Barry University men's basketball team plays at Saint Leo 4 p.m. Saturday in a Sunshine State Conference game where both teams are separated by one game in the league win-loss column.
Barry (15-4, 6-4) lost to Saint Leo (17-6, 5-5) in the first meeting in Miami Shores, 84-81. The Buccaneers, who are 27-32 all-time against the Lions, let a 16-point lead slip away in the first game between the two teams. It was the largest deficit Barry has surrendered all year.
Saturday's game will follow the women's game, which tips off at 2 p.m. Both games can be seen on the Saint Leo Network. Men's game LIVE STATS are also available. Women's game LIVE STATS are also available.
The Bucs are coming off a 94-76 win over No. 6 Florida Southern Wednesday at home, marking their fifth win in the last six games. The Lions beat Florida Tech, 67-64, Wednesday to snap a two-game losing skid.
Barry's win over the previously No. 2-ranked Moccasins on Wednesday was its second over a ranked opponent this year.
Barry is receiving votes in the National Basketball Coaches Association Division II poll. In the first meeting between the Buccaneers and Lions, both Barry and Saint Leo were receiving votes.
Barry has lost 10 of the last 11 to Saint Leo. Two of those losses went to overtime, including a double overtime loss to the Lions last year in Miami Shores. The Bucs' last win in Saint Leo was a 73-71 win on Feb. 17, 2007, which capped a stretch in which Barry had won eight of nine in the series.
Saint Leo's Jerrel Harris had 41 points in the first meeting this season in the Health & Sports Center. It is the most an opponent has scored on a Barry team since Central Oklahoma's Marlon Dawson dropped 50 on the Bucs on Dec. 1, 2000 in a 105-103 double overtime win for the Buccaneers.
Saint Leo's Spenser Mitchell had 13 points, and Jaylon Bell nine for the Lions in the first meeting this year.
Barry has had five players score in double figures in three straight games. Prior to that, in a win at Rollins, four players reached double figures for the Buccaneers.
GAME NOTES
LAST TIME OUT: Barry beat No. 6 Florida Southern, 94-76, Wednesday at home ... Deric Hill had 20 points, career-high 12 assists, five steals and five boards.
SERIES RECORD: Barry is 27-32 all-time against the Lions ... Barry’s last win at Saint Leo was a 73-71 verdict on Feb. 17, 2007 ... The Bucs have lost 10 of the last 11 to the Lions ... Saint Leo won the first game this year on Jan. 11, overcoming a 16-point Bucs lead.
EYES ON OPPONENTS: The Lions snapped a two-game skid with a three-point win over Florida Tech, 67-64, Wednesday ... Jerrell Harris scored 41 points on the Bucs in the first meeting ... He’s averaging 19.5 ppg ... Chim Kadima is averaging 11.5 ppg and 4.3 reb.
GOING OFF: Saint Leo’s Jerrell Harris’ 41 points in the first meeting is the most scored against a Barry team since Dec. 1, 2000 when Central Oklahoma’s Marlon Dawson dropped 50 on the Bucs in a 105-103 double overtime victory for Barry.
AGAINST RANKED TEAMS: Barry’s win over Florida Southern Wednesday was its second this year ... The Bucs are 2-1 against ranked opponents this season ... The Bucs, who were ranked No. 25 earlier this year, are receiving votes in the NBCA Division II poll ... In Barry’s loss to Saint Leo earlier this year, both the Bucs and Lions were receiving votes ... Barry also beat No. 13 Livingstone to earn a ... The Bucs received one vote in this week’s poll after earning 12 last week.
BENNETT BOOST: Barry experienced its biggest jump of the season in the Bennett Rankings this week when the Bucs climbed to a BR 107 ... Barry was 116 a week earlier ... Saint Leo has a BR rank of 56 ... Florida Southern has a BR 5 ... The Bennett Rankings are based on wins-losses, strength of schedule, coaches poll rank, opponents’ W-L, opponents’ schedule and a Bennett Rank algorithm.
SEPARATION RELIEF: Wednesday’s win marked the first time in four games Barry wasn’t involved a game decided by four points or less ... And dating back to the first meeting between Barry and Saint Leo, it marked only the second time in the last eight games, Barry has been involved in outcomes decided by four points or less ... One of those games went to overtime.
