and will then face host JCSU at 6 p.m.
Saturday Nov. 22. All the action can be found live on 91.5 FM WPRK
and worldwide on the Geico Tars Sports Network at
RollinsSports.com.
