MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Barry University men's basketball team returns to Sunshine State Conference play 2 p.m. Saturday in a key matchup with Saint Leo.
The game will air on the Buccaneers Broadcasting Network with Danny Rabinowitz handling the call. Pre-game begins at 1:45 p.m.
The Buccaneers and Lions are both receiving votes in the National Basketball Coaches Association Division II poll. Barry (10-1, 1-1 SSC) lost twice to the Lions (12-3, 1-2) last season. Barry is tied for fourth in the SSC, while Saint Leo is tied for sixth.
Saint Leo's Jerrel Harris, a senior guard, was the Division II Bulletin Player of the Month in November. He is averaging 19.4 points per game. Chim Kadima is averaging 12 points, 4.2 rebounds and shooting a league-best 47.7 percent from three-point range.
The Bucs are 7-0 at home this season. Saint Leo is 2-2 on the road this year. The Lions are scoring 77.5 points per game, while the Buccaneers are averaging 85.3. The Lions had won five in a row before falling by two at Tampa on Wednesday. Barry rebounded from its first loss to win Wednesday.
This will mark the Bucs' first day game of the season. The Buccaneers men's team will play before the women's team Saturday.
GAME NOTES
LAST TIME OUT: Barry beat Palm Beach Atlantic, 78-69, Wednesday ... Deric Hill had 18 points, six assists and two steals.
SERIES RECORD: Barry is 26-32 all-time against the Lions ... The Bucs lost two games to the Lions last year, including a double-overtime verdict in Miami Shores.
EYES ON OPPONENTS: Saint Leo is coming off a 59-57 loss at Tampa Wednesday ... Jerrel Harris leads the Lions in scoring (19.4) and is averaging 1.3 steals per game ... Chim Kadima is averaging 12 ppg and shooting a league-best 47.7 percent from 3-point range ... Ron Foxx averages 7.3 ppg and 7.4 reb.
RECEIVING VOTES: Both Barry (11) and Saint Leo (4) are receiving votes in the NBCA Division II poll ... The Bucs were No. 25 last week.
AGAINST RANKED TEAMS: The Bucs are 1-1 against ranked opponents this season.
FIRST TIME FOR ESTES: Bucs coach Butch Estes is 9-1 this year against teams he’s coached against for the first time ... This is the first time Estes will have coached against a Saint Leo team.
OVERCOMING IT: Barry overcame a its largest deficit of the season (6 points) to win on Wednesday ... That was the third time the Bucs have overcome a six-point hole to win this year.
TRIPLE THREAT: Barry is tied with Nova Southeastern for first in the SSC in three-point field goal percentage (36.0).
STRUGGLING AT STRIPE: Barry is coming off its lowest free throw shooting performance of the season (60.0) ... In its last three games the Bucs have shot under 65 percent from the stripe.
MAGNIFIED: Magne Fivelstad’s five steals Wednesday are a career-best.
HILL AMONG NATION’S BEST: Deric Hill ranks in the top 15 in the country in three categories: assists per game (7th, 7.1), total assists (14th, 78) and steals per game (15th, 2.64).
ON THE OFFENSIVE: Barry’s 16.0 offensive rebounds per game is tied with the 1991-92 squad for the best in school history.
BOARDING SCHOOL: Barry ranks 10th in the country in rebounding margin (10.5) ... The Bucs lead the SSC in that category.
ASSIST-ANCE: Barry ranks 13th in the country in assists per game as a team at 18.5 ... The Bucs lead the league in this stat ... The school record for assists per game is 18.7 by the 1992-93 team.
ON POINT FROM THREE POINT: Juan Ferrales leads the SSC in three-point field goals made per game at 3.0 ... He is shooting 42.3 percent from beyond the arc.
3 OF 6: Barry has three of the top six rebounders in the SSC in Yunio Barrueta (8.5), Magne Fivelstad (7.8) and Savad Garner (7.8).
YO ADRIAN: Adrian Gonzalez’s 12 field goals vs. Florida Southern are the most in school history by a freshman ... He also made 11 field goals in two other games.
FIVELSTAD FREE THROW FORM: Magne Fivelstad ranks seventh all-time in career free throw shooting at 79.5 percent.
SCORING IN BUNCHES: Through 11 games, Barry’s 85.3 scoring average ranks second all-time in school history ... The Bucs’ 1986-87 squad averaged 90.3.
BOARDING WITH THE BEST: Barry’s 42.1 rebounds per game ranks second in school history behind the 2000-01 team’s 43.5 average.
3 FOR 30: The Bucs have had a player score 30 or more points in a game three times this season ... Prior to this year, Barry hadn’t had a 30-point scorer since 2008-09 when Erick Nsangou and Tony Dennison each did it once ... The last time a Bucs team had a player score 30 or more in more than three games was the 2000-01 season when Jason Junker did it three times and Travon Broadway did it once.
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE: Barry has won all seven games at home this year ... Last year the Bucs were 5-7 at HSC.
FREE FOR ALL: Every player who’s suited up this year has made a free throw for the Buccaneers ... Barry is shooting .710 as a team.
BUCS RECORD WHEN ...
Overtime Games: 0-0
Home Games: 7-0
Road Games: 1-1
Neutral Games: 0-0
Night Games: 10-1
Day Games: 0-0
Leading at Halftime: 7-0
Trailing at Halftime: 3-1
Tied at Halftime 0-0
After a Loss: 1-0
Scoring 80+ points: 8-0
Scoring 70-79 points: 2-1
Scoring 60-69 points: 0-0
Scoring 50-59 points: 0-0
Games Decided by 2 points or Less: 2-0
Games Decided by 5 points or Less: 3-0
Games Decided by 10 points or Less: 5-0
Games Decided by 11-20 Points: 3-1
Games Decided by over 20 Points: 2-0
Outrebounding Opponents: 10-0
Opponents Outrebound Bucs: 0-1
Matching Opponents in Rebounds 0-0
Committing 10 or Fewer Turnovers 2-0
Committing 11 or More Turnovers: 8-1
5 Starters Reach Double Figures: 1-0
4 Starters Reach Double Figures: 3-0
3 Starters Reach Double Figures: 7-0
2 Starters Reach Double Figures: 8-1
1 Starter Reaches Double Figures: 8-1
Shooting 50% or Better FG: 3-0
Shooting 40-49% FG: 6-1
Shooting Under 40% FG: 1-0
Opponents Shoot 50% or Better FG: 3-1
Opponents Shoot 40-49%: 5-0
Opponents Shoot Under 40%: 2-0
Shooting 80% or Better FT: 5-0
Shooting 70-79% FT: 1-0
Shooting 60-69% FT: 4-1
Shooting Under 60% FT: 0-0
Opponents Shoot 80% or Better FT: 2-0
Opponents Shoot 70-79% FT: 2-0
Opponents Shoot 60-69% FT: 4-1
Opponents Shoot Under 60% FT: 2-0