SIXTH SENSE: Jr. G Deric Hill ranks sixth in the country in assists per game (7.3) and steals per game (2.8) ... He leads the SSC in steals per game ... He’s coming off a career-high 12 assists ... He’s had two games with a career-high six steals.
NEARING MILESTONE: Jr. G Deric Hill ranks fifth in school single season history in assists (138) ... He is 31 assists shy of breaking the record.
ON TOP OF THE HILL: Deric Hill ranks in the top 10 in the country in four categories: assists per game (7.3), total assists (138), steals per game (2.8) and total steals (54).
DOWN WITH DOUBLES: Soph. F Yunio Barrueta recorded his eighth double-double of the season Wednesday ... He has scored in double figures in 13 straight games ... He had 16 points against the Lions in the first meeting.
NATIONAL ASSISTANCE: Barry ranks 10th in the nation in assists per game as a team at 18.5 ... The Bucs are second in the SSC behind Florida Tech (18.6) in that category.
STEADY SHOOTING: Since Jan. 8, Sr. F Magne Fivelstad has went 37 of 39 (94.8 %) from the free throw line over a nine-game stretch ... He’s been perfect from the stripe in seven of those games during that stretch, including an 8 for 8 performance in Wednesday’s win over No. 6 Florida Southern.
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN: Fr. F Adrian Gonzalez is shooting 55 percent from the floor ... With six or more made baskets Saturday, he’d rank among the nation’s best FG shooters and among the top five freshmen in the country in Division II ... NCAA Division II statistical minimums require a player to average five made FG per game ... Currently, he is averaging 4.94.
THREE-POINT BATTLE: Barry Jr. G Juan Ferrales and Saint Leo’s Jerrell Harris are tied for the SSC lead in 3-point field goals made with 56 apiece ... Ferrales leads the league in 3-point FG made per game (2.9) ... Harris and Florida Tech’s Chris Carter are tied for second at 2.4.
CLEANING THE GLASS: At 6-foot-2, Jr. F Savad Garner leads the SSC lead in offensive rebounds per game (3.7).
MAKE-A-WISH: Barry will host a special event for the Make-A-Wish Foundation between the women’s and men’s game vs. Rollins Sat. Feb. 22 ... Make-A-Wish is an NCAA Division II fundraising initiative ... Barry is raising funds to grant a few area kids wishes ... To donate to the cause, call 305-899-4823.
SSC TICKETS: Fans can order Sunshine State Conference Tournament tickets for the Mar. 5-9 postseason tourney in Kissimmee, Fla., by calling 305-899-4823.
BUCS RECORD WHEN ...
Overtime Games: 1-0
Home Games: 10-1
Road Games: 3-3
Neutral Games: 0-0
Night Games: 13-2
Day Games: 3-2
Leading at Halftime: 10-3
Trailing at Halftime: 5-1
Tied at Halftime: 0-0
After a Loss: 3-1
Scoring 80+ points: 10-1
Scoring 70-79 points: 4-2
Scoring 60-69 points: 1-1
Scoring 50-59 points: 0-0
Games Decided by 2 points or Less: 3-2
Games Decided by 5 points or Less: 6-2
Games Decided by 10 points or Less: 8-3
Games Decided by 11-20 Points: 4-1
Games Decided by over 20 Points: 3-0
Outrebounding Opponents: 12-3
Opponents Outrebound Bucs: 3-1
Matching Opponents in Rebounds: 0-0
Committing 10 or Fewer Turnovers: 3-1
Committing 11 or More Turnovers: 12-3
5 Starters Reach Double Figures: 1-0
4 Starters Reach Double Figures: 5-1
3 Starters Reach Double Figures: 13-1
2 Starters Reach Double Figures: 15-4
1 Starter Reaches Double Figures: 15-4
Shooting 50% or Better FG: 5-0
Shooting 40-49% FG: 8-3
Shooting Under 40% FG: 2-1
Opponents Shoot 50% or Better FG: 5-2
Opponents Shoot 40-49%: 6-2
Opponents Shoot Under 40%: 4-0
Shooting 80% or Better FT: 5-1
Shooting 70-79% FT: 4-1
Shooting 60-69% FT: 6-2
Shooting Under 60% FT: 0-0
Opponents Shoot 80% or Better FT: 3-1
Opponents Shoot 70-79% FT: 4-1
Opponents Shoot 60-69% FT: 5-2
Opponents Shoot Under 60% FT: 3-0