Tars Extinguish the Fire

WINTER PARK, Fla. (November 23, 2022) - The Rollins Tars head into the holiday on a high note following their 94-59 win over Southeastern University on Wednesday at Warden Arena. Rollins now sits at 3-2 (0-1 SSC) on the year.

After Southeastern took a 3-2 lead in the first 90 seconds, a steal, layup, and one by Hutton Yenor gave the Tars a 5-3 lead that they would not relinquish for the rest of the game. The Fire stayed somewhat close for the next few minutes, but eventually the Tars hot shooting and depth proved to be too much. The defense especially was tenacious, forcing eight turnovers in the first half, and turning them into 13 points. Rollins also took advantage of a massive size advantage, scoring more than 20 points in the paint in the first period. They would go into the break leading 39-23., helped by 52% shooting from the floor and 100% from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, the Fire were limited to only 26% shooting, lowlighted by 3-15 from distance. 

The second half played even more to the Tars' favor as they outscored Southeastern 55-36. Kyle Marion showcased an impressive bag, scoring eight points in the first two minutes of the half. Again, turnovers spelled doom for the Fire as Rollins was able to convert mistakes into points. Right before the 16-minute media timeout, the Tars scored on five straight possessions, including three buckets off turnovers. 

Southeastern failed to get anything going on offense, and they couldn't force enough stops on defense to come back. Coach Tom Klusman was able to use the game as an opportunity for his bench to get some valuable playing time. Freshman John Latimer III played particularly well, scoring 10 points in just 17 minutes, highlighted by a couple of ferocious dunks. As the cock winded down late, sophomore Brookes Kahlert put on a shooting display, splashing four consecutive three-pointers for Rollins. By the end of it all, the Tars had secured a 94-59 win.

Thirteen players saw action for Rollins in this one, with eleven scoring a point. Yenor led the way with 16 points, five rebounds, four assists, and four steals. Matheus Silveira was a force down low, dropping 13. Sergey Grishaev also had a nice game, scoring eight, grabbing nine rebounds, and blocking two shots. 

The Tars won't see the court again until December 3rd when they host the visiting Flagler Saints. Tipoff is set for 7:00 pm at Warden Arena.