ATHLETICS - M Basketball

Men's Basketball Signs FIU Transfers

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:55:00 GMT

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Barry University men's basketball coach Butch Estes announced the signing of a pair of Florida International University transfers for the 2013-14 season. Guards Deric Hill and Juan Ferrales will have two years remaining at Barry.

"It's unusual to get a backcourt to come to any school together at the same time," Estes said. "They've played together, and they know each other. That's an unusual circumstance that's to our benefit. They have a feel for each other. They're comfortable with each other."

Hill, a 5-foot-9, 160-pound point guard who played at South Miami High School, averaged 6.2 points per game, and led the Panthers in assists (105) and steals (75) as a sophomore last year. He started in 15 of the 32 games he played. He scored a career-high 16 points, sinking 10 of 11 free throws, and had six assists, four steals and four rebounds in a 61-57 Sun Belt Conference Tournament semifinals victory over Middle Tennessee on March 10. Hill had eight assists against Florida A&M (Jan. 2) and Bethune-Cookman (Jan. 7) last season. He had seven steals against FAMU.

"Deric has exceptional speed and quickness," Estes said. "He's an outstanding defensive player. He has a tremendous sense of distribution with an ability to pass the ball at the right time to the right place. His presence at the guard position gives us depth at the guard position, which we desperately needed.

"Our tempo is going to be increased, and his ability fits in to the style we're going to play. He has potential to wreak havoc on offenses with his defensive tenacity and ability. He has separation speed and quickness."

Ferrales, a 6-2, 190 guard from Pembroke Pines, Fla./American Heritage HS, averaged 3.8 points while shooting 38.3 percent from three-point range as a sophomore. He scored 12 points, and had three assists at Stetson (Dec. 9, 2012) in his one start during the season. Ferrales scored in double figures in three games, and shot 72.5 percent from the free throw line.

"I was aware of him in high school and chose not to recruit him, which was a terrible mistake," said Estes, who spent the past three seasons at Palm Beach State College. "Then he goes to FIU and surprises the world by not only making the team, but playing. He's just continued to improve.

"I think he's going to blossom here at Barry because he's finally going to find stability. He should be able to reach his comfort zone as a player, and be very productive."

Estes, a proponent of position-less basketball, believes Hill and Ferrales offer the Buccaneers flexibility.

"These two fit that mold," he said. "To be able to get two players of this ability, and to be able to get local players is the most I could've hoped for at this point in the game."

Cesar Odio: Basketball Camp at Barry University

Wed, 01 May 2013 11:13:00 GMT

Cost of camp is $135 per session.
A Non-Refundable Deposit of $50.00 must accompany this form to ensure your spot in the camp.
The balance of $85 is due upon registration.
Please make all checks payable to: Cesar Odio
Deposit and application deadline is July 5th, 2013

1st week: July 8 – 12th
2nd week: July 15 – 19th
Ages 6-16
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily

CAMP HIGHLIGHTS:

Instructional stations taught by experienced coaches
3‑on‑3 and 5‑on‑5 league play and playoffs
Beat the Coach competition
Daily shooting contests
Special guest speakers
Camp T‑shirt and daily awards

Click HERE to get a registration form

29th Athletic Awards Banquet

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:27:00 GMT

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — The Barry University Athletic Department celebrated its 29^th Annual Awards Banquet on Tuesday, April 23 at Jungle Island in Miami. Awards were presented to athletes from every sport.

Tennis swept the athlete o f the year award, with Marco Mokrzycki taking the male award and Linda Fritschken earning the women’s.

Mokrzycki led the men’s tennis team to a Sunshine State Conference title for the second straight year and 10^th time overall. Mokrzycki, a singles and doubles All-American from 2012, is currently 12-2 and ranked fourth in singles and second in doubles, where he has a 15-3 record. He has singles wins this spring over the number one and two players in both NCAA Division II and NAIA.

Fritschken, also a singles All-American from 2012, led the women’s team to the SSC title this spring. It was the fourth straight win for the women and seventh overall. It was also the 50^th SSC title for the Bucs across all sports since joining the league in 1988-89. Fritschken is 16-1 in singles and 22-2 in doubles. She is ranked 33^rd in singles.

The Professor Neill Miller Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award was given to the male and female student-athletes with the highest cumulative GPA while meeting specific criteria for academic progress and athletic participation.

Basketball junior Magne Fivelstad earned male award. He has a 3.825 GPA in finance. After a red-shirt season in 2011-12, he was one of the Bucs key players this year. He was second on the team in scoring at 10.5 points per game and second in rebounding at 5.9 per contest. He led the team in field goal shooting, hitting at a 58.8 percent clip from the floor.

Basketball also took the women’s award. Amanda Frontino, who carries a 3.943 GPA in art with a specialization in graphic design, was the winner. She had her best year as a Buc, starting 11 games and ranking first on the team in +/- stats. She averaged 5.6 points and 3.1 rebounds per game and was third on the team in made three-pointers.

For the first time in program history, the women’s tennis team captured the CHAMPS/Lifeskills trophy, which has been dominated by softball and women’s soccer. Women’s soccer finished second, while softball placed third.

Volleyball's Tania Torres earned the Sister Jeanne O’Laughlin Service Award. A member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, she has been active mentoring young students in a variety of camps and clinics, and participated in National Girls & Women in Sports Day. She is also an outstanding student and is pursuing her goal of attending medical school. In addition, she has tutored students in math, physics and organic chemistry and has volunteered at the Special Olympics, Feeding South Florida and the National Beach Clean-up.

A list of all award winners is listed below:

Softball
BADIA Award	Sarah Broeseker
Rookie of the Year	Megan Copeland

Baseball
Earl S. Oster Senior Leadership Award	Tyler Kinley
Most Valuable Player	Luis Arrizurieta

Women's Soccer
Freshman of the Year	Tamara Vukovich
Leadership Award	Sofia Jakobsson

Volleyball
Red and Black Award	Tania Torres
Coach's Award	Mariana Lisboa

Men's Soccer
Jon Samford MVP Award	Thomas Coombes
Mike Mikulin Most Inspirational Award	Houghton Kinsman

Women’s Basketball
Co-Most Valuable Player	Colette Eule
Co-Most Valuable Player	Tyler Hardy

Men’s Basketball
Most Valuable Player	Justin McCoy
Cesar Odio Play Hard Award	Vladimir Raymonvil

Rowing
Co-Captain	Kristina Boncheva
Co-Captain	Kelly Harrison

Women's Golf
Player of the Year	Taylor Babcock
Team Leadership Award	Daniela Murray

Men's Golf
Carlos Velez Sportsmanship Award	Eirik Groenhaug
Player of the Year	Adam Svensson

Women's Tennis
Most Valuable Player	Linda Fritschken
Freshman of the Year	Emma Onila

Men's Tennis
Most Valuable Player	Marco Mokrzycki
Outstanding Team Leadership	Leo Vivas

Cheerleading
Most Improved	Ashley Hughes
Cheerleader of the Year	Marquet Houston

Athletic Training
Athletic Training Student of the Year	Laysa Fernandez

Professor Emerita Neill L. Miller Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Male	Magne Fivelstad (Basketball)
Female	Amanda Frontino (Basketball)

Athlete of the Year
Male	Marco Mokrzycki (Tennis)
Female	Linda Fritschken (Tennis)

Sister Jeanne O'Laughlin Community Service Award
Tania Torres (Volleyball)

CHAMPS/LifeSkills Competition
First Place	Women's Tennis
Second Place	Women's Soccer
Third Place	Softball

Buccaneers To Stream 29th Annual Athletic Awards Banquet

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 17:30:00 GMT

MIAMI – The 29^th Annual Barry University Athletic Awards Banquet will be held on Tuesday, April 23, 2013 at Jungle Island at 5:00 pm.

The ceremony honors the athletic and academic achievements of Barry’s nearly 200 student-athletes. University faculty and administrators from each school will be present to honor our graduating seniors and over 450 additional individuals will be present for this special event.

The banquet will begin at 5:00 pm with the procession and honoring of our senior Student-Athletes starting at 5:30 pm. The first award will be the Sister Jeanne O’Laughlin Service Award. That is followed by dinner, highlight videos for all 12 teams, the presentation of team awards, including all 12 varsity sports, cheerleading and athletic training. After the presentation of the trophy for the CHAMPS/Lifeskills winner, the banquet concludes with the announcement of the male and female “Professor Emerita Neill Miller Scholar-Athletes of the Year” and male and female Athletes of the Year.

For just the second time, the awards ceremony will be broadcast live on the Buccaneer Broadcasting Network, powered by Stretch Internet. The live broadcast starts at 5:30 p.m. and will conclude around 8:30 p.m. on the Buccaneer Broadcasting Network. Click on the GameCentral logo to access the broadcast.

Estes Takes Over Buccaneer Men's Basketball Program

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 19:58:00 GMT

MIAMI SHORES, Fla.—Replacing a school’s wins leader is never easy, but Barry University has a great candidate to try in Butch Estes who takes over the helm of the Buccaneer men’s basketball program.

“I want to thank athletic director Mike Covone and the administration for giving me the opportunity to lead the men’s basketball program at Barry University,” Estes said. “I also want to acknowledge and express my appreciation to coach Cesar Odio for his dedication and commitment to this program. It was under his guidance that the team rose to national recognition and prominence. My staff and I look forward to working hard to continue this tradition.”

Estes brings over 30 years of coaching experience, though this will be his first foray into NCAA Division II. He comes to Barry after an extremely successful stint at Palm Beach State College. He led the Panthers to an 80-14 mark in three seasons, including a 29-3 run last year, the best mark in school history.

Estes graduated from the University of North Carolina, where he played freshman basketball and was a student assistant coach under the legendary coach, Dean Smith. He was a graduate assistant coach while he earned his master’s degree in administrative education at The Citadel.

After completing his degree in 1973, Estes took assistant coaching positions at East Carolina and Rice universities and moved into head coaching positions at Presbyterian College and Furman University.

In the mid 1990s, Estes left the court for five years to work for Fox Sport Net as a basketball analyst, eventually taking head coaching jobs at Guilford College and Miami-Dade Community College. He did a brief tenure at the University of Miami as assistant coach in 2006, and in 2007, he moved to the Seattle area to support his wife’s career and accepted an assistant coach position at Seattle University. He took over a struggling program at Shoreline College in 2008 and led them from worst to first in his two years in control.

Estes holds a 443-309 record as a head coach, 270-243 at the four-year level, and has been named Coach of the Year nine times in his career, including at least once at every stop. Estes takes over at Barry for Cesar Odio who guided the Bucs to a 281-234 record over 18 seasons, including the 2006-07 Sunshine State Conference title, and three trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament, before moving into athletic administration this year.

Odio Joins Athletic Administration

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:45:00 GMT

MIAMI SHORES, Fla.—After 18 years at the helm of Barry University’s men’s basketball program, head coach Cesar Odio moves into the athletic administration as assistant director of athletics for the Buccaneers, effective June 1, 2013.

“I’m really excited about this new opportunity,” Odio said. “I’m so grateful to the administration, from (president) Sister Linda (Bevilacqua), (provost) Dr. (Linda) Peterson, (dean) Dr. (Darlene) Kluka and Mike Covone (director of athletics). It’s always been a dream to transition from coaching into administration and I am eternally grateful that the chance came here at Barry.”

Odio guided the Bucs to a 281-234 record over 18 seasons, including the 2006-07 Sunshine State Conference title, and three trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament. He was twice named SSC Coach of the Year, in 1994-95 and in 2006-07. He mentored 22 all-conference players, including the 2004-05 Player of the Year, Nick Ellingsworth-Perez, who went on to earn All-America honors. Jason Junker, in 2000-01, was an Academic All-American.

Odio’s protégés have been some of the most accomplished in Buccaneer history, claiming five Barry Male Athlete of the Year awards, as well as five Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards.

“I’ll miss the relationship with my players,” Odio said, “but hopefully now I’ll have the chance to be involved with even more athletes. Barry University has treated me very well over the years and I’m thankful to be able to remain a part of the Buccaneer family.”

The university will immediately begin a national search for his replacement.

Men's Hoops Fall to No. 10 Florida Southern in SSC Quarters

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 21:38:00 GMT

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – For the Buccaneers, the third time wasn’t the charm. Barry University hung with No. 10 Florida Southern for a stretch during the first half before leaving Silver Spurs Arena with a 75-57 loss in the Sunshine State Conference Championships quarterfinals.

Buccaneers senior guard Justin McCoy scored 27 points, going 7-for-7 from the free throw line, and had two steals. His 27 points fell two shy of the career-high 29 he had earlier this season.

Florida Southern, a team the Bucs lost to three times this year, advances to Saturday’s semifinals . Barry held the Mocs (22-5) to 10 points under their season average of 85.3.

“No. 1, our guys played extremely hard,” said Gonzalez, who returned to Barry in an interim capacity for the first time in two years due to the absence of head coach Cesar Odio, who’s battling leukemia for the second time.

The Mocs opened a 51-39 lead in the second half on a bucket by Dominic Lane before McCoy responded at the other end with a bunny in the lane. Florida Southern extended its lead to 17 before Bucs senior forward Filip Toric buried a three from the top of the key to make it a 57-43 game.

McCoy hit a triple from the corner. Then he came away with a steal at the timeline, rushed to the goal and scored, drawing a foul. He hit the free throw to complete the three-point play, pulling Barry within 63-49. Aaron Martin, who scored six points in his final game as a Buccaneer, sank a free throw to make it a 13-point deficit with 4:17 left in the game.

Toric’s bending layup with 3:13 remaining kept the Bucs within 13, but the Moccasins outscored the Buccaneers, 8-3, down the stretch.

“What we wanted to do was take away their high-volume shots,” Gonzalez said. “Outside of Lane and (Seth) Evans, our objective was to keep those guys in front of us.”

Florida Southern was five of 19 from three-point range. Barry was four of 14.

Buccaneers sophomore forward Magne Fivelstad scored nine points on 3-for-5 shooting, and grabbed four rebounds. Toric had seven points, nine boards, three assists and two steals. Lane and Kevin Capers each had 16 points on a combined 13 of 24 shooting. The two also combined for 15 rebounds. Evans had 10 points and five assists on 2-for-9 shooting.

“They have a lot of good players, and if we make mistakes they always find a way to capitalize,” Fivelstad said. “Turnovers and rebounds, that’s where we lost the game.”

The Bucs were outrebounded, 41-29. Barry committed 16 turnovers, which Florida Southern converted into 16 points. The Mocs had nine turnovers, which resulted in 14 points for the Buccaneers.

