MATCH-UP:
No. 3 Rollins (18-10) vs. No. 6 Lynn (13-13)
Sunshine State Conference Tournament Quarterfinal
WHERE:
Warden Arena - Winter Park, Florida
WHEN:
Wednesday, March 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:
Rollins takes its five-game winning streak into the
postseason as the third-seeded Tars play host to sixth-seed Lynn
Wednesday to open the Sunshine State Conference Tournament. Rollins
is looking to bolster its NCAA resume and grab a spot in the South
Region Tournament with a SSC Tourney run. The Tars took both games
off Lynn this season, squeaking out a two-point win at home and
scoring a 12-point victory in Boca. Lynn enters March having won
two of its last three after an 87-64 loss at Tampa on Saturday. The
Fighting Knights are 3-7 in true road games this year while Rollins
is 11-3 in Warden Arena. Rollins and Lynn met in Winter Park in
last season's SSC Quarterfinal, also as the No. 3 and No. 6 seeds,
with the Fighting Knights pulling off the upset.
TRACKING THE TARS:
Sam
Philpott has scored 18 points in each of the last two games and
leads the Tars offense with 15.0 points a night. The fourth-year
junior is also pulling down 4.3 rebounds a game and is shooting
55-percent from the field. Jeff
Merton scores 14.1 points a game while leading the team with
5.5 rebounds a night. Freshman Connor
Mckim is scoring 10.6 points and handing out 3.8 assists a
night. Senior Joey
Galvis leads the conference and ranks 13th
nationally with 66 steals to go along with 10.3 points a game.
Rollins is generating 81.3 points a game while allowing 78.8 points
on the other end. Rollins is seventh in the nation in three-point
shooting, knocking down 41 percent from distance.
TRACKING THE FIGHTING KNIGHTS:
Marquan Botley leads Lynn with 16.8 points a game. He is
shooting 41 percent beyond the arch and has also handed out 68
assists. Jamal Palmer is getting 15.6 points and 3.8 rebounds a
night. Kevin O'Brien scores 10.8 points and Terrell Rogers 10.3 a
game. Vieux Kande is the top rebounder, grabbing an even 10 a
night. Lynn is scoring 78.6 points a game and allowing 77.2.
NOTES:
Rollins leads the all-time series against Lynn 26-15 after
two wins this season. The last meeting was a 92-80 Rollins win in
Boca. Conor Mckim tied a career-best with 27 points to lead Rollins
while Jamal Palmer and Juwan Frazier each scored 13 for Lynn.
Rollins is 32-32 all-time in the Sunshine State Conference
Tournament.
Rollins is 18-10 all-time in the Quarterfinals and 1-1 against
Lynn.
In the 2016 Quarterfinals, No. 6 Lynn upset No. 3 Rollins 85-72
in Winter Park.
Rollins entered the NCAA Division II South Region Poll at No. 10
in the latest ranking.
Sam
Philpott was one of five recipients of the CoSIDA Academic
All-District award and is in the running for Academic
All-American.
Rollins men's basketball is 1003-779 in its modern era
(1950).
Sam
Philpott has hit at least one field goal in each of the last 36
games.
Since recording one assist in the season opening game, Connor
Mckim has had at least two dimes in each of the last 25
games.
Jeff
Merton ranks 29th on Rollins all-time scoring list
with 1,171 points.
Tom
Klusman is 671-391 in his 37th year leading the
Rollins men's basketball team.
NEXT:
The winner of Rollins and Lynn will meet the winner of
Eckerd and Florida Southern in the semifinals on Saturday, March 4
at 7:30 p.m. inside the ICI Center on the campus of Embry-Riddle.
Fans can catch all the action live on the Geico Tars Sports Network
at RollinsSports.com and locally on 91.5 FM WPRK.
