Tars Can't Cool Hot Shooting Fire

WINTER PARK, Fla. (November 23, 2021) – A slow start doomed the Tars, who could not recover from a first half deficit, as they fell to Southeastern 94-89 in Warden Arena.  With the loss Rollins falls to 4-2 on the year.  The Fire sit with an unblemished, 6-0, record.
 
Cade Long led the way for Rollins, registering a career high 19 points, on 7-10 shooting, including going 5-8 from three point range.  Hutton Yenor, Kyle Marion, and Brooks Cluxton each contributed 18 as well.  Yenor grabbed eight boards, while Marion dished out six helpers.  The Tars went 12-25 from the field, and 5-14 from deep in the first half, before finding their stroke in the second, shooting 23-35, and 6-11 from three point range.  However, it was not enough to complete the comeback.
 
Riley Minix and Reggie Mesidor paced the Fire with 17 points.  Jordan Gorman added 16.  Gorman and Mesidor each went 5-11 from three point range, leading Southeastern's 44% performance from deep.  Ralph Diaz filled the stat sheet with 12 points, nine assists, and seven boards.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
First Half

• Both teams traded baskets for the early part of the first half.  The Tars led 6-5 at the first media timeout, before the scored was knotted at 12 at the 11:16 mark.
• Cade Long and Cody Potter hit three pointers to give Rollins 20-19 advantage with 9:35 remaining, but that was the Tars final lead of the period.
• The Fire got hot down the final stretch of the first 20 minutes, growing their lead to as high as 12.
• A Hutton Yenor three pointer with 36 seconds remaining cut the lead back into the single digits before the break.

Second Half

• The Tars found their shooting stroke in the second half, but struggled to stop the Fire on the defensive side of the ball.
• The Tars would cut into the Southeastern lead, but the Fire would respond, as the lead yo-yoed from three to ten points over the first ten minutes of the half.
• A three pointer from Long at 8:49 finally broke the streak and tied the game at 68-68.
• A Long jumper at 7:14 gave Rollins a two point lead, but the Tars could not keep up with Southeastern's hot shooting down the stretch.
• The Fire converted from the free throw line in the closing seconds to seal the win and hand the Tars their second loss of the year. 

UP NEXT:
Rollins will return to action tomorrow, Wednesday, November 24, as they host Puerto Rico-Bayamon in Warden Arena.  Tip off is set for 2 p.m.
 
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