Barry University women's basketball team will meet Florida Tech in the opening round of the Sunshine State Conference Championships Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
The Buccaneers (16-10, 8-8 SSC) are the fifth seed in the tournament, while Florida Tech (16-12, 7-9) earned the sixth seed. It will be a rematch of Saturday's regular season finale that Barry won 77-62 on the road.
The game will be available via Live Streaming and LIVE STATS through the SSC Tournament Central page. Barry's Danny Rabinowitz and Jim McCurdy will also provide a free RADIO BROADCAST.
The Bucs swept the season series with the Panthers this year. Barry has won five of its past six games, and has risen to No. 9 in the NCAA Division II South Region poll. The top eight teams advance to the NCAA Tournament.
Florida Tech's Kayk Wilson led the league in scoring with a 20.1 points per game average. Barry's Tyler Hardy was second at 19.7. Hardy, who scored in double figures in every game this year, She is tied for second in rebounding at 8.6 boards per game.
Panthers senior guard Rita Acevedo averages 9 ppg and 4.5 assists. Tech is the top free throw shooting club in the league at 73.4 percent, and led the league in steals at 9.7 per game.
Barry senior guard Colette Eule is sixth in the league in scoring at 14.4 per game. She leads the league in free throw shooting at 86.4 percent, and is second in three-point field goal percentage at .414.
Bucs junior forward Kaylia Richardson is averaging 10.8 ppg and 5.3 reb. She's scored in double figures in her last five games, including a career-high 21 in Saturday's win over the Panthers. Richardson also notched her second double-double of the season against the Panthers. Barry junior guard Ines Kerin is averaging 8.7 ppg and 4.7 apg. She's had five or more assists in her last three games, and has recorded seven assists in three of the last five games.
Tickets are $10 at the gate. Court level premium seats on a limited basis are $20.
SSC Basketball Championships
Kissimmee, Fla.
Silver Spurs Arena
Wednesday
First Round
2:30 p.m. - No. 4 Saint Leo (18-8) vs. No. 7 Lynn (11-15)
7:30 p.m. - No. 5 Barry (16-10) vs. No. 6 Florida Tech (16-12)
Thursday
Quarterfinals
2:30 p.m. - No. 2 Rollins (23-5) vs. No. 9 Florida Southern (7-19)
7:30 p.m. - No. 3 Nova Southeastern (22-4) vs. No. 8 Eckerd (11-15)
Friday
Quarterfinals
7:30 p.m. - Winner No. 4-7 vs. Winner No. 5-6
Saturday
Semifinals
2:30 p.m. - Friday's quarterfinal winner vs. No. 1 Tampa (21-5)
7:30 p.m. - Thursday's quarterfinal winners
Sunday
Championship
3:30 p.m. - Semifinal winners
GAME NOTES
LAST TIME OUT: Barry beat Florida Tech on the road Saturday, 77-62 ... Tyler Hardy had 22 points and 10 rebounds.
SERIES RECORD: Barry is 25-36 all-time against the Panthers ... The Bucs won both of the meetings this season.
EYES ON OPPONENTS: The Panthers are led by Kayk Wilson, who led the SSC in scoring (20.1) ... Rita Acevedo averages 9 ppg and 4.5 apg ... Florida Tech is the top FT shooting team in the league (73.4) and leads the SSC in steals (9.7).
LATE SURGE: Barry has won five of its past six games ... The Bucs made a late charge in the NCAA South Region rankings, where they stood ninth last week ...
BARRY IN SSC TOURNEY: The Buccaneers won the SSC Tournament championship in 1991, beating Rollins, 87-75 ... In 2010, the Bucs advanced to the title game before losing 54-52 at Lynn ... Both years, the Bucs qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
DOUBLE TROUBLE: Barry Sr. G Tyler Hardy has scored in double figures in every game this season ... She is second in the SSC in scoring (19.7).
FREE THROW FORM: Barry Sr. G Colette Eule leads the SSC in free throw shooting at 86.4 percent ... She’s been perfect from the stripe in 13 games this year ... Over the last four games, she’s 15 of 16 from the line.
KERIN COMING ON: Jr. G Ines Kerin has dished out 19 assists in the last 3 games ... She leads the Bucs with 123 assists this year, with a career-best of 8 vs. Florida Southern Feb. 5 ... She currently ranks eighth among school season leaders ... She needs 6 more to move up to No. 6.
BUZZER BEATERS: Colette Eule hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer on a 3/4-court pass from Danika Pisconeri to send the game into OT vs. No. 14 Rollins ... Ines Kerin hit the gamewinning 3 to beat the Tars in OT.
KAYLIA ON THE BLOCK: Jr. F Kaylia Richardson has been on fire the last 5 games, scoring in double figures in each of those games ... She had a career-high 21 at Florida Tech Saturday ... Richardson has two double-doubles this year ... She’s scored in double figures in 15 games this season.
TOURNEY TIDBITS
COLETTE & HER DOGS: Sr. G Colette Eule is obsessed with her dogs ... From "cuddle sesh" times to even bringing them to her games -- her dogs were fans on Senior Night vs. No. 14 Rollins when the Lutz, Fla., native provided SportsCenter-worthy buzzer-beating heroics at Barry's Health & Sports Center -- Colette can't get enough of her dogs.
ALESHA SPRITES IT UP: Sr. F Alesha Jenkins has coined a phrase in the women's locker room: "Whose Sprite that be?" ... Jenkins is a Sprite-aholic, so her teammates say.
FAMILY MATTERS: Soph. F Emily Schahczinski is notorious for calling back home to Wisconsin before every game ... And everyone on the bus can hear her conversations with her siblings.
GOT MILK: Emily Schahczinski absolutely must have milk with every meal ... Without her milk, she isn't the same.
NEW 'DO TODAY AJ?: Alesha Jenkins is known for her ever-changing hairstyles ... Although this year, she's been "pretty" consistent.
NYJAH LIT EM UP: Jr. G/F Nyjah Porcher is always saying, "It's Lit" ... Now the Bucs even have a play named after Nyjah's LIT phrases.
KERIN DOESN'T CARE WHOSE H2O IT IS: Forget about putting names on water bottles ... If Jr. G Ines Kerin sees one, she's drinking out of it ... Her teammates have sometimes given her wry looks when she drinks out of their water bottle, saying, "What are you doing?"
JENKINS HUNGRY FOR MORE: Alesha Jenkins is hungry on the court this year ... She's also hungry off it all the time ... Alesha is constantly asking for food from her teammates.
NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH CLARE: No Soph G Ella Ramonas does not have her sister Clare's Instagram account ... Even if "some" people at Barry think so.