The Bucs built a 9-2 lead four minutes into the game after Toric found McCoy down low for a lay-in. McCoy then scored off-glass on an interior feed from Damien Dwaine to give the Bucs their largest lead at nine 4:23 into the game.

Florida Southern stormed back to cut it to 13-12 on a transition layup by Lane, before McCoy’s steal and coast-to-coast layup halted a 10-1 Mocs run. After Dwaine, who finished with four points and four rebounds, scored on another dish from Toric to keep Barry ahead by three with 7:36 left in the opening half, FSC went on another run – this time a 10-2 spurt – to build a 26-21 lead. A pair of free throws by Dwaine pulled the Buccaneers within two at the 3:44 mark before the Mocs capped the first half with a 9-4 run to take a 35-28 lead at the break.

“They score in bunches,” Gonzalez said. “To beat a team like that, you have to execute to a ‘T.’ Once they got the lead, we could no longer control the tempo like we wanted. To win today, we needed to block out and rebound. We had some lapses defensively.”

Barry shot 40 percent in the first half. Florida Southern hit 40.6 percent of its first half field goals. The Bucs, who entered the game ranked 63^rd in the nation in free throw shooting at 73 percent, were 11 of 13 from the line in the opening half. They finished 21 of 25 for 84 percent. The Mocs were 12 of 26 for 46.2 percent.

Six Buccaneers seniors played their final game in the Barry Red and Black.

“It was a transition year,” Gonzalez said. “They had to get to know me, and I had to get to know them. I appreciate everything they did."

BOX SCORE

Men's Basketball Meets Florida Southern in SSC Quarters

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 01:16:00 GMT

SSC TOURNAMENT CENTRAL

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Barry University men's basketball team opens the Sunshine State Conference Championships with a quarterfinal matchup 5 p.m. Friday against Florida Southern at Silver Spurs Arena.

The seventh-seeded Buccaneers (13-13) had won four of its past five, which included an overtime thriller over Rollins in neighboring Winter Park last week, before falling in the final regular season game. Florida Southern (21-5) shared the regular season conference title with Saint Leo, but received the No. 2 seed in the league tournament.

The Bucs lost to the Mocs, ranked 10th in NCAA Division II, twice this year. In 2009-10, Barry also fell to Florida Southern twice in the regular season before beating the Mocs in the SSC Tournament and in the NCAA Tournament a week later.

Barry has held its last four opponents to an average of 60.2 points per game. The Buccaneers limited six of their last seven opponents to 68 points or less. The Bucs are 5-3 when scoring 70 or more points and 6-4 when they score in the 60s.

Florida Southern's Seth Evans is averaging 15.7 points per game. Dominic Lane is averaging 14.6 points and 6.2 rebounds. Kevin Capers is scoring 11.8 points per game, and Brett Bailey is averaging 10.6 points and 5.1 rebounds.

Senior guard Justin McCoy leads the Buccaneers in scoring at 14.2 points per game, having reached double figures in 23 of the 26 games. McCoy has started all 26 games, and is second on the team in assists with 70. Sophomore forward Magne Fivelstad is averaging 10.6 points and six rebounds while shooting 58.7 percent from the floor in 19 games.

Senior guard Chad Renfro is averaging 10 points and 4.2 rebounds. Senior point forward Filip Toric is averaging 9.5 points and 6.9 rebounds while shooting 45.8 percent from the field, and leads the team with 78 assists. Senior forward Aaron Martin is scoring 9.4 points per game, and leads the Bucs in three-point field goals with 44. His .352 percentage from beyond the arc is tops among the regulars.

Barry is 4-2 in overtime games, and has 12 wins in games decided by 10 points or less.

McCoy and Toric were named to the Breitbart Sports Top 2,000 Non-Division I players national report, both ranking in the top 800.

SSC CHAMPIONSHIPS NOTES

LAST TIME OUT: Barry lost the regular season finale to Nova Southeastern
... Three Bucs scored in double figures ... Justin McCoy had 12 points,
7 reb, 2 steals ... Filip Toric 11 points, 7 reb, 4 assists, 1 steal ... Magne
Fivelstad 10 points, 7 reb, 3 steals.

SERIES RECORD: Barry is 14-44 all-time against Florida Southern ... Th e
Bucs last win over the Mocs was a 77-55 win in Miami Shores on Jan. 8,
2011 ... Barry beat FSC in the SSC Tournament semis, 79-61, on Mar. 6,
2010 ... That same year the Bucs beat the Mocs in the NCAA Tournament
first round, 64-59, in Russellville, Ark.

EYES ON OPPONENT: Th e Mocs shared the SSC regular season title with
Saint Leo after going 12-5 in league play ... Seth Evans leads FSC in scoring
(15.7) ... Dominic Lane is averaging 14.6 ppg and 6.2 reb ... Kevin Capers is
scoring 11.8 ppg ... Brett Bailey is averaging 10.6 ppg and 5.1 reb.

4-FOR-5: Barry has had five players score in double figures in four games
this year ... In eight games, the Bucs have had four players reach twin #s.

WORKING OVER: Barry is 4-2 in overtime games this year.

TORIC TALK: Sr. F Filip Toric has scored in double figures in 14 games,
including a stretch of seven in a row, during which he had three straight
double-doubles ... One of his double-doubles was against Florida Southern
and another against Saint Leo, the top two teams in the SSC who are
ranked nationally ... Ranked 777 on top non-DI players in country.

McCOY’S MOJO: Sr. G Justin McCoy has scored in double figures in
23games, which leads the team ... He leads the Bucs in scoring (14.2) ... He
joined Toric as one of the top 2,000 non-DI players in the Breitbart Sports
national report ... McCoy ranked 451 in the national report.

SENIOR RANKINGS:
CAREER
Vlad Raymonvil - 3rd FT% (.808), 9th 3-pt% (.361)

Bryan Van Cott - 5th FT% (.793), 3-pt FG (77) - tied 16t

Justin McCoy - scoring (11.9) - 17th; assists ave (2.9) - 9th

Chad Renfro -- 3-pt FG (83) -- tied 13th; 3-pt FG% (.339) - 18th

SEASON
Filip Toric - Def. Reb. Ave (5.5) - 8th; Def. Reb. (138) - 13th

TOURNEY TIDBITS

Barry's last win in the SSC Tournament was a 79-61 victory over Florida Southern on Mar. 6, 2010
In their last six trips to the postseason league tournament, the Buccaneers 90 a different opponent each time in their opening-round game
During those six seasons dating back to 2005-06, each time the Bucs have won their opening-round league tournament game, they’ve finished with a .500 record or better
Senior G Vladimir Raymonvil was a member of Barry’s 2010 team that beat Florida Southern in the SSC Tournament
Sophomore F Damien Dwaine is tied with senior F Filip Toric for the team lead in blocked shots, each with 18
Dwaine is one of three regulars shooting over 45 percent from the floor
Barry’s preseason roster has been sliced from 14 to 10 players due to injuries and redshirts
On the trip to Tampa late in the season, only nine players traveled
Each of Barry’s four coaches played college basketball
Head coach Cesar Odio played at Florida Southern, winning a national championship in 1981
Acting head coach Orlando Gonzalez played at the University of Miami
Assistant coach Ryan Saunders played four years at Barry, setting five career school records
Assistant coach Mike Bradley played football and basketball at Bethune-Cookman
Seniors Aaron Martin and Filip Toric have played college basketball at three schools in four years
Barry has three international players on its roster: Toric (Zagreb, Croatia), Magne Fivelstad (Bergen, Norway) and Bouna N’Diaye (Bergen, Norway)
Sophomore G Jason Llaneras, a chemistry major, also tutors students on campus
He has been preparing for the MCAT exam to prepare for a career in the medical sciences field.
Junior F Garrett Naughton is the tallest active player on the Bucs roster at 6-7
Naughton and Renfro share Jacksonville connections
Renfro is a native of Jacksonville
Naughton played junior college ball at Florida State College-Jacksonville, where he was a second-team all-conference selection
Senior G Justin McCoy and senior F Aaron Martin both played at St. Petersburg College
Bryan Van Cott and Vlad Raymonvil are the only players on the Bucs roster who’ve played more than two seasons at Barry
Van Cott (.793) and Raymonvil (.808) rank among the school's top five free throw shooters all-time
Magne Fivelstad hasn’t even played a full season, but the NCAA is trying to rule him a junior
Bouna N’Diaye’s brother, Calix, set the school record for free throws made in a game without a miss, going 14-for-14 against Florida Southern in 2005

Men's Hoops Fall Flat to NSU

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 00:21:00 GMT

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Barry University men's basketball team overcame an uphill battle in a second-half comeback bid only to fall short, 61-57, to Nova Southeastern Saturday in the final regular season game.

The Buccaneers (13-13, 6-10 Sunshine State Conference) will play Florida Southern (21-5, 12-4) at 5 p.m. Friday in the league tournament quarterfinals at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee.

After Vladimir Raymonvil's three 32 seconds into the game gave the Buccaneers their only lead, Barry trailed the rest of the way until Chad Renfro sank two free throws with 2:38 remaining to tie it at 57-57. But the Bucs missed two field goals before the Sharks picked up a couple points from the free throw line. The Buccaneers missed another two field goals, and the Sharks scored on a layup with 11 seconds left to seal it.

It was another classic Nova-Barry finish that stung this time for a hot Buccaneer team. Barry, which wasn't at its best on a night where tournament seeding was at stake, shot 36.7 percent from the field. Conversely, NSU hit 43.8 percent of its shots.

One-year senior Filip Toric had 11 points, seven rebounds, four assists and a steal in his final game at Health & Sports Center. Second-year senior guard Justin McCoy scored 12 points, grabbed seven boards and had two steals. Both Toric and McCoy were 4 of 9 from the floor. Toric hit three of six triples.

Magne Fivelstad scored 10 points, had seven rebounds and three steals, while shooting 4 of 8.

But the Bucs were 7 of 22 from three-point range, and were outrebounded, 37-29. They outscored the Sharks, 10-2 in fastbreak points.

Nova's Lukas Roesch had 17 points, and Justin Jeangerard had 13 points and seven boards.

2013 SSC Men's Basketball Championship Schedule

Opening Round - Wednesday, March 6
Game 2 - 7:30 p.m. - No. 8 Lynn vs. No. 9 Tampa

Men's Quarterfinals - Friday, March 8
Game 7 - 12:00 p.m. - No. 4 Florida Tech vs. No. 5 Rollins
Game 8 - 2:30 p.m. - Game 1 Winner vs. No. 1 Saint Leo
Game 9 - 5:00 p.m. - No. 2 Florida Southern vs. No. 7 Barry
Game 10 - 7:30 p.m. - No. 3 Eckerd vs. No. 6 Nova Southeastern

Men's Semifinals - Saturday, March 9
Game 13 - 5:00 p.m. - Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner
Game 14 - 7:30 p.m. - Game 9 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner

Men's Final - Sunday, March 10
Men's Championship - 3:30 p.m. - Game 13 Winner vs. Game 14 Winner

BOX SCORE

German Greatness: Men's Hoops Alum Whitfield Shining

Sat, 02 Mar 2013 03:40:00 GMT

Former Barry University forward Willie Whitfield is leading ASC Mainz Second Division German professional team in scoring.

Whitfield is averaging 16 points per game and 1.0 steals as his team is tied for second, a game in back of first place.

Whitfield ranked seventh in the nation in rebounds as a senior with the Buccaneers, pulling down 10.6 boards per game. He was 10th in the country in field goal percentage, shooting 63.3 percent. Whitfield averaged 15.3 points per game with the Buccaneers.

Half-Dozen Finale: 6 Seniors, Men's Basketball Meet Nova SE

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 20:58:00 GMT

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Barry University has the tendency to become a cozy place to those who choose to go to school here. Saturday, for six seniors and a surging men's basketball team, emotions will run high when the Buccaneers meet cross-town rival Nova Southeastern at 5:30 p.m. in the home finale.

"It is my last couple glory days of playing college basketball, so I'm just trying to make the best of every moment, every minute, every second and every play," said senior point guard Vladimir Raymonvil, a Miami native who's spent his entire college career at Barry. "To tell you the truth, I'm nervous right now, nervous just thinking about the game. But like I said earlier, I'm just going to make every minute count, every second count, every play count."

The Buccaneers (13-12, 6-9 Sunshine State Conference) have won four of their past five games, and are coming off a huge high in beating Rollins in overtime on the road Wednesday, 70-68. The Sharks (14-11, 6-9) lost to the Bucs earlier this year in Davie, Fla., 68-61, but this series has been a well-contested one over the last four years in every contest.

"We just got to come out tomorrow and play like we did on Wednesday so our six seniors can get the win and end on a high note," said senior guard Chad Renfro, a Jacksonville, Fla., native. "I just want to win. I really don't get nervous for games, more excited than anything. I'm just ready."

Senior guard Bryan Van Cott, an Oyster Bay, N.Y., product who's spent three years in the Buccaneer Red and Black, said earlier this year he wanted to help Barry change of the culture around the basketball circles. Now he is a part of a team that is playing its best basketball when it matters most. Saturday when he digs in at Health & Sports Center for the final time, it's thoughts of the Buccaneer brotherhood, past and present, that comes to mind.

"Just my teammates. I love all my teammates. They are the best people I've ever been around," Van Cott said. "I'll remember my teammates more than anything. I just want to have a good time, play hard. It's the last time I'll play college basketball here, so I just want to give it my all, and I expect that from everyone else."

Senior guard Justin McCoy, a Columbia, Md., product has been the team's leading scorer all year. But despite putting up big numbers throughout the season, his gratification comes from the fact his team has been winning lately.

"Now we're starting to pick up wins," McCoy said. "It feels better to win than to score.

"It's been a great experience. I love the coaches, I love the school. I'm glad I chose to come to Barry."

First-year senior swingman Aaron Martin, a transfer from Division I South Carolina State who hails from Capitol Heights, Md., has embraced his lone season in the Buccaneer red.

"It's been very special," Martin said. "I've got a lot of gratification ... with my teammates, my coaches. We all get along together. We've been through some ups and downs, but we've found a way to get over the hump."

Senior forward Filip Toric, who's played a multitude of roles in his one year at Barry, spent his past three years at two other schools. A Zagreb, Croatia, native, he and McCoy were named to a national list of the country's top 2000 players.

"It was an honor and privilege to play amongst talented players like we have on this year's team. It was an honor to work with talented coaches, a talented head coach and assistant coach, and coach Mike (Bradley) also," Toric said. "I'm happy. I don't regret it that I came here my senior year."

Now he and the Bucs get to finish things off against a big rival in Miami Shores, riding some momentum.

"We're playing with intensity," Toric said. "We finally found our identity. We're coming in with great confidence. We need this win. This is probably the biggest game of this year."

