WINTER PARK, Fla. (November 12, 2021) - For the first time in nearly 20 months, a men's basketball game was played inside the familiar setting of Warden Arena. The Rollins Tars, energized by a raucous home crowd, battled their way to a win over the Benedict Tigers, 75-68. It is the third time in a row they have won their season opener.
How it happened:
- Hutton Yenor put the first points of the year on the board with a made free throw at the eighteen-minute mark in the first half. He then hit a layup moments later, followed by a basket from Dayton Gumm to give the Tars a 5-0 cushion. A mid-range jumper and a three gave Yenor eight points, and the Tars a 10-2 lead, heading into the first media timeout. The Tigers woke up from their catnap after the break in play, and showcased their athleticism with a blocked shot on a Rollins dunk attempt, and a pair of slams on back-to-back plays to make the score 12-7. Moments later, the Tars posted a 6-0 run on three straight layups from Cade Long, Gumm, and freshman Sergey Grishaev to make it 18-9 at the ten-minute mark.
- Timothy Bing nailed a pair from distance to pull Benedict within one a few minutes later. A barrage of sloppy defense from both sides led to a ton of free throws down the stretch. Kyle Marion hit eight by himself in the first half, which ended with Rollins leading 38-26. Rollins scored at a 44.83% from the field, while Benedict struggled at 27.78%.
- Benedict came out with new found energy in the second half, opening up with a 6-0 run to start things off, followed by a 7-0 streak just minutes later, pulling them within three at 44-41. The Tigers would take their first lead of the match around the eleven-minute mark on a powerful slam from Tajh Green that made the score 48-47. After missing on a number of good looks throughout the game, Long and Marion came through with huge threes on back-to-back possessions with nine minutes to go to reclaim the lead 53-50.
- The Tars defense was too aggressive for the liking of the referees in half number two, leading to bonus free throws for the Tigers with a lot of time left. After two Green freebies, plus a fast break layup and one from Bing that brought the Tigers within one, the freshman Grishaev was able to quell the momentum of the visitors with a slick turnaround in the paint that he was also fouled on. Then, on the next possession, the Russian southpaw nailed a fifteen-footer to make the score 67-64. After a dunk from Malachi McCoy gave Benedict the lead, Marion stepped up with a gigantic three with one minute left on the clock to reestablish the lead for Rollins at 70-68. Marion and Grishaev then combined to go 5-5 from the charity stripe in the final minute of play to seal the 75-68 win for the Tars.
Marion led all scorers with 26 points. He also filled the rest of the box score with three rebounds, four assists, and six steals. Yenor ended with 18 points and four assists, while Grishaev ended his collegiate debut with an impressive 16 point effort. The Tars zone defense caused all sorts of problems for the Benedict shooters who only managed three makes in twenty-two attempts from three-point range.
Rollins will be back in action immediately as they face the Auburn Montgomery Warhawks at home on Saturday afternoon. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 pm in Winter Park. Fans who cannot attend are encouraged to catch the action live on the Tars Sports Network.
