WINTER PARK, Fla. (November 13, 2024) - Men's basketball put together a total team effort in their 83-63 win over the Warner Royals on Wednesday. The Tars now stand at 2-1 on the year.
Rollins opened the game on a 6-0 run, expanded their lead to 11-3, and did not allow a field goal until the 15:54 mark of the first half. Crisp passing, clean looks, and
Sergey Grishaev devouring six rebounds before the first media timeout set the tone early.
The first half lead would grow as high as sixteen thanks to solid outside shooting. Six different Tars nailed a triple in the first half. Active hands on defense forced the Royals into seven turnovers, which Rollins translated into eleven points.
After a
Braxton Barnhizer three made it a 34-17 game, the Royals went on an 8-0 run to keep it interesting. However, the Tars answered with four points from
Emilis Butkus, two from
Beau Frericks, and a monster dunk at the end of the half from
William Jobe to make it 42-25 at the break.
The second half was a much more competitive ballgame as shots for Warner began to fall, and conversely, Rollins struggled to find a rhythm on offense. Two Royal free throws three minutes into the half made the score 45-38, capping a 13-2 run for Warner.
John Latimer III would quell the threat with a big three off a feed from
Dylan Wolle, followed by another dunk from Jobe on a Latimer dime to make it 50-38. However, the Royals weren't done yet. Skyler Scull capped off another run wit a triple, making it a seven point game yet again. This time is was Butkus with the answer, stroking a pair of shots from distance to maintain the cushion.
The European connection was working in prime fashion as Grishaev and Butkus scored 21 of the next 23 points for Rollins, turning the game into a blowout. With the game in hand, bench players from both sides saw extra action on the court, including
Michael Niemann, who knocked down five points on back-to-back possession in the final two minutes. Barnhizer had a layup to wrap the scoring, finishing off the 83-63 win.
Girshaev stuffed the stat sheet in this one, finishing with 21 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, and a block in 23 minutes. Butkus turned in a 14point, five rebound, four assist line, and Frericks (12) and Latimer (10) each added double digit scoring as well.
Michael Kalina made his Rollins debut, and created havoc on defense, tallying four steals in only thirteen minutes of playing time. Rollins shot 11-23 (48%) form three, and had nine different players knock down a triple in the game.
Next up for the Tars is a home matchup with the University of Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, November 16. Tipoff is scheduled for 12:00 pm.
