LAKELAND, Fla. -- Barry University men's basketball team returns to Sunshine State Conference play for Saturday's 7:30 p.m. tip-off at No. 1 Florida Southern.
The game will air on the Buccaneers Radio Broadcast Network. Danny Rabinowitz will handle the call. The game will also be carried on Florida Southern's live streaming network.
The No. 10-ranked Buccaneers (8-1, 1-0 SSC) are seeking their first win over the Moccasins (11-0, 0-0) at Jenkins Field House since Feb. 10, 2007. Barry has won three times in Lakeland in a series that dates back to Nov. 17, 1984.
This marks the second ranked opponent of the season on the Bucs' schedule. Winston-Salem State, whom Barry beat to win Lynn's Boca Raton Classic before the Christmas break, was receiving votes in the national polls. Barry also had exhibition games at Division I Top 10 Louisville and Florida.
The Bucs and Mocs split the season series last year, each winning at home. Barry beat Florida Southern, 94-76, and fell in Lakeland, 95-79. Florida Southern's Kevin Capers, who leads the SSC in scoring, had 24 points in the Mocs' home win. He had 29 in defeat in Miami Shores.
Both teams are shooting nearly identical from 3-point range, with the Bucs connecting on 38.6 percent and the Mocs 38.7 percent. FSC is giving up 76 points per game, while the Bucs are yielding 68.1.
Saturday's game marks the first of two straight on the road. The Bucs will play at Rollins on Wednesday. Barry returns home Saturday, Jan. 10 for a 4 p.m. tip against Palm Beach Atlantic.
GAME NOTES
LAST TIME OUT: Then-No. 8 Barry beat Winston-Salem State, which was receiving votes in the national polls, to win the Boca Raton Classic on Dec. 20 ... Jr. F Yunio Barrueta had 26 points and 10 rebounds ... Jr. G Anders Haas had 21 points, sinking 10 of 10 from the line.
SERIES RECORD: Barry is 15-46 all time against Florida Southern ... The Bucs beat the Moccasins, 94-76, in the most recent meeting in Miami Shores on Feb. 5, 2014 ... The Mocs beat the Bucs, 95-79, in Lakeland last season.
EYES ON OPPONENTS: This marks the Sunshine State Conference opener for the Mocs ... FSC has three wins over ranked opponents this season ... The Mocs lead the SSC in scoring at 96.3 ppg ... Kevin Capers leads the league in scoring at 22.5 ppg and is averaging 4.3 apg ... Tyler Kelly is averaging 11.8 ppg and 4.1 apg ... Michael Volovic is scoring 11.6 ppg, Stephen Battle 11.5 and Dylan Travis 10.5 ... Bobby Johnson is pulling down 7.0 reb per game.
OFFENSE-DEFENSE: The Mocs are outscoring teams by 20.3 ppg, which leads the league ... The Bucs lead the SSC in field goal percentage defense at 40.9 % ... Barry is outscoring opponents by 18 ppg, which ranks second in the conference ... Florida Southern is allowing opponents to shoot 43.8 percent, which ranks seventh in the SSC.
HAAS HAND: Jr. G Anders Haas was named the SSC Player of the Week after averaging 20.6 ppg, 4.7 reb and 3.7 assists in the final week of 2014 ... He sank 20 straight free throws to cap 2014.
YUNIO HAS THE FLOW: Jr. F Yunio Barrueta ranks third in the SSC in scoring (17.7) and rebounding (8.1) ... He is coming off his third double-double of the season.
BATTLE FOR BOARDS: Barry leads the SSC in rebound margin (10.3) ... Florida Southern ranks sixth (1.0) ... The Bucs have outrebounded all of their opponents this season.
TRANSFER PRODUCTION: Five of the Buccaneers’ top six scorers are Division I transfers ... They account for 58.7 ppg and 68.2 percent of the Bucs’ offense (86.1 ppg) ... Soph F Adrian Gonzalez (9.7) is the lone non-transfer among the team’s top six scorers.
2014-15 BUCS RECORD WHEN ...
Overtime Games: 0-0
Home Games: 6-1
Road Games: 0-0
Neutral Games: 2-0
Night Games: 7-1
Day Games: 1-0
Leading at Halftime: 8-1
Trailing at Halftime: 0-0
Tied at Halftime: 0-0
After a Loss: 1-0
Scoring 80+ points: 6-0
Scoring 70-79 points: 1-1
Scoring 60-69 points: 1-0
Scoring 50-59 points: 0-0
Games Decided by 2 points or Less: 0-0
Games Decided by 5 points or Less: 0-1
Games Decided by 10 points or Less: 2-1
Games Decided by 11-20 Points: 0-0
Games Decided by over 20 Points: 6-0
Outrebounding Opponents: 8-1
Opponents Outrebound Bucs: 0-0
Matching Opponents in Rebounds: 0-0
Committing 15 or Fewer Turnovers: 5-0
Committing over 15 Turnovers: 3-1