GAME NOTES

LAST TIME OUT: Barry beat Tampa on the road Saturday, 63-54 ... Five players scored in double figures for the Bucs.

SERIES RECORD: Barry is 32-14 all-time against Nova ... The Bucs beat the Sharks on the road for the first time in 10 years earlier this year in a game that wasn’t decided by one-possession in the final second to three seconds as the previous six, each time the home team defending its court.

EYES ON OPPONENT: The Sharks and Bucs share identical league records, so this game is important for SSC Tournament seeding ... Iran Hollis is scoring 12.6 ppg and averaging 6.6 reb. while shooting 56 percent from the floor ... Lukas Roesch is scoring 11.3 ppg while shooting 49.1 percent from the field ... Brian Cahill is shooting 40.8 percent from three-point range, while scoring 10.4 ppg and pulling down 4.4 boards.

SHARK SITING: Nova ranks first in the league in three-point percentage (.393) and second in free throw percentage (.746) ... By contrast Barry is eighth in triple try pct. (.336) and fourth at the line (.736).

WORKING OVER: Barry is 4-2 in overtime games this year.

CAREER NIGHTS: Seniors Chad Renfro and Vlad Raymonvil each had career-best three-point shooting nights in Wednesday’s OT win at Rollins ... Renfro canned six triples (6-for-10) and Raymonvil buried four (4-for-5) ... Combined they shot .667 percent from beyond the arc.

McCOY’S MOJO: Sr. G Justin McCoy has scored in double figures in 22 games, which leads the team ... He leads the Bucs in scoring (14.3) ... He ranks ninth all-time in assist average (2.9) at Barry.

SENIOR RANKINGS:
CAREER
Vlad Raymonvil - 3rd FT% (.808), 7th 3-pt% (.369)
Bryan Van Cott - 5th FT% (.793), 3-pt FG (77) - tied 16th
Justin McCoy - scoring (11.9) - 17th; assists ave (2.9) - 9th
Chad Renfro -- 3-pt FG (83) -- tied 13th; 3-pt FG% (.342) - 18th; FT % (.743) -- 18th; scoring (11.0) - 20th

SEASON
Filip Toric - Def. Reb. Ave (5.5) - 8th; Def. Reb. (132) - 17th

SSC TICKETS ON SALE: Fans can purchase tickets to the Sunshine State Conference tournament at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, Fla., Mar. 6-10 by contacting associate athletics director Jamie Carrig at 305-899-4823 or jcarrig@mail.barry.edu to purchase tickets.

Rolling Along: Men's Basketball Wins OT Thriller at Rollins

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 00:55:00 GMT

WINTER PARK, Fla. – Barry played its best collection of basketball of the season, maybe the past couple years. The Buccaneers' 70-68 overtime triumph at Rollins Wednesday night resonated with good vibes from the time they all rolled out of bed in the morning.

You just had this feeling. Surely, the product the Bucs put on the floor was something to behold.

“I definitely agree with that,” senior guard Vlad Raymonvil said after going 4-for-5 from three-point range to match his career-high from beyond the arc and finish with 13 points. “I really noticed it in the first half when we made a couple threes off the glass. I was like, ‘God is on our side today.’ It’s only right that we won.”

The Bucs (13-12, 6-9 Sunshine State Conference) won their third straight and fourth in the past five, beating a team with a menacing zone defense on a Warden Arena floor where wins don’t come easily for the opposition.

“I honestly felt like we were going to win this game when we stepped on the bus today,” senior guard Chad Renfro said after scoring 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting. “We needed this win. Coach (Orlando Gonzalez) said it was a business trip. We came in and took care of business.”

Barry shot 83.3 percent in overtime, knocking down five of six field goals. The Bucs were 3-for-3 from long range in the extra period.

“We got it done,” Gonzalez said. "That's what we needed to do. Guys stepped up."

Senior guard Justin McCoy hit a high-arcing three off the top of the glass to tie the game at 56-56 in the first minute of overtime, and Raymonvil buried a three-ball from the corner to give the Bucs a lead Rollins would quickly recover from in a game that experienced 14 lead changes and 12 ties. Damien Dwaine wiggled his way through the Tars’ tough-to-penetrate zone defense, scoring off-glass and drawing a foul with two defenders draped on him to put the Bucs back up, 61-58.

Raymonvil buried another clutch three with 2:03 left to give Barry its biggest lead, 64-60, before the Tars (17-8, 9-6) responded with a triple of their own by Chris Uhle. Rollins’ Kyle McClanahan sank two free throws with 56 seconds remaining to put the Tars on top, 65-64. Renfro, who tied the game or put the Bucs ahead with all but one of the seven field goals he knocked down, hit a triple from the top of the perimeter on a kick-back from Filip Toric as Barry reclaimed the lead, 67-65.

“I mean, I’m just taking shots in the flow of the offense. I guess tonight I was in the right place at the right time,” Renfro said on a high-spirited, loose bus ride leaving the Orlando area. “I didn’t lose myself in the moment knowing how big those shots were. I was just taking shots.”

Renfro was 6-for-10 from beyond the three-point arc, and the Buccaneers hit 14 of 30 triples. Renfro’s six threes were a career-best, and the Bucs’ 14 from long range matched a season-high and fell two shy of the school record set last season at home against Trinity on Dec. 16.

McCoy sank two free throws with 16 seconds on the clock to pad the Bucs lead back to four. Rollins Mitch Woods hit a triple with three seconds left after the Bucs played suffocating lock-down defense for the better part of 11 seconds to pull the Tars within one. Bucs sophomore forward Magne Fivelstad sank the first of two free throws, and Rollins’ half-court heave at the buzzer was off the mark as Barry won its fourth overtime game of the season.

“Since I’ve been at Barry, this is the best I’ve seen us play,” said Renfro, who grabbed seven rebounds in arguably his finest game in a Buccaneer uniform. “Coach always tells us to play as a fist, play as one unit. Tonight we stayed as a fist the whole game. It feels great because I haven’t beaten Rollins since I’ve been here. For us to close this game out shows we’ve come a long way since last year.”

Renfro’s triple knotted the game at 47-47 with five minutes left in regulation on a dump-back from Toric. The Jacksonville native who overcame a shark bite to his foot last summer, canned a three with 3:29 to go in regulation to give the Bucs a 50-47 lead. Renfro’s lay-in with 1:46 on the clock tied the game at 52-52.

After Rollins took the lead on Adam Allen’s bucket at the 1:15 mark, McCoy penetrated the gap of the Tars zone, dishing off to a slashing Toric, who tied the game at 54-54 with 15 seconds left in regulation.

“That was a big bucket,” said Fivelstad, who had nine points and nine rebounds.

The Buccaneers outrebounded the Tars, 36-34. Each team had 14 assists. Rollins was eight of nine from the free throw line. Barry went 10-for-16 from the stripe.

McClanahan had 14 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and five steals, and Allen scored 15 points for the Tars. McCoy had 12 points, five boards and three assists.

Before the game, assistant coach Ryan Saunders offered Raymonvil, affectionately known as Big Shot Vlad on the Bucs' inner circle, a few motivational words. It seemed to resonate throughout the Buccaneer lineup. On a team compiled of six seniors who will play their final game in Buccaneer White and Red at Health & Sports Center 5:30 p.m. Saturday against cross-town rival Nova Southeastern with tournament-seeding implications impacting the game, motivational words sometimes go a long way.

“Coach Ryan told me, ‘This is the last time you’ll ever play at Rollins. Make it a good one,’” Raymonvil said. “I just took that initiative and stepped up and made some shots. It feels very good to be on sort of a winning streak going into Senior Night.”

BOX SCORE

McCoy, Men's Basketball Ride Momentum into Rollins

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 22:19:00 GMT

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Justin McCoy had a thought before this year.

"Being a senior, I wanted to take on more responsibility as a scorer," he said.

A scorer McCoy has been. He's reached double figures in 21 of the Buccaneers' 24 games, including a stretch of 18 in a row. A few of those games, he needed late-minute buckets to keep his streak intact, but somehow, some way McCoy's name always had double digits in the points column on his stat line.

He scored a career-high 29 against Lynn on Jan. 9 when he shot nine of 16 from the floor, burying five of 10 three-pointers in 25 minutes. His 29 points are the most a Buccaneer has scored in two seasons. Willie Whitfield, who now plays professionally for ASC Mainz in Germany, had 29 in an overtime win over Palm Beach Atlantic on Feb. 23, 2011 in Miami Shores.

Jason Junker owns Barry's school record with 48 points in a 107-72 win over Nova Southeastern on Nov. 19, 2000 at Health & Sports Center.

Buckets have been on McCoy's mind since he arrived at Barry in the Fall of 2011. He's scored in spurts and delivered in clutch moments in his two years wearing the Bucs Red and Black. He hit a gamewinner at Eckerd last year that sent the jubilant Bucs on the four-hour journey back to Miami Shores in high spirits. He hit a three with 0.5 seconds left in regulation against St. Martin's to send the game into overtime at the Lynn Holiday Classic on Dec. 19 in Boca Raton. Then he banked in a three off the glass at the buzzer to win it in OT.

"I just threw it up," McCoy would say moments after the Bucs' wild celebration unfolded at the de Hornle Center.

As the season wore on, the coaching staff asked the 5-foot-10 Columbia, Md., product to alter his game. Penciled in as the starting point guard when the season began, McCoy's game quickly evolved into more of a two-guard, what with his shoot-first mentality. Now, he's being asked to facilitate more, find ways to create and dish off as the Buccaneers shifted gears from a perimeter attack to developing a better inside presence.

"Toward the end of the season, Coach (Orlando Gonzalez) wanted me to start getting more people involved so that's what I've been doing lately," said McCoy, who is second on the team in assists behind Filip Toric. "I'm trying to be more of a distributor and get everybody involved first."

Wednesday, he'll take another crack at it in Winter Park, Fla., where the Buccaneers meet Rollins in the penultimate game of the regular season at 7:30 p.m. The game will be carried on the Tars Network.

McCoy had 21 points in the first meeting against the Tars -- one of five games he's scored over 20 points this year. But he and the rest of the Buccaneers know this game is not about how many he or his teammates can put up. It's about how few they give up to the best shooting team in the league, while finding ways to penetrate the gaps in the Tars' zone defense.

"We've got to be the aggressor on defense," McCoy said. "We've got to speed the game up on offense before they can get into that zone. That zone is really what causes us problems. We've just got to make plays."

The Bucs spent the better part of the last two days preparing for Rollins' zone defense, trying to mimic it in practice. But Xs and Os against what a team thinks the opposition is going to do is one thing. Going out and executing against it is another.

"Coach prepared us well for it," McCoy said. "It's hard to simulate their zone, but for the most part we have a good understanding of what they do."

What they do, and what Barry does the rest of the season depends on teamwork and a commitment at both ends of the floor. At times the past couple seasons, the Buccaneers haven't played complete team basketball. To win in Winter Park, they realize it requires smart decisions, unselfishness and a lock-down mentality on the defensive end.

"I feel we've been playing really good basketball the last four games," McCoy said. "To win up at Rollins would be huge for us to have that momentum going into Senior Night and going into the (SSC) tournament."

LAST TIME OUT: Barry beat Tampa on the road Saturday, 63-54 ... Five players scored in double figures for the Bucs.

SERIES RECORD: Barry is 16-44 all-time against Rollins ... The Bucs lost to the then No. 17 Tars, 72-55, at home in January ... Barry’s last win over Rollins was a 77-64 victory in Winter Park on Jan. 6, 2010.

EYES ON OPPONENT: The Tars are 8-6 at home ... Since beating the Bucs in Miami Shores, the Tars have gone 3-5 ... Kyle McClanahan leads the team in scoring (14.8) and assists (4.6) ... Dave Diakite is averaging 13 ppg and 6.5 reb ... Adam Allen is scoring 10.4 ppg.

TOP TO BOTTOM: Rollins ranks first in the league in field goal shooting at 46.5 percent ... Barry is ninth at 40.1.

SPEED LIMIT SCORING: Barry has held its past two opponents to 58 points or less ... The Bucs have held four foes under 60 points this year.

FOUR FOR FIVE: Barry has had five players score in double figures in a game on four occasions this year, the most recent at Tampa Saturday ... In 12 games, four players have reached double figures.

McCOY’S MOJO: Sr. F Justin McCoy has scored in double figures in 21 games, which leads the team ... He leads the Bucs in scoring (14.4) ... His 12.0 ppg career scoring average ranks 17th in school history.

MAGNE-FIVED: Soph. F Magne Fivelstad has scored in double figures in five straight games ... Fivelstad boosted his scoring average to 10.7 ppg ... He is shooting a team-best 60.6 percent from the field.

TORIC’S BOARD WORK: Sr. F Filip Toric is averaging 5.7 defensive rebounds per game, which is tied for second in the SSC and ranks 6th all-time in school single-season history.

SENIOR DAY SATURDAY: Barry will honor six seniors Saturday in the final regular season home game vs. Nova Southeastern at 5:30 p.m.

SSC TICKETS ON SALE: Fans can purchase tickets to the Sunshine State Conference tournament at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, Fla., Mar. 6-10 by contacting associate athletics director Jamie Carrig at 305-899-4823 or jcarrig@mail.barry.edu to purchase tickets.

Spartan Stoppers: Men's Basketball Trips up Tampa

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 19:15:00 GMT

TAMPA -- Barry won its second straight game and third in its past four Saturday, beating Tampa, 63-54.

Five players scored in double figures for the Buccaneers (12-12, 5-9 Sunshine State Conference).

"We were looking for each other," Barry forward Damien Dwaine said. "We passed the ball well. Nobody really took any bad shots. We took open shots, and we hit 'em."

It was the second straight game the Buccaneers held an opponent under 60 points. Tampa's 54 points were the second fewest Barry has held an opposing team to this year.

The Bucs led by as many as 11 less than five minutes into the second half in a game that had only two lead changes. The Spartans (16-11, 3-11 SSC) had a three-point lead with 8:29 remaining in the first half, but the Bucs closed the remainder of the half with a 14-3 run to take a 27-19 lead at the break.

"We went into the game looking at it like this was our conference championship," said Dwaine, who had 10 points, seven rebounds and a block. "It was a must-win. They've got two really talented players, so we knew it wasn't going to be an easy game. We just had to come ready to play."

Tampa's Anthony Griffis scored 19 points, and Da'Marcko Foster had 13 points, six rebounds and three assists.

