Rollins Hosts ERAU Seeking Sixth Straight Win

MATCH-UP:
Rollins (13-8, 7-5 SSC) vs. Embry-Riddle (12-7)

WHERE:
Warden Arena - Winter Park, Fla.

WHEN:
Wednesday, February 1, 2017 - 7:30 p.m.

COVERAGE:
VIDEO/AUDIO: Geico Tars Sports Network/91.5 FM WPRK
Play-by-Play: Robert Segal - Color: Jim Ferro
In-Studio Pregame/Halftime - Austin David
LIVE STATS: TarsStats.com

SET-UP:
Tied for third in the Sunshine State Conference standings and riding its longest winning streak of the season, Rollins steps out of league play to host Embry-Riddle Wednesday night. Embry-Riddle is in its second-year reclassifying to NCAA Division II and is a provisional member of the SSC. The Tars have rolled off five-straight wins, most recently an 80-72 win at Palm Beach Atlantic on Saturday. Sam Philpott led four Tars in double figures with 20 points. Rollins has averaged better than 88 points a game during the streak. ERAU won its last two, both on the road. After a 93-80 upset victory at Eckerd, the Eagles downed Lynn 104-80. Skyler Hogan pumped in 31 to lead the way. Embry-Riddle is 3-4 in true road games this season while Rollins is 8-2 in Warden Arena.

TRACKING THE TARS:
Sam Philpott leads the Tars attack, ranking eighth in the SSC with 15.8 points a game. The fourth-year junior is shooting 56 percent from the field and is also grabbing 4.5 rebounds per game. Philpott has scored at least 20 points each of the last four games. Jeff Merton is getting 14.8 points and a team-leading 5.5 rebounds a game. Connor Mckim had games of 27 and 15 points last week and is scoring 10.6 points a game. Senior Joey Galvis nets 10.0 points a game while leading the conference and ranking 21^st nationally with 2.2 steals a game. The Tars score 80.5 and allow 79.5 a game. Rollins is 17^th in the country in three-point field goal percentage, shooting at a 41 percent clip. The team's 184 steals ranks 16^th in Division II.

TRACKING THE EAGLES:
Five Eagles average in double-figure scoring, led by Skyler Hogan's 17.7 points a game. The guard is averaging better than 20 points a game over the last five and has hit 30 points twice the season. He also leads the team with 7.8 rebounds a game. Dalton Barnes scored 35 against Eckerd and is scoring 15.7 points a game on the year. His seven assists per night leads the team. Shaquan McArthur scores 12.5 points a game, Luka Majstorovic scores 11.7 and Dillon Graham 11.6 a game. ERAU is scoring 86.5 a game and surrendering 78.9 a game.

NOTES:
Rollins is 8-2 all-time against Embry-Riddle and has won the last eight in a row in the series. The Tars grabbed a 92-85 victory in Daytona Beach earlier in the year. Sam Philpott scored 22 off the bench to lead the Tars while Barnes recorded 26 points and 15 rebounds to top the Eagles.

Rollins five-game winning streak is the longest current streak in the SSC. The run is the Tars longest since starting last season 9-0.

Embry-Riddle hasn't won in Winter Park since 1993.

Rollins ranks 31^st in the nation with 17 assists per game.

Rollins men's basketball is 998-777 in its modern era (1950).

Tom Klusman is 666-390 in his 37^th year leading the Rollins men's basketball team; Steve Ridder is in his 27^th season leading the Eagles and carries a 666-248.

NEXT:The Tars are back on the road Saturday, February 4, visiting Eckerd at 4 p.m. Fans can catch all the action live on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com and locally on 91.5 FM WPRK.