The Buccaneers controlled the pace after they seized the lead for good at the tail end of the first half. Barry outscored the Spartans, 20-12, in the paint, despite getting outrebounded, 34-30. The Bucs went 17 of 42 from the field for 40.5 percent. Barry settled for just 10 triple tries, electing to go inside more for its offensive production. The Buccaneers were 4-for-10 from beyond the three-point arc.

Tampa shot 38.8 percent, hitting 19 of 49 field goals, including 9 of 25 from long range.

Barry hit 25 of 31 from the free throw line. Tampa was 7 of 14.

"That's a pretty big margin," said Dwaine, who was 8 of 11 from the stripe. "We were very aggressive."

The Buccaneers committed just seven turnovers with the starters combining for just one.

Justin McCoy was 7-for-10 from the line, finishing with 11 points. Magne Fivelstad, who reached double figures for the fifth straight game, had 13 points and six boards. He shot 5 of 5 from the floor, including a triple, and was 2 of 2 from the line.

Filip Toric scored 11 points, and grabbed six rebounds. Chad Renfro finished with 10 points, four boards and three steals.

The Buccaneers will finish up the regular season at Rollins Wednesday before playing its final game at Health & Sports Center this year against Nova Southeastern next Saturday on Senior Day.

"Just to finish out with three (conference) wins would be huge for us," Dwaine said. "We don't want to have to play four games to get to the conference championship."

BOX SCORE

Men's Basketball Takes on Tampa Saturday

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 12:08:00 GMT

TAMPA -- Barry men's basketball plays at Tampa in a pivotal conference game 4 p.m. Saturday.

The Buccaneers (11-12, 4-9 Sunshine State Conference) are coming off a 67-58 homecoming win Wednesday in front of a charged-up crowd of 1,012 fans at home. The Spartans (16-10, 3-10) have lost their last four.

But with little margin for error and three conference games remaining, the Buccaneers know every game becomes bigger from here on out. The Bucs, who beat the Spartans, 75-66, in the first game this season on Jan. 26 in South Florida, are one game ahead of Tampa in the league standings. Currently, Barry occupies seventh place in the SSC. The eighth and ninth place teams will have to play each other in the first round of the conference tournament Mar. 6.

“It’s a very big game because our conference is so tough that whenever you get a chance to create some separation from another opponent, it’s a big opportunity," Bucs assistant coach Mike Bradley said. "I think our guys will be up for this.”

Saturday's game at Tampa will be broadcast on Tampa's Network. Fans can follow the game via LIVE STATS.

In the first game against the Spartans, Barry had a 15-point lead midway through the second half. But Tampa's Da'Marcko Foster went off in the second half, scoring 34 points in the game. He had 28 in the second half, and knocked down six of 15 triples.

The 34 points Foster scored tied the most any opponent had against Barry in 13 years. Central Oklahoma's Marlon Dawson ripped off 50 points on 12 of 17 shooting, including 9 of 19 from behind the three-point line, in a double-overtime game the Buccaneers won, 105-103, on Dec. 1, 2000 in Boca Raton, Fla. Dawson's 50 points is believed to be a school-record for any player against Barry.

“We’re going try to do a better job of containing (Foster) and controlling gaps," Bradley said. "If we’re gonna lose, they’re gonna beat us with jumpers. Last game we fouled him too much. This game we’re going to play cleaner defense, keep him off the line and force him into contested jumpers."

Foster scored 15 points in the final 1:59, converting two four-point plays, the first time the two teams met.

“Defensively, we tend to let up in the second half, but this game we’re going to play a full game," Bradley said. "When we played Tampa the first time, we were still buying into the philosophies coach (Orlando) Gonzalez was trying to teach. Before it was more individual. Now, this part of the season, we’re playing better help defense. As of lately, our defense has gotten a lot better and a lot more cohesive, and we’ve tightened up on the defensive end of the floor."

Bucs sophomore forward Damien Dwaine scored a career-high 15 points and pulled down eight rebounds against Tampa in the first game. Chad Renfro and Filip Toric each had 13.

GAME NOTES

LAST TIME OUT: Barry beat Palm Beach Atlantic Wednesday in its homecoming game, 67-58 ... Aaron Martin had 16 pts ... Chad Renfro had 10 pts and 7 reb.

SERIES RECORD: Barry is 19-39 all-time against Tampa ... The Bucs beat the Spartans by nine in the early meeting this year in Miami Shores ... Barry split with Tampa last year, each team winning at home.

EYES ON OPPONENT: The Spartans have lost four in a row ... Tampa is 7-4 at home this year ... Da’ Marcko Foster is averaging 16.5 ppg and 4.4 reb ... Anthony Griffis is averaging 15.5 ppg and 4.7 reb ... Vincent Cornu is pulling down 6.6 reb.

FOSTER ON FIRE: Tampa’s Da’ Marcko Foster scored a season-high 34 points against Barry in the first meeting ... His 34 points were tied for the most scored against a Bucs team since Marlon Dawson of Central Oklahoma dropped 50 on Barry Dec. 1, 2000 ... Foster scored 28 against the Bucs in the second half ... Foster had 15 in the last 1:59 against Barry.

DOWN WITH DEFENSE: The 58 points Barry yielded to Palm Beach Atlantic earlier this week is the second lowest the Bucs have held an opponent this year ... Twice Barry held an opponent to 53 points.

MAGNE-FIVED: Soph. F Magne Fivelstad has scored in double figures in four straight games ... Fivelstad is now the second leading scorer on the team at 10.6 ppg.

A-MART ENDS DOUBLE DROUGHT: Sr. F Aaron Martin ended a five-game drought in which he did not score in double figures when he busted out for 16 points Wednesday ... Martin has scored in double figures in 11 games this year ... He is third on the team in scoring (10.1).

TRIPLE TIED: Sr. G Bryan Van Cott and Sr. G Chad Renfro are tied for 17th among Barry’s career three-point leaders, each having hit 75 triples in their careers.

VLAD CHASING HISTORY: Sr. G Vladimir Raymonvil ranks second all-time in school history in free throw percentage (.820) in his four years with the Bucs ... Brent Williams (1991-93) owns the top spot at .824 ... Raymonvil is 100-for-122 all-time at the stripe ... He has not attempted a free throw in his last four games.

SSC TICKETS: Buy your tickets for the Sunshine State Conference tournament in Kissimmee, Fla., Mar. 6-10 at Silver Spurs Arena ... Contact associate athletics director Jamie Carrig at 305-899-4823 or jcarrig@mail.barry.edu to purchase tickets ... All SSC teams qualify for the tournament.

Barry Men's Hoops Sink Sailfish

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 23:47:00 GMT

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- In front of their largest and most energetic crowd of the season, Barry University men's basketball team beat Palm Beach Atlantic, 67-58, Wednesday on homecoming night.

A rowdy fan base of 1,012 witnessed their Buccaneers stump the Sailfish on Black Out night in Health & Sports Center to move within a game of the .500 mark with three regular season games remaining. The Bucs (11-12) will play at Tampa Saturday and return home for the regular season finale 5:30 p.m. March 2 against Nova Southeastern.

The Buccaneers got a big lift from its bench for the first time in a couple weeks, outscoring the Sailfish, 37-6.

Barry led by as many as 26 with just under eight minutes to play before the Sailfish (1-23) made a late push to cut the deficit to single digits.

Magne Fivelstad scored 15 seconds into the second half to give the Buccaneers a nine-point lead before Marcus Hardy answered with a dunk on the other end for Palm Beach Atlantic. Barry's lead ballooned to 19 when Bryan Van Cott converted a three-point play with 10:07 to play.

Chad Renfro buried a jumper to extend the Bucs lead to 21, and Aaron Martin canned one of his three triples to give Barry its largest lead, 60-34, with 7:46 remaining. PBA outscored the Buccaneers, 22-5, over the last 7:14 during mop-up duty.

Martin finished with 16 points and two steals. Fivelstad had 12 points, Van Cott scored 11, and Renfro had 10 points and seven boards. Matt Roy had 13 points, and Jahvah Braswell had 12 points and 10 rebounds for Palm Beach Atlantic.

The Buccaneers shot 13 of 26 from the field in the second half, and finished the game hitting 45.1 percent of their shots. The Sailfish shot 40.4 percent from the floor.

Both teams grabbed 34 rebounds.

Barry's Justin McCoy had five assists and two steals, Vlad Raymonvil went 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, finishing with nine points and three assists, and Damien Dwaine had six points and five rebounds.

TIP-INS: Fans were also treated to a couple performances and an autograph session from the Miami Heat dance team ... Barry honored its student-athletes who earned a 4.0 grade point average during the fall semester ... Barry announced its homecoming king, Justin Crayton, and queen, Ferin Richardson ... Men's basketball player Jason Llaneras celebrated his birthday, collecting a rebound in the win.

BOX SCORE

Basketball Hosts PBA on Black Out Night Wednesday

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 15:51:00 GMT

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. – It’s going to be a Black Out at Barry Wednesday night.

Barry University women’s and men’s basketball teams host Palm Beach Atlantic beginning at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Health & Sports Center on Homecoming Night. Fans are encouraged to wear black in the game being billed as a Black Out. Fans are encouraged to wear all black to both games.

“It’ll be nice to play in front of an exciting crowd,” Barry men’s assistant coach Ryan Saunders said. “Our guys like playing in front of their peers.”

During halftime of the women’s game, Barry will honor its student-athletes from the fall semester who achieved a grade point average of 4.0. During halftime of the men’s game, the king and queen will be announced from the homecoming court. A pre-game barbecue in the Landon Courtyard will kick off the homecoming game festivities at 3:30 p.m.

The Miami Heat dancers will also be on hand to perform.

The Buccaneers women’s team enters the game with a 12-10 record. Palm Beach Atlantic is 5-17. Barry beat PBA in one of its better defensive efforts earlier this season in West Palm Beach, 59-38. Amanda Frontino scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and Tyler Hardy had 15 points and six boards in that game for the Bucs. PBA’s Ashley Dolberry had 12 points, and Taylor Peterson 11.

“A key factor the last time we played them was holding Dolberry to 12 points,” Bucs women’s assistant coach Emer Foley said. “Defending and keeping her from her average is going to be key to defeating the Sailfish.”

Dolberry is averaging 14.6 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. Lynsey Poole is scoring 13 ppg. Barry’s Colette Eule is the Bucs’ leading scorer at 13.1 ppg. She ranks second all-time in school history in free throw percentage (.799). Hardy is averaging 11 points and 6.3 rebounds.

“We only have a handful of games left, and our goal as a team is a winning season,” Foley said. “So we’ve got to dig these last couple of games.”

Barry’s men’s team comes into the game with a 10-12 mark. Palm Beach Atlantic is 1-22. The Buccaneers survived an overtime scare from the Sailfish in the first meeting this year, winning 73-68.

“We can’t overlook them, based on their record,” Saunders said. “Anybody can beat anybody on any given day, and the way they are playing we have to be careful. I think we have to put them away early – build a lead and then put them away. It can’t be as close as when we played them up there. But the way they play with their confidence, anything can happen.”

The Bucs have shifted their focus from settling for outside shots to working the ball inside. Over the last four games, Barry is averaging 25.5 points in the paint. For a team that is scoring 69.9 points per game, that accounts for 36.4 percent of the Bucs’ offense, which doesn’t take into account points from the free throw line or field goals outside the lane.

Sophomore power forward Magne Fivelstad is averaging 18.7 points over his last three games. Senior small forward Filip Toric is averaging 12 points over his past four games. Sophomore forward Damien Dwaine is scoring 6.3 points over his last four games.

“We’re going to have to establish an inside presence,” Saunders said. “Magne has given us an inside presence. He’s a guy who can post up, a guy who can get to the free throw line. Really, a lot of our problems early in the year was our lack of an inside presence. The thing for Magne is he’s so unselfish. We almost had to force him to take shots. He’ll do whatever the team needs.

“Teams are doing that to us. They’re wearing us down. We’ve got to do that them.”

Senior guard Vlad Raymonvil was inserted into the starting lineup the last couple games. He’s coming off a season-high 13 points in Saturday’s loss to Eckerd.

“Vlad gives us another ball handler,” Saunders said. “He gives us some more security. On defense, Vladimir’s been here for four years. He knows what we expect. He’s a Barry guy.”

With four games remaining, the Buccaneers don’t have any margin for error the rest of the way. Especially if they want to finish with a winning record and gain a better seed in the league tournament.

“For us, it’s a must-win game,” Saunders said. “It’s a game that will help us gain momentum for the last three games of the conference season.”

WATCH THE GAMES

WOMEN'S LIVE STATS

MEN'S LIVE STATS

MEN'S GAME NOTES

LAST TIME OUT: Barry lost 71-66 to Eckerd at home Saturday night ...
Magne Fivelstad had 18 points, and Vlad Raymonvil had 13.

SERIES RECORD: Barry is 20-4 all-time vs. Palm Beach Atlantic ... The
Bucs won the first meeting in OT in West Palm Beach earlier this year ...
Last year, the two teams split during the regular season.

EYES ON OPPONENT: The Sailfish have lost 20 in a row ... During that
span, PBA has taken three teams to overtime -- the closest loss a five-point
setback to Barry ... Marcus Hardy is averaging 15.8 ppg and 6.9 reb ...
Christian Martinez is averaging 12.7 ppg and shooting 87.7 percent from
the free throw line ... Dante Valentine is averaging 12.1 ppg and 5.6 reb.

MAGNE-FIVED: Soph. F Magne Fivelstad has sunk 10 free throws in
each of his last two games ... He had hit 18 straight free throws over a
three-game stretch before missing a pair Saturday ... Fivelstad is shooting
.808 from the line, which leads the team ... He has scored in double figures
in three straight games.

TORIC TO 10: Barry Sr. F Filip Toric has scored in double figures in
seven straight games ... He leads the team with three double-doubles ...
Toric is third on the team in scoring at 10.0 ppg.

VLAD CHASING HISTORY: Barry Sr. G Vladimir Raymonvil ranks
second all-time in school history in free throw percentage (.820) in his four
years with the Bucs ... Brent Williams (1991-93) owns the top spot at .824.
percent ... Raymonvil is 100-for-122 all-time at the stripe ... He has not
attempted a free throw in his last three games ... Raymonvil is coming off a
season-high 13 points Saturday.

VAN COTT IN THE BOOKS: Barry Sr. G Bryan Van Cott ranks fifth
all-time at Barry in free throw shooting at 79.1 percent ... He is 18th among
career leaders in three-pointers made (74), one behind teammate Chad
Renfro (75).

ASSIST-ANCE NEEDED: Barry is averaging 12.2 assists, but is turning the
ball over 15.3 times per game.

SSC TICKETS: Buy your tickets for the Sunshine State Conference tournament in Kissimmee, Fla., Mar. 6-10 at Silver Spurs Arena ... Contact associate athletics director Jamie Carrig at 305-899-4823 or jcarrig@mail.barry.edu to purchase tickets.

Men's Basketball Falls to Eckerd, 71-66

Sat, 16 Feb 2013 23:30:00 GMT

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Barry University men's basketball team lost to Eckerd, 71-66, Saturday night.

The Buccaneers sparked a second-half comeback to take a lead, but the Tritons came up with the knockout blow to finish things off in the final five minutes.

Barry dropped to 10-12 overall, 4-9 in the Sunshine State Conference. Eckerd improved to 15-6 overall, 8-5 in the league.

The Buccaneers trailed by 14 with 13:11 remaining in the first half when Junior McLeod's dunk gave the Tritons an 18-4 lead. Barry cut it to eight twice on a three-point play by Magne Fivelstad at the 3:34 mark and a pair of free throws by Justin McCoy with 17 seconds remaining in the half.

Barry, whose bench was outscored, 17-5, opened the second half with a 7-0 surge on a triple by Vlad Raymonvil, basket by McCoy and two free throws by Fivelstad to trim Eckerd's lead to 33-30. The Tritons pushed it back to 37-32 on McLeod's basket before Aaron Martin canned a triple to pull the Bucs within two.

Filip Toric's three-pointer tied the game at 41-41 at the 12:14 mark. Jerrick Stevenson answered for the Tritons to reclaim the lead for Eckerd, but Raymonvil's three put the Bucs back in front, 44-43 with 11:10 left on the clock. Toric hit a jumper to give Barry its largest lead, 46-43, but Eckerd regained control, 47-46, when Darrien Mack scored at the 8:46 mark.

Fivelstad, who went 10-for-12 from the line and finished with 18 points, four assists and five rebounds, sank two free throws with 7:43 to go to give Barry a 49-47 lead. Alex Bodney sank a pair of free throws to tie the game at 49-49, and Mack scored to put the Tritons ahead by two. Raymonvil hit a jumper in the paint to knot the game up for a fourth time, 51-51, with 6:35 remaining.

Eckerd went ahead, 55-51, on two Stevenson free throws. E.J. Moody hit a triple to push the Tritons lead to six before Raymonvil buried another three to pull the Bucs within three at the 2:21 mark. Toric's bucket kept Barry within three, 63-60, a minute later. But Eckerd sank six free throws down the stretch to hold off the Buccaneers.

Barry was 22 of 55 from the field for 40 percent. Eckerd went 22 of 45 for 48.9 percent. The Tritons were 3-for-10 from long range. The Bucs were 7 of 21.

Eckerd outscored Barry, 32-22, in the paint. The Tritons outrebounded Barry, 36-26. Eckerd committed 21 turnovers, while the Bucs had 15.

Mack had 30 points and 13 rebounds, and Bodney scored 13 for the Tritons.

Toric had 14 points, seven boards and two steals. Raymonvil had 13 points and four steals. McCoy had 12 points and two steals.

Barry hosts Palm Beach Atlantic on homecoming night Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. Fall student-athletes with a 4.0 grade point average will be honored that night. The Miami Heat dancers will also be on hand.

BOX SCORE

Men's Basketball Hosts Eckerd Saturday Night

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 18:38:00 GMT

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Barry University men's basketball team hosts Eckerd in a big Sunshine State Conference game 7:30 p.m. Saturday night at Health & Sports Center.

The Buccaneers (10-11, 4-8 SSC) are coming off a four-point win on the road at Lynn Wednesday. But Barry lost to the Tritons (14-6, 7-5) in St. Petersburg by 12 earlier last month.

"The post players this game are going to have their hands full," Barry's Damien Dwaine said, alluding to Eckerd's muscle inside.

Eckerd's Darrien Mack leads the Tritons in scoring at 17.4 points per game, and leads the conference in rebounding at 7.8 boards per game. He is shooting 52.8 percent from the floor, and is averaging 2.2 steals per game. Mack has four double-doubles this season. In the first game against the Bucs, Mack scored 24 points and had seven rebounds. Malcolm Brunner Jr. had 17 points and 12 boards.

So how can Barry contain that?

"Team defense is what it comes down to," said Dwaine, who is averaging 6 points and 4.7 rebounds.

Eckerd ranks 35th in the nation in free throw shooting at 74.6 percent. Barry is 45th at 73.8 percent. Eckerd's Alex Bodney is shooting 86.7 percent from the stripe, which ranks 29th in the nation.

Barry led by as many as 10 points late in the first half in the first meeting this season, but the Tritons shot 52 percent in the second half, and Barry hit just 7 of 33 field goals in the final 20 minutes.

"We've got to get on a roll," Dwaine said. "We're hungry. We still know that we haven't done anything that we expected to. We've underachieved.

"The energy that we had in practice the two days before the Lynn game was great, and the energy we've had since that game has been great."

On a weekend when alumni are returning to campus to set up homecoming week, a win over the Tritons would be huge.

"I think it's a statement game just to show that we can get back on track," Dwaine said.

Watch the game on the Bucs Broadcast Network. Mike Laderman will handle the call. Follow the game via LIVE STATS.

GAME NOTES

LAST TIME OUT: Barry ended a three-game losing streak with a 65-61 win at Lynn Wednesday ... Justin McCoy had 23 pts ... Magne Fivelstad had 20.

SERIES RECORD: Barry is 21-39 all-time vs. Eckerd ... The Bucs lost the first meeting between the two teams earlier this year in St. Petersburg ... Barry won two of three meetings last year vs. the Tritons.

EYES ON OPPONENT: The Tritons are coming off a 71-65 win at Tampa Wednesday ... Darrien Mack scored his 1,000th career point Wednesday ... He leads the Tritons in scoring (17.2) and is the SSC’s leading rebounder (7.8) ... Alex Bodney is averaging 11. 9 ppg ... Woody Taylor is second in the SSC in assists at 5.1 per game.

TRIPLE TROUBLES: Barry and Eckerd rank eighth and ninth, respectively in the SSC in three-point field goal percentage ... Barry is shooting 32.3 percent ... Eckerd is shooting 31.5 percent.

McCOY INTO 20-SOMETHING: Barry Sr. G Justin McCoy has scored over 20 points five times this year ... He’s reached double figures in 19 of the 21 games.

TORIC TIME: Barry Sr. F Filip Toric has scored in double figures in six straight games ... He leads the team with three double-doubles ... He ranks second in the SSC in rebounds (7.3) with a career-high of 14 boards at NAIA nationally-ranked St. Thomas earlier this season ... He leads the SSC in defensive rebounds (5.9).

FREE THROW FRENZY: Soph. F Magne Fivelstad sank all 10 free throws in Wednesday’s win at Lynn ... His performance matched Bryan Van Cott’s 10-for-10 against Florida Tech in January ... The school record is 14-for-14 by Calix N’Diaye on Feb. 12, 2005 at Florida Southern.

RENFRO’s SWEET 17: Barry Sr. G Chad Renfro is the school’s 17th best career three-point shooter ... He ranks 17th in three categories: triples made (75), triples attempted (225) and three-point percentage (.333).

VLAD CHASING HISTORY: Barry Sr. G Vladimir Raymonvil ranks second all-time in school history in free throw percentage (.820) in his four years with the Bucs ... Brent Williams (1991-93) owns the top spot at .824.

Men's Basketball Alumni Game to be Broadcast Tonight

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 17:23:00 GMT

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Barry University men's basketball team will host its annual alumni game at 7:30 p.m. tonight.

The alumni game will be broadcast on the Bucs Broadcast Network. Jamie Carrig will handle the call.

As many as 25 former players are expected to return to Barry University for alumni weekend.

Barry's alumni game is the kickoff to homecoming week at the university. Barry's basketball teams will host Eckerd beginning with the women's Pink Out game at 5:30 p.m. Saturday night. The men's game will follow at 7:30 p.m.

Tune in to Friday night's alumni game and the women's and men's games Saturday on the Bucs Broadcast Network.

Men's Basketball Halts 3-Game Skid at Lynn

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 22:22:00 GMT

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Barry University men’s basketball team snapped a three-game losing streak, winning for the third time this season on Lynn’s home floor.
 
Barry beat host Lynn, 65-61, Wednesday night, at de Hornle Center. It was the Buccaneers first win over Lynn this year, but their third on the court. Barry also won a pair of close games at Lynn in a pre-Christmas tournament.
 
The win moved Barry within a game of the .500 mark with five regular season games remaining.
 
Justin McCoy scored 23 points, and Magne Fivelstad had a career-high 20 points, six rebounds and two steals for the Bucs (10-11, 4-8 SSC).
 
Fivelstad sank two free throws with 22 seconds left to give the Buccaneers a five-point lead before Pavle Raickovic’s putback with 17 seconds left made it a one-possession game. But McCoy sank two free throws to push the lead back to five.  

Filip Toric had 11 points and four rebounds for Barry, which shot 17 of 47 from the field. Lynn was 21 of 48.
 
Raickovic scored with 3:58 remaining to tie the game at 50-50. McCoy knocked down a triple to put Barry ahead 56-51 with 2:15 left. Lynn’s Kaleb Clyburn hit a triple to bring the Fighting Knights within two. Damien Dwaine sank two free throws with 37 seconds remaining to push Barry’s lead back to four.
 
The Bucs were 28 of 32 from the free throw line. Lynn was 10 of 15.
 
Toric hit a jumper to put the Buccaneers ahead, 32-29, early in the second half. McCoy sank three free throws with over 15:00 left to give Barry a five-point lead. Clyburn sank a triple to tie the game at 39-39 with 9:53 to play. Toric scored on a putback to give the Buccaneers a 45-44 lead with 7:10 to play.
 
Barry trailed 25-23 at halftime. The Bucs were 0 of 9 from three-point range in the first half. Lynn committed eight first-half turnovers, while Barry had just one.
 
The Buccaneers bench was outscored, 34-6.

BARRY 65, LYNN 61
BARRY (10-11, 4-8 SSC)
McCOY, Justin 5-10 10-12 23; FIVELSTAD, Magne 5-9 10-10 20; TORIC, Filip 4-8
3-4 11; DWAINE, Damien 1-4 3-4 5; RENFRO, Chad 1-6 2-2 4; VAN COTT, Bryan
1-4 0-0 2; NAUGHTON, Garrett 0-0 0-0 0; MARTIN, Aaron 0-2 0-0 0; RAYMONVIL,
Vladimir 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 17-47 28-32 65.
LYNN (11-11, 3-9 SSC)
CLYBURN, Kaleb 4-9 3-4 14; SMITH, Brandon 4-6 2-2 13; LAMPKIN, Jeremy 5-8
1-1 12; RAICKOVIC, Pavle 4-7 0-1 8; OHEN, Kevin 2-3 2-4 7; AKINS, Shamel 1-9
2-3 4; MILJANIC, Slobodan 1-4 0-0 3; SCHOLL, Dante 0-0 0-0 0; THOMAS,
Herbert 0-1 0-0 0; OXENDINE, Jerrell 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 21-48 10-15 61.
Barry......................... 23 42 - 65
Lynn.......................... 25 36 - 61
3-point goals--Barry 3-14 (McCOY, Justin 3-5; TORIC, Filip 0-1; RENFRO, Chad
0-3; VAN COTT, Bryan 0-1; MARTIN, Aaron 0-1; RAYMONVIL, Vladimir 0-3), Lynn
9-22 (CLYBURN, Kaleb 3-7; SMITH, Brandon 3-5; OHEN, Kevin 1-1; LAMPKIN,
Jeremy 1-2; MILJANIC, Slobodan 1-4; AKINS, Shamel 0-3). Fouled
out--Barry-None, Lynn-None. Rebounds--Barry 29 (FIVELSTAD, Magne 6), Lynn 30
(OHEN, Kevin 5). Assists--Barry 4 (TORIC, Filip 2), Lynn 12 (CLYBURN, Kaleb
5). Total fouls--Barry 14, Lynn 23. Technical fouls--Barry-None, Lynn-None.
A-377

Men's Basketball Heads to Lynn Wednesday

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 18:33:00 GMT

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Magne Fivelstad has been turning it up a notch. He hopes his Barry University men's basketball team follows suit.

Barry (9-11, 3-8 Sunshine State Conference) plays at Lynn (11-10, 3-8) at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in Boca Raton. Both teams are seeking better seeds in the postseason conference tournament. That means both teams are desperate for wins over the last three weeks of the season.

Barry's men's game follows the women's game, which begins at 5:30 p.m. in the de Hornle Center.

"We're two teams that are in the same position who have underachieved," Fivelstad said. "We just got to go out and win games."

Fivelstad is shooting 67.8 percent over his last six games. He made his first two career three-pointers and scored a career-high 18 points at No. 29 Saint Leo Saturday. But all of that means nothing if the Buccaneers aren't winning. Currently, Barry is mired in a three-game losing skid, matching its longest lull of the season.

The Buccaneers lost the first game to Lynn this season in Miami Shores, 71-66. That didn't sit well with the Bucs.

"It makes us even more hungry for a a win," Fivelstad said. "Lynn is a team that plays with great energy, and we have to match that."

Fivelstad made his debut on Lynn's court in the Courtyard by Marriott Holiday Classic, where the Buccaneers won two games during the high point of the season. Since that time, Barry has gone 4-8 to fall two games below the .500 mark. Now he and the Bucs are going back to the court where they tasted victory twice this season.

A win over the Fighting Knights would set up nicely for a two-game stretch at home beginning 7:30 p.m. Saturday night when the Buccaneers host Eckerd.

Barry's alumni basketball game is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday at Health & Sports Center.

Watch the Lynn game by clicking HERE. Follow the game via LIVE STATS.

NOTES

LAST TIME OUT: Barry fell, 65-52, on the road to No. 29 Saint Leo ... Filip Toric had 12 pts, 12 reb ... Magne Fivelstad had career-best 18 pts.

SERIES RECORD: Barry is 17-23 all-time against Lynn ... The Fighting Knights won the first meeting between the two teams this year ... Barry’s last win at Lynn during the regular season was Feb. 25, 2009 (W 55-50).

EYES ON OPPONENT: The Fighting Knights are coming off a road win at Tampa Saturday to end a three-game losing skid ... Shamel Akins leads the Knights in scoring (10.6) ... Kaleb Clyburn is averaging 9.8 ppg ... Slobodan Miljanic is averaging 9.5 ppg and 5.0 reb ... Pavle Raickovic is averaging 9.6 ppg and 6.5 reb.

FIGHTING UPHILL CLIMB: Barry and Lynn are tied for ninth in the SSC ... Both are battling to get out of the conference basement ... The eighth and ninth place teams play the first round game at the SSC Tournament in Kissimmee, Fla., March 6 at Silver Spurs Arena.

FREE THROW FORUM: Lynn leads the conference in free throw shooting at 75.1 percent ... Barry is fourth at 72.9.

McCOY’s STREAK SNAPPED AT 18: Barry Sr. G Justin McCoy had his double figures streak snapped at 18 straight games Saturday at Saint Leo.

TORIC TIME: Barry Sr. F Filip Toric has scored in double figures in five straight games ... He has recorded three straight double-doubles ... He ranks second in the SSC in rebounds (7.5) with a career-high of 14 boards at NAIA nationally-ranked St. Thomas earlier this season ... He leads the SSC in defensive rebounds (6.1).

RAYMONVIL MILESTONE MARK: Barry Sr. G Vladimir Raymonvil sank his 100th career free throw at Barry last week ... He ranks second all-time in school history in free throw percentage (.820) in his four years with the Bucs ... Brent Williams (1991-93) owns the top spot at 82.4 percent ... Raymonvil is 100-for-122 all-time at the stripe.

BERGEN BUCKET MAKER: Soph. F Magne Fivelstad (Bergen, Norway) is shooting 67.8 percent from the field over his last six games ... Fivelstad is 21 of 31 from the floor in that stretch ... He scored a career-best 18 points at Saint Leo Saturday, hitting his first two career three-pointers.

McCoy, Toric Rank in Men's Basketball Report

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 10:48:00 GMT

Barry University men's basketball players Justin McCoy and Filip Toric rank among the nation's top non-Division I players in the country, according to a report produced by Breitbart Sports.

McCoy, a 5-10 senior guard from Columbia, Md., is the 451-rated player in the country at the current time. Toric, a 6-7 senior from Zagreb, Croatia, ranks 777.

The report, compiled by John Pudner, takes into consideration different statistical categories and is compiled in a formula used by www.valueaddbasketball.com. The report is figured on a per-game basis. Breitbart Sports hopes to continue to run the report for non-Division I players.

The full report can be seen HERE.

Bucs Men's Hoops Fall at No. 29 Saint Leo

Sat, 09 Feb 2013 18:58:00 GMT

SAINT LEO, Fla. – Barry followed the pattern that has unfolded most of the year.

For a half, the Buccaneers have proven they are one of the league’s best teams. But in what has become routine, the Bucs let it get away in the second half in a 65-52 loss at No. 29 Saint Leo Saturday at the Bowman Center.

The Bucs fell two games under .500 after getting outscored, 37-24, in the second half.

Barry (9-11, 3-8 Sunshine State Conference) trailed 42-31 after Saint Leo’s Trent Thomas hit a three from the corner with 10:12 to play. Bryan Van Cott buried a triple to pull the Buccaneers within 10 with just over nine minutes left. But the Lions pushed the lead to 12.

Magne Fivelstad’s hit a jumper on a kick-out from Filip Toric, and then a triple by the Croatian senior cut Saint Leo’s lead to nine with 5:22.

Saint Leo bumped its lead to 55-39, but Van Cott hit a three, and Toric buried a turnaround baseline jumper to bring the Buccaneers within 55-44 with 2:10 to go.

The Buccaneers shot 36.2 percent from the floor, going 17 of 47. The Lions (17-4, 9-2) were 21 of 52 for 40.4 percent. Barry outrebounded Saint Leo, 35-32.A

Toric finished with his third straight double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Fivelstad scored a career-high 18 points, had seven boards, a block and a steal. Thomas had 19 points, and Tom Neary 13 for Saint Leo.

Barry’s 52 points were the second lowest all season.

Van Cott buried a three-pointer from the wing as the Buccaneers built a 17-7 lead in the first half. Saint Leo raced back, using a 14-4 run to tie the game at 21-21 with 6:02 to play in the first half. Damien Dwaine’s two free throws tied the game at 28-28 with 2:15 to play before the first half buzzer.

Fivelstad scored 11 points in the first half on 3-for-3 shooting from the field, including a triple. Dwaine finished with six points, seven boards.

The Buccaneers were 8 of 21 in the first half. The Lions shot 11-for-25 from the field.

TIP-INS: Saint Leo donated the proceeds from the game and raffle to the Cesar Odio Leukemia Foundation. Barry 18-year head coach Cesar Odio is battling leukemia for the second time.

BOX SCORE

Men's Basketball Plays at No. 29 Saint Leo Saturday

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 19:04:00 GMT

SAINT LEO, Fla. -- Vlad Raymonvil had no idea he had just hit a milestone.

"No," Raymonvil said. "I mean, I knew I was up there ..."

A senior from Miami, Raymonvil sank his 100th career free throw Wednesday against No. 8 Florida Southern. He ranks second all-time in free throw shooting percentage at 82.0 in his four-year Buccaneer career. Brent Williams (1990-93) currently ranks first all-time at 82.4 percent from the line. Raymonvil has seven regular season games and one guaranteed postseason game to become the school's all-time leader at the line.

Nick Ellingsworth-Perez holds the school record for free throws made at 300, but Raymonvil and Williams are tops when it comes to percentage from the stripe. Fellow senior Bryan Van Cott ranks fifth all-time with a 79.1 career mark from the stripe.

"It's definitely a great accomplishment, but if I had to pick between that and making the (NCAA) Tournament, I'd take going to the tournament any day," Raymonvil said.

Barry's quest to get on tournament track continues 4 p.m. Saturday as the Buccaneers play at No. 29 Saint Leo in the longest bus trip of the season. The Buccaneers (9-10, 3-7 Sunshine State Conference) lost, 84-79, to the Lions (16-4, 8-2) in double overtime on Jan. 12 in Miami Shores.

Watch the game by clicking HERE. Follow the game via LIVE STATS.

The Bucs sit in seventh place in the SSC. The Lions are a game out of first place. The eighth and ninth seeds will play each other in a play-in game at the SSC Tournament at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, Fla., March 6. The tournament finals will be decided Mar. 9.

Barry overcame a 13-point lead against the Lions in the first meeting, sending the game into two extra periods when they shot over 50 percent after the first half. Saint Leo's Marcus Ruh had 22 points, and Jerrel Harris had 21 in that game. Barry's Magne Fivelstad had a career-high 17 points and pulled down eight boards against the Lions.

Yet the Bucs let the game slip away in the second overtime after Chad Renfro's jumper with three minutes left put Barry ahead by one. Saint Leo used a 10-4 run over the final 2:42 to win.

"We're ready for this game," Raymonvil said. "We felt we should've won that (first) game, but we kind of gave it up. We're definitely prepared. Mentally and physically, we're trying to bounce back from a loss. We just have to play for 40 minutes. The second half we kind of deviate from the game plan. Just mental lapses that add up.

"We feel pretty good. The good thing about playing at Barry is that we get to travel the night before the game, and get some rest. We feel good about our game plan. They're a great team. We respect the teams in the SSC. But we think it's about time that we start turning the corner and make a run toward the postseason."

GAME NOTES

LAST TIME OUT: Barry fell, 98-78, to No. 8 Florida Southern Wednesday
... Justin McCoy had 18 points ... Filip Toric had 11 points, 11 rebounds, six assists.

SERIES RECORD: Barry is 26-31 all-time against Saint Leo ... Barry lost
the fi rst meeting between the two schools in double OT earlier this year
in Miami Shores ... Th e Bucs lost both meetings to the Lions last year ...
Barry’s last win over Saint Leo (74-59) was Jan. 26, 2011 in Miami Shores.

EYES ON OPPONENT: Th e Lions are one game behind Florida Southern
for fi rst place in the SSC ... Saint Leo is riding a four-game win streak ...
Marcus Ruh is second in the league in scoring (18.4) ... Shaun Adams is
third in the SSC in rebounds (6.8) ... Jerrel Harris is tied for seventh in the
conference in scoring (15.3) ... Ruh had 22 points, and Harris scored 21 in
the fi rst meeting this season.

REBOUNDING RETROSPECT: Saint Leo leads the SSC in defensive
rebounds (26.0) ... Barry is third at 25.5 ... However, both teams rank at the
bottom of the league in rebounding margin ... Saint Leo is eighth (-0.5) and
Barry is ninth (-0.6), meaning both are being outrebounded by opponents.

McCOY’s STREAK AT 18: Barry Sr. G Justin McCoy has scored in double
fi gures in 18 straight games ... He has scored in double fi gures in every
game but the season opener when he had nine points ... McCoy scored
over 20 points in four games this year, which included a career-high 29 vs.
Lynn on Jan. 9 ... He had 15 against Saint Leo earlier this year.

DWAINE DOWN WITH DOUBLES: Soph. F Damien Dwaine has
scored in double fi gures in three of the past four games ... He’s bumped his
scoring average up to 6.1 ppg.

RAYMONVIL MILESTONE MARK: Barry Sr. G Vladimir Raymonvil
sank his 100th career free throw at Barry Wednesday ... He ranks second
all-time in school history in free throw percentage (.820) in his four years
with the Bucs ... Brent Williams (1991-93) owns the top spot at 82.4 percent
... Raymonvil is 100-for-122 all-time at the stripe.

TORIC TIME: Barry Sr. F Filip Toric has scored in double fi gures in four
straight games ... He has recorded back-to-back double-doubles ... He
ranks second in the SSC in rebounds (7.2) with a career-high of 14 boards
at NAIA nationally-ranked St. Th omas earlier this season.

No. 8 Florida Southern Sinks Men's Basketball

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 22:21:00 GMT

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Barry ran into a hot team. There's not much else you can say.

No. 8 Florida Southern won its eighth straight game, beating the host Buccaneers, 98-78, Wednesday night at Health & Sports Center. It was the highest nationally-ranked team the Bucs (9-10, 3-7 Sunshine State Conference) have met since 2007 when they played No. 2 Grand Valley State at the Disney East Tip-Off Classic in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Florida Southern, which ranks seventh in the country in scoring, scored over 90 points for the seventh straight game on 34 of 66 field goal shooting. The Moccasins (17-2, 9-1) were 14 of 28 from beyond the arc for 50 percent from long range.

"Florida Southern's trained to play that way," Buccaneers assistant coach Ryan Saunders said of the up-tempo pace the Mocs run. "We knew it was going to be tough. We wanted to play that way. I just don't think we have the horses that they do. For most of the first half, we tried to slow down the pace, but we just missed a lot of easy ones. Give them credit. They play at a high pace, and we dug ourselves a hole. That's how they play. They make you make plays. We just didn't do that early when we needed to keep contact, keep it close. Then in the second half, they just kind of ran away with it."

Barry's Justin McCoy, who scored 18 points, hit a three-pointer at the 11:51 mark in the first half to tie the game at 15-15. But the Bucs never led in the game.

The Mocs led by as many as 13 in the first half. Bucs forward Magne Fivelstad sank a pair of free throws at the 16:05 mark in the second half as Barry cut it to nine, but that's as close as it would get. Florida Southern, which outproduced the Buccaneers in bench points, 41-12, built an 18-point lead with 6:45 remaining. Vladimir Raymonvil's layup with 3:05 to go helped Barry cut it to 15, but the Mocs outscored the Bucs, 12-7, the rest of the way.

The Buccaneers shot a paltry 5 of 22 from three-point range. Barry outscored Florida Southern, 44-36, in the paint. The Moccasins converted 21 Bucs turnovers into 25 points. The Buccaneers were outrebounded, 41-38.

Five players scored in double figures for Florida Southern. Cameron Vines had 20 points and 11 rebounds, and Seth Evans finished with 19 points and nine assists for the Mocs.

Barry's Chad Renfro went 6 of 12 from the field, finishing with 15 points and four rebounds. Filip Toric had 11 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and two blocks. He was 5 of 7 from the floor. Damien Dwaine had 10 points, eight boards and a block.

Barry plays at Saint Leo Saturday.

"The conference doesn't get any easier," Saunders said. "We've got to go on the road to Saint Leo. We've got the longest trip of the year. They're playing good basketball. They're one of the best teams in the league. But we just got to try to motivate our guys, try to get them to rise to the occasion."

BOX SCORE

Bucs Men's Basketball Host No. 8 Mocs Wednesday

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 21:22:00 GMT

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- The way Orlando Gonzalez sees it, this is a high-stakes challenge his team awaits.

Barry University men's basketball team hosts No. 8 Florida Southern 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Health & Sports Center. Will Sanchez will handle the call on the Bucs Broadcast Network. The men's game will follow the women's game against FSC, which tips off at 5:30 p.m.

The Moccasins (16-2, 8-1 Sunshine State Conference) are the highest nationally-ranked team the Buccaneers (9-9, 3-6) will have played since meeting No. 2 Grand Valley State on Nov. 11, 2007 in the Disney East Tip-Off Classic in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The Mocs are also the highest-ranked team on the schedule this season.

"We look at this as an opportunity," said Gonzalez, who is serving as Barry's acting head coach this year. "It's an opportunity to play a ranked team, a very good team. They're No. 8 in the country for a reason. It's going to be a reality check to where we are at this point in the year. They're extremely good."

Barry lost the first meeting to Florida Southern, 96-70, in Lakeland on Jan. 5. The Mocs are ranked seventh in the country in scoring at 87.1 points per game. The Bucs are scoring and giving up 70.9 ppg. FSC is the only team this year that has scored over 84 points on the Buccaneers.

The Mocs lead the league in forced turnovers, having created an average of 20.9 per game. Barry is committing 15.6 per game.

"Their pressure defense is extreme," Gonzalez said. "If we can take care of the basketball, and we can make them work defensively, I think we can slow them down. You've got to make them expend energy."

The Buccaneers felt they let their last game get away Saturday's two-point loss at Florida Tech after shooting 50.8 percent from the floor -- the second-best shooting percentage they've had all year. Barry turned it over 22 times in the loss, however, in large part due to the Panthers' 1-2-2 trapping defense.

"We did not prepare for it because they have not done it all year," Gonzalez said. "The guys just didn't do the basic things to handle that press. When a team plays like that, you can't run anything. You've got to attack. You've got to make quick decisions. We just found a way to give that game away. We didn't defend the way we needed to."

Florida Tech's 83 points were the most the Bucs allowed since giving up 84 on Dec. 14 to St. Thomas, which has been ranked as high as No. 4 in NAIA Division II this season.

Barry's last win over Florida Southern was a 77-55 victory in Miami Shores on Jan. 8, 2011. The last time the Bucs beat a ranked Florida Southern team was Mar. 13, 2010 -- a 64-59 win in the first round of the NCAA Divisino II National Tournament in Russellville, Ark., when the Moccasins were No. 13 in the nation. Barry also beat the Mocs a week earlier, 79-61, in the SSC Tournament semifinals when they were No. 12 in the country.

So what would it mean to do it this time?

"I think it'd be a game-changer because I think the biggest thing about our team is we need confidence," Gonzalez said. "If you win a game like this, it'd tell our guys we can play with anybody in the conference and anybody in the nation.

"But you want to develop over the course of the season. Eventually, you want to peak come tournament time. We just got to keep working and stay positive. I think our best basketball is ahead of us."

LIVE VIDEO

LIVE STATS

GAME NOTES

LAST TIME OUT: Barry lost at Florida Tech, 83-81, on the road Saturday.

SERIES RECORD: Barry is 14-43 all-time against Florida Southern ... The
Bucs’ last win against FSC came on Jan. 8, 2011 when Barry beat the Mocs,
77-55, at home ... Four Buccaneers scored in double figures in the first
game at Florida Southern this year, a 96-70 loss.

EYES ON OPPONENT: Florida Southern is riding a league-best seven-game
winning streak ... The Mocs are the highest scoring team in the
league at 87.1 ppg ... They are outscoring teams by 13.2 ppg, which also
leads the SSC ... Dominic Lane leads FSC in scoring (15.6 ppg) which
ranks sixth in the conference, is tops on the team in rebounding (6.5) ...
Seth Evans, who had 21 points against Barry in the first game, is averaging
14.8 ppg, which is tied for 10th in the league ... Kevin Capers is scoring
11.9 and shooting 80.7 percent from the free throw line ... Brett Bailey,
who had 20 points and seven boards in the first game against the Bucs, is
averaging 11.4 ppg and 5.4 reb.

SCORING IN BUNCHES: Florida Southern, which ranks seventh in the
country in scoring, has put up 91 points or more in its past six games, two
of which have been on the road ... Barry has allowed 70.8 ppg over its past
six games.

RANKED OPPONENTS: The Mocs are the highest-ranked team Barry
has played since meeting No. 2 Grand Valley St. on Nov. 11, 2007 at the
Disney East Tip-off Classic in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. ... Wednesday’s game
marks the third time Barry will have played an opponent that was ranked
on the day of the game this year ... This marks the sixth game Barry will
have played against a team that’s been ranked at some point this season ...
St. Thomas (NAIA), Saint Leo and Rollins have all had rankings this year.

McCOY’s STREAK AT 17: Barry Sr. G Justin McCoy has scored in double
fi gures in 17 straight games ... He has scored in double figures in every
game but the season opener when he had nine points ... McCoy scored
over 20 points in four games this year, which included a career-high 29 vs.
Lynn on Jan. 9.

DWAINE DROPPING DOUBLES: Soph. F Damien Dwaine has scored
in double figures in two of the past three games ... He has reached double
figures in four games this season.

Barry University Wants Your Feedback!

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 11:45:00 GMT

Barry University is participating in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). Barry receives a report on all feedback that is provided by our students, so we want to hear from you! Look for the “Barry University Wants Your Feedback” email in your student email account.

To thank you for your time, all Barry students who complete the survey will be entered into a drawing to win a new Apple iPad Mini or one of four gift cards with a value of $50 each. The drawing will be held on April 30, 2013, and the winner will be notified through their student email account.

Men's Basketball Tripped up at Tech

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 18:27:00 GMT

MELBOURNE, Fla. – Down the wire it went with a chance to tie and set up overtime again. But this time, lady luck wasn’t on the Buccaneers’ side.

Barry lost 83-81 at Florida Tech Saturday in an up-and-down game with a frenzied pace.

Florida Tech (8-10, 2-7 Sunshine State Conference) took a 75-74 lead with 3:35 left on the clock when Jermaine Jackson scored on a three-point play. Barry senior forward Filip Toric sank two free throws after Florida Tech coach Billy Mims received his second technical foul in less than a minute to give the Bucs a 77-75 lead with 2:25 to go.

Jackson hit a three-pointer to put the Panthers up, 78-77, before Bucs senior guard Chad Renfro scored on a cutting lay-in off a feed from sophomore forward Magne Fivelstad to push the Bucs (9-9, 3-6) back ahead by one. Florida Tech’s Chris Carter scored to give the Panthers an 80-79 lead with 35 seconds left.

Terrance Tubbs sank two free throws before Fivelstad hit a baseline jumper to pull the Buccaneers within 82-81. Jackson split a pair from the free throw line with eight seconds remaining. But Barry couldn’t convert on its last possession, and the host Panthers escaped in a nerve-tested game.

Buccaneers senior guard Justin McCoy scored 21 points to extend his double figures streak to 17 straight games. He added four assists. Toric had 15 points, 10 boards, four assists, two steals and a block. Jackson scored 28 points, and Carter added 24 points, nine steals and four assists.

Barry shot 50.8 percent from the field, going 30-for-59. Florida Tech was 32-for-66 for 48.5 percent. The Bucs were an uncharacteristic 13-for-21 from the free throw line. The Panthers were 12-for-18. Barry turned it over 22 times, in large part due to Florida Tech's pressure defense, which came away with 16 steals. Tech had 14 turnovers.

Sophomore forward Damien Dwaine scored on a tip-in in the paint to give Barry a 50-44 lead less than two minutes into the second half. Dwaine then fooled everyone on a beautiful fake when he prepared to hand the ball off to McCoy, while initiating a baseline feed. But when both Tech defenders followed McCoy around the wing, Dwaine turned baseline and drove in for an uncontested lay-in to give Barry an eight-point lead.

Florida Tech erased that, taking a 64-58 lead on a Tubbs three-pointer with 11:30 to go. McCoy buried a three from the corner as Barry capped a 9-3 run to tie the game, 67-67, with eight minutes left.

Dwaine finished with 14 points and two steals. Renfro had 10 points, five rebounds and three assists. Martin scored eight points and had six rebounds, three on the offensive end. Fivelstad went 5 of 9 from the floor, finishing with 10 points, seven boards, four assists and a block.

Barry trailed by as many as nine midway through the first half, but closed the half with a 17-7 surge over the final 4:45, taking a two-point lead into the break.

McCoy was 8 of 12 from the field. Toric went 4 of 5 from the floor, including 2 of 3 from beyond the arc. Dwaine was 6 of 8 from the floor.

TIP-IN: Florida Tech presented Barry acting head coach Orlando Gonzalez with a check for $727 for the Cesar Odio Leukemia Foundation. Odio, the Bucs head coach for the past 18 years, is battling leukemia for the second time.

BOX SCORE

Barry Men's Basketball Off to Melbourne

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 21:17:00 GMT

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Fresh off back-to-back wins, this team isn't getting giddy.

"We still have a long ways to go," Barry senior guard Chad Renfro said. "The last win was good, but I'll be more satisfied when we get three wins in a row, and then after that ... four."

The Buccaneers enter the second half of Sunshine State Conference play 4 p.m. Saturday at Florida Tech. Barry (9-8, 3-5 SSC) beat Florida Tech (7-10, 1-7) in overtime on Jan. 2 in Miami Shores. And while the Panthers have lost four straight, they came within six points of knocking off league leader Florida Southern, which is ranked No. 9 in the country. And they suffered a pair of three-point losses during that stretch.

"Especially playing in their place, we just have to come out and play harder than they do, especially early and set the tone," said Renfro, who did not play in the first game against Tech. "We've got to rebound on the defensive end and finish possessions. We can't give them second and third chance opportunities to score each time down the court. That's really a killer when you play 35 seconds of defense, and they get the rebound. Then they get a whole 'nother 35 seconds."

Barry survived the first meeting, 86-80, in its third of what the Bucs have now played in five overtime games this season. It was a game that featured 10 ties and nine lead changes.

Florida Tech's Chris Carter is second in the league in scoring at 18.7 points per game. He had 16 in the first game against the Bucs. Julius Reid, who leads the nation at 4.2 steals per game, had 18 points, eight assists and two steals in the contest in Miami Shores. Cameron Stahl had 15 points in the first meeting, which is 10 points above his average.

Barry's Bryan Van Cott scored 17 in that first game, and Aaron Martin had 21. Justin McCoy had 14 points and four assists.

The Bucs are in sixth place in the SSC. The Panthers occupy the bottom spot in ninth.

Barry will be shooting to match its longest win streak of the season at three. Florida Tech has yet to win two in a row. But the Panthers are the second in the league in scoring, averaging 79.8 points per game. Barry is putting up 70.3.

"I believe that we have the talent and the will," Renfro said. "Everybody wants to win, everybody's trying to get on the same page. Everybody's trying to work toward one goal."

TIP-INS: At halftime, Florida Tech and Panthers coach Billy Mims will present the Buccaneers coaching staff a check for money raised for Barry head coach Cesar Odio's Leukemia Foundation. Odio, an 18-year veteran coach for the Bucs, has been battling leukemia.

"It's a nice thing," Renfro said. "It's not like they have to do it. They did it to support Coach Odio. You have to give them credit."

Watch the game or follow on Live Stats by clicking HERE.

GAME NOTES

LAST TIME OUT: Barry beat Nova Southeastern on the road for the first time since Dec. 13, 2002 Wednesday ... Aaron Martin had 18 points.

SERIES RECORD: Barry is 29-24 all-time against Florida Tech ... The Bucs won the first meeting this year in Miami Shores, 86-80, in OT ... Barry lost to FIT on the road last season, 53-46 ... Barry’s last win in Melbourne was a 73-65 win on Feb. 17, 2010.

EYES ON OPPONENT: Florida Tech has lost its last four games, but the last two games have been decided by 3 points, including a 95-92 loss to then-No. 14 Florida Southern ... Chris Carter is averaging 18.7 ppg and 6.2 reb ... Jermaine Jackson is scoring 16.9 ppg ... Julius Reid is averaging 15.3 ppg, 6.2 reb and 5.35 assists ... Terrance Tubbsis scoring 10.3 ppg.

SECOND HALF STORY: Barry is averaging 35.9 points in the second half this year ... The Bucs are scoring 31 points in the first half ... Barry is allowing teams to score 36.7 ppg in the second half, while holding opponents to 30.5 in the first half.

SUNKEN SCORING: The Bucs defense has limited the past four opponents to shrinking numbers ... Barry went from giving up 75 points at Eckerd on Jan. 19 to allowing 61 at Nova Southeastern Wednesday ... It is the first time all year, the Buccaneers defense has yielded incrementally fewer points over a four-game stretch.

A-MART ON A ROLL: Sr. F Aaron Martin has made his last 16 free throws over a five-game stretch ... He is perfect from the line over his past four games ... He has been perfect from the stripe in seven games this year ... Martin is shooting 83.1 percent from the line this season.

FIVELSTAD FIELD GOALS: So. F Magne Fivelstad has made 7 of 11 field goals over the past three games ... He is shooting a team-best .521 from the floor this year.

McCOY’s STREAK SURVIVES: Barry Sr. G Justin McCoy has scored in double figures in 16 straight games ... He scored all 11 points against NSU in the second half Wednesday ... He had all 12 points against Tampa in the second half last Saturday ... McCoy scored 17 of his 21 against No. 17 Rollins in the second half on Jan. 23.

Men's Basketball Collects 1st Win at Nova Since '02

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 21:58:00 GMT

DAVIE, Fla. – Barry beat Nova Southeastern for the first time in the building where last-second heroics weren’t needed for a change.

The Buccaneers beat Nova Southeastern, 68-61, Wednesday at University Center – the first win over the Sharks for Barry in the arena. And for the first time in four years, this rivalry wasn’t decided by a last-second shot. It also marked Barry’s first win at Nova since Dec. 13, 2002.

“First win at Nova in 10 years,” Bucs forward Magne Fivelstad said in the team van. “We’re creating history.”

The win pulled the Buccaneers (9-8, 3-5 Sunshine State Conference) within a game of the Sharks (11-6, 4-4) in the league standings.

"Just got to keep climbing the ladder," Bucs assistant coach Ryan Saunders said.

Barry trailed 50-45 with just over 10 minutes left before Aaron Martin knocked down a triple and was fouled. His four-point play cut it to 50-49.

Chad Renfro scored on a twisting baseline lay-in to tie the game at 54-54, and Justin McCoy canned a three-pointer to give the Bucs the lead on the next possession. McCoy hit an off-glass floater with 3:48 remaining to put Barry ahead, 59-56. Damien Dwaine knocked down a 12-foot baseline jumper to extend the Buccaneers lead to five.

Filip Toric buried a big three-pointer in the corner to pad the Bucs lead at eight before Nova’s Brian Cahill hit one at the other end with 40 seconds remaining.

Dwaine sank two free throws to push the lead to seven before Cahill scored on a putback to trim it to five. But Martin sank two free throws to seal it with 10 seconds left.

“It hasn’t seemed like that long, but thinking back I can’t remember us winning there and feeling good,” Saunders said. “Even some of our best teams haven’t won there. All three teams that went to the NCAA Tournament haven’t won at Nova.”

Martin’s jumper from the wing gave Barry a 26-25 lead in a first half the Buccaneers were playing from behind most of the way.

Toric scored 13 of his 16 points in the first half on 6-for-9 shooting. Martin had nine points in the opening half.

The Bucs had just one turnover in the first half. The Sharks turned it over nine times in the opening 20 minutes. Barry finished with 12 turnovers and 12 assists. The Buccaneers outrebounded the Sharks, 36-32.

Martin finished with 18 points and four rebounds. Toric was 7-for-12 from the floor. He had seven rebounds and three assists. McCoy had 11 points, three steals and three assists. Fivelstad had nine points and eight boards. Renfro had seven points and five boards.

Barry plays at Florida Tech in Melbourne 4 p.m. Saturday.

BOX SCORE

Men's Basketball Plays at Nova SE Wednesday

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 14:34:00 GMT

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- This rivalry has grown accustomed to the one-possession verdict.

When Barry and Nova Southeastern meet on the basketball court, that's been the trend the last few years. Last year, Nova won the first meeting on a last-second shot, 65-64, in Davie, Fla. Barry won the second game, 51-50, on a tip-in at the buzzer in Miami Shores.

Two years ago, Barry won, 72-71, on a last-second shot at home. Nova won the first game in the 2010-11 season, 75-73, in Davie with one second on the clock.

Three years ago, Nova defended its home court with an 81-79 win in which a last-second free throw was needed. Earlier that season, the Buccaneers beat the Sharks at home, 74-72, on a three-point field goal with three seconds left.

Six straight games, six straight games decided in the closing seconds by two points or less. Each school has defended its home court in each occasion.

"The last three years, it's becoming the norm," Barry assistant men's basketball coach Ryan Saunders said. "I guess we play in close games. For whatever reason, you can see it shaping up that way in the second half. We were lucky to win here last year."

Welcome another episode of this neighboring-city rivalry as Barry (8-8, 2-5 Sunshine State Conference) plays at Nova Southeastern (11-5, 4-3) at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in University Center. Nova is 6-2 at home this year. Barry is 1-4 on the road.

"It's a tough place to play. It's a beautiful place to play," Saunders said of University Center. "Any place on the road is a tough place to play."

Barry is seeking back-to-back wins for the first time since the Bucs won three in a row Dec. 18-Jan. 2. The Buccaneers are also searching for their first win at Nova since Dec. 13, 2002.

"We're looking to out-tough them on their floor," Saunders said. "Tough mentally, tough physically. All-around tough. We're gonna have to have big games from everybody."

Nova has three players scoring in double figures in Iran Hollis (11.5), Brian Cahill (11.3) and Lukas Roesch (11.3).

"They've found something they're comfortable with on the court," Saunders said of the Sharks. "Defensively, they're causing some teams some problems. They've got a little bit of everything. They're pretty well-balanced. They're a smart team. They've figured something that works for them."

In Saturday's win over Tampa, the Buccaneers shot a season-high 52.1 percent from the floor behind Damien Dwaine's career-high 15 points. Barry also had a season-high seven blocks in the win over the Spartans.

"In this league, any win is definitely a good win," Saunders said. "Hopefully that win (over Tampa), we can build on and close out the first half of the conference season strong at Nova. If we can go on the road and win, it'll give us confidence for the second half of conference. We played well in most of the games on the road. For whatever reason, we weren't able to sustain our level of play in the second half."

Nova sits ahead of Barry in the SSC standings by two games. The Bucs are tied for sixth in the league. The eighth and ninth place teams will play a first-round game in the SSC Tournament Mar. 6 in Kissimmee, while the other seven teams have a bye.

"There's not that much separation between where we're at," Saunders said, "and some of the teams that are ahead of us."

LIVE STATS

LIVE VIDEO

GAME NOTES

SERIES RECORD: Barry is 31-14 all-time against the Sharks ... Last year the two clubs split the season series on a pair of buzzer-beaters ... Barry won the second game, 51-50, on Jermaine Edwards’ tip-in at the buzzer on Jan. 28, 2012 in Miami Shores ... Barry lost the first game, 65-64, in Davie.

EYES ON OPPONENT: Nova Southeastern is tied for fourth in the SSC ... The Sharks beat No. 7 Southern Indiana, 77-76, in Louisville, earlier this year ... Nova has won its past three games ... Iran Hollis leads the Sharks in scoring (11.5 ppg) and rebounds (6.3) ... Brian Cahill is averaging 11.3 ppg and 4.9 reb ... Lukas Roesch is averaging 11.3 ppg and 4.6 reb.

POINT WELL TAKEN: Nova Southeastern is being outscored by nearly a point per game, but still has won 11 out of its 16 games ... The Sharks are averaging 71.9 ppg and allowing 72.7.

TURNED OVER: Nova Southeastern ranks last in the SSC in turnover margin at -1.38 per game ... Barry is eighth at -0.62 ... The Sharks are averaging 15.3 turnovers per game ... The Bucs are committing 15.4.

BOTTOM FEEDERS: The Sharks rank last in the conference in five statistical categories, but still have a winning record ... Nova is last in turnover margin, steals, blocked shots, field goal percentage defense and scoring margin.

FREE THROW FRIENDLINESS: Nova ranks first in the SSC in free throw shooting at 75.3 percent ... Barry is third at 73.4 percent.

McCOY’s 15 AT 15: Barry Sr. G Justin McCoy has scored in double figures in 15 straight games ... He ranks eighth in the SSC in scoring at 15.1 ppg.

VLAD No. 2 ALL-TIME AT LINE: Barry Sr. G Vladimir Raymonvil ranks second all-time in school history in free throw percentage ... Vlad is shooting 81.8 percent from the line in his four years with the Bucs ... Brent Williams (1991-93) owns the top spot at 82.4 percent.

SPEAKING OF SHARKS ...: Barry Sr. G Chad Renfro suffered a shark attack in a summer surfing incident ... He is averaging 11.1 points per game.

Tickets For SSC Basketball Tournament Available For Sale

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 10:58:00 GMT

The 2013 Sunshine State Conference Basketball Championships will be held March 6-10 at the Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, Fla. All nine men's and women's teams from each member institution will participate in the neutral-site tournament. Get your tickets to be part of a new March tradition!

You can only purchase advance sale tickets through the member schools. Tournament booklets (full pass) are $8 and available only as pre-sale. Individual game tickets are $8 for advance sale and will be $10 at the door. No regular season passes will be honored for the tournament and there will be no pass lists.

Students attending SSC institutions (with proper ID) and children under six will be admitted free of charge.

To get more information and to purchase tickets from Barry University, contact associate director of athletics, Jamie Carrig at (305) 899-4823 or via email at jcarrig@mail.barry.edu.

Come support the Bucs by getting your tickets early.

Location
Silver Spurs Arena
1875 Silver Spur Lane
Kissimmee, FL 34744

2013 SSC Basketball Championship Schedule
Opening Round - Wednesday, March 6
Game 1 - 5:30 pm - #9 Women v. #8 Women
Game 2 - 8:00 pm - #9 Men v. #8 Men

Women's Quarterfinals - Thursday, March 7
Game 3 - 12:00 pm - #5 Women v. #4 Women
Game 4 - 2:30 pm - Game 1 Winner v. #1 Women
Game 5 - 5:30 pm - #7 Women v. #2 Women
Game 6 - 8:00 pm - #6 Women v. #3 Women

Men's Quarterfinals - Friday, March 8
Game 7 - 12:00 pm - #5 Men v. #4 Men
Game 8 - 2:30 pm - Game 2 Winner v. #1 Men
Game 9 - 5:30 pm - #7 Men v. #2 Men
Game 10 - 8:00 pm - #6 Men v. #3 Men

Men's & Women's Semifinals - Saturday, March 9
Women's
Game 11 - 12:00 pm - Game 3 Winner v. Game 4 Winner
Game 12 - 2:30 pm - Game 5 Winner v. Game 6 Winner
Men's
Game 13 - 5:30 pm - Game 7 Winner v. Game 8 Winner
Game 14 - 8:00 pm - Game 9 Winner v. Game 10 Winner

Men's & Women's Final - Sunday, March 10
Women's Championship - 1:00 pm - Game 11 Winner v. Game 12 Winner
Men's Championship - 3:30 pm - Game 13 Winner v. Game 14 Winner

SSC Posts Top Division II ASR for 6th Straight Year

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 16:11:00 GMT

GRAPEVNE, Texas -- For the sixth consecutive year, the Sunshine State Conference has posted the top NCAA Division II Academic Success Rate.

The Academic Success Rate for all 23 Division II conferences was released at the NCAA Convention, which was held in Grapevine, Texas, Jan. 16-19. SSC member institutions posted an ASR of 86 percent to again lead all conferences. The Northeast-10 Conference placed second in the rankings with an ASR of 85 percent. The leagues have claimed the top two spots in the conference-by-conference comparison each year since the ASR performance rankings were first released in January 2008.

"We are very excited to again receive the distinction of having the highest ASR rate of any Division II conference," SSC Commissioner Jay Jones said. "This is a special honor for our coaches, student-athletes and administrators and it speaks to the value that our member schools put on success in the classroom. They work hard to maintain this distinction year after year and we are very proud of those efforts."

Data for the 2012 version of the ASR was compiled by following the progress of the 2002-05 cohort. The national four-year ASR for all DII student-athletes remained steady at 72 percent. SSC student-athletes performed well above that average with a composite ASR of 86. All told, 89 percent of the 123 teams that were counted for SSC member institutions exceeding the national average of 72.

A number of SSC teams posted a perfect 100 percent Academic Success Rate, and each member institution had at least one program achieve a perfect mark. They included:

- Barry softball;
- Eckerd softball;
- Florida Tech men's golf, women's golf, women's tennis, and men's track;
- Florida Southern men's tennis, women's tennis, and softball;
- Lynn men's basketball, women's golf, softball, men's tennis, and volleyball;
- Nova Southeastern women's golf;
- Rollins men's swimming, women's swimming, women's basketball, women's soccer, volleyball, women's tennis, men's track, and women's track;
- Saint Leo women's tennis; and
- Tampa women's tennis.

Along with the Division I Graduation Success Rate (GSR), the ASR is a tool used by the NCAA to measure the academic progress of student-athletes competing within the Association. The NCAA developed the Division II ASR at the request of college and university presidents who believed the federal graduation rate was flawed. Both the Division I GSR and the DII ASR take into account transfer students. However, given the partial-scholarship model of Division II, the ASR also includes student-athletes not receiving athletically-related financial aid. The ASR also removes students from the cohort who left the institution while academically eligible to compete.

Top Ten NCAA Division II ASR Conferences
1. Sunshine State Conference - 86%
2. Northeast-10 Conference - 85%
3. Great Lakes Valley Conference - 80%
4. Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference - 78%
5. Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference - 77%
T6. East Coast Conference - 75%
T6. Great Northwest Athletic Conference - 75%
8. Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference - 74%
9. Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference - 73%
T10. Conference Carolinas - 72%
T10. Pacific West Conference - 72%

Men's Hoops Snaps Skid, Stop Spartans

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 17:32:00 GMT

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Barry University found an answer to stop the skid, and the Buccaneers added a new wrinkle to their game.

Barry ended a five-game losing streak in the Sunshine State Conference with a 75-66 win over Tampa Saturday at home. It also helped the Bucs put to rest a stretch where they had won just one of their past six games.

Damien Dwaine scored a career-high 15 points, going 6 of 7 from the floor, and grabbed eight rebounds and had three steals in a breakout game for the sophomore forward from Weston, Fla.

"It feels really good, but it doesn't feel as good as getting this 'W,' which we really needed," Dwaine said. "The 'W' is all that matters. This game, career-highs, I mean anytime anyone gets it, it is a confidence booster. It's just surreal."

The Bucs (8-8, 2-5 SSC) jumped out of the league basement with a much-needed victory. Tampa (13-6, 1-6 SSC) now occupies the spot at the bottom of the conference standings.

Barry shot 66.7 percent from the floor in the second half, ending a trend that had plagued the Bucs in recent weeks when, after building a lead, they tapered off and let opponents back into the game. Not this time. In fact, the Buccaneers put together a stronger second half in this game than they had since November, and finished the game shooting 52.1 percent from the floor on 25 of 48 field goals.

The Bucs built a 12-point lead when Filip Toric knocked down his second triple of the game with 9:06 to play in the first half. But Tampa used a 10-3 run in which Barry failed to hit a field goal over a 7:29 span to pull the Spartans within five at the close of the first half.

Tampa took the lead at the 18:21 mark of the second half when Vincent Cornu sank two free throws. Barry's Justin McCoy, who extended his double figure scoring streak to 15 games, scored less than a minute later to put the Buccaneers in front, 32-30.

Toric's jumper in the paint with 12:14 to go extended Barry's lead to nine, 41-32, to cap a 9-2 run. Dwaine increased the lead to 13 when he scored off a three-quarter court pass from McCoy. Dwaine hit another hoop at the 6:31 mark to give Barry its largest lead, 51-36.

Tampa's Da'Markco Foster kept his team in it with a three-pointer with 1:59 left on the clock as the Spartans cut it to nine. Foster canned another three 21 seconds later to pull Tampa within eight. Then he knocked down a three and was fouled with 59 seconds remaining. Foster converted the four-point play to bring the Spartans within seven.

But Chad Renfro and Aaron Martin each sank two free throws, and McCoy hit one of two in the final 29 seconds as Barry held on.

"It was nice to see us playing close to 40 minutes," Bucs assistant coach Ryan Saunders said. "For the most part, we played as close to a complete game as possible. At least as close as we have all year."

Toric finished with 13 points, four steals and two blocks. He was 5 of 8 from the floor. McCoy had 12 points, three assists, two steals and a block. Renfro finished with 13 points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal before fouling out. Martin and Magne Fivelstad each scored eight points, and Fivelstad grabbed five boards, had three assists, a block and a steal.

Foster finished with 34 points for the Spartans -- the most for an opponent against the Buccaneers all year. He was 11 of 23 from the field, including 6 of 15 from beyond the arc. Anthony Griffis had 14 points and five boards.

Barry outscored Tampa, 36-14, in the paint. The Bucs forwards combined for 44 points.

"That's one of the things we've been lacking, and one of the things we've been working on the last few days in practice is to get the ball inside," Saunders said. "We refocused, and told guys like Magne and Damien and Filip to post-up. If those guys can continue to at least post-up and draw a crowd, it'll open up things for other guys."

Barry will close out the first half of conference play on the road Wednesday at Nova Southeastern.

"We want to get as far away from the last place (in the SSC) as we possibly can so we can start building and start getting up to a higher seed come tournament time," Dwaine said. "We feel we can compete with any team in our conference, and we have a lot to prove still."

BOX SCORE

Men's Basketball Hosts Tampa 2 p.m. Saturday

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 14:32:00 GMT

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- This game has a lot of similarities coming in.

Barry hosts Tampa in a men's basketball game 2 p.m. Saturday at Health & Sports Center. The Buccaneers and Spartans are tied for seventh in the Sunshine State Conference with 1-5 league records.

The Bucs (7-8, 1-5) and Spartants (13-5, 1-5) have each lost five of their past six games. Both teams have had overtime games against Saint Leo, one of NCAA Division II's Top 25-ranked teams, during that six-game stretch.

More than anything, both are desperate for a win.

"They started off the year hot," Barry assistant coach Ryan Saunders said. "I know they've struggled in conference recently, but they're a tough team."

Barry is coming off a 17-point loss to No. 17 Rollins at home Wednesday in which the Bucs scored the second-fewest points they've put up all season. Tampa is coming off a 26-point loss at No. 14 Florida Southern. The Buccaneers allowed Rollins to shoot 46.2 percent from three-point range, which is the highest an opponent has shot all year against Barry.

"We've got to flip the switch quick," Saunders said. "We've got to kind of find something to rally around. Going into (the Rollins) game, we found that zone to kind of rally around. This could be our identity. It could be something new just to give the guys a boost, and it did for a half at least."

Barry held Rollins to 27 points on 10 of 25 field goals in the first half Wednesday. But breakdowns and offensive deficiencies contributed to Rollins' 66.7 percent shooting in the second half, which included a 7-for-12 showing from three-point range.

Tampa's Da'Marcko is averaging 17.7 points per game for the Spartans. He ranks second in the SSC in scoring. Anthony Griffis, who missed last season, is averaging 14.9 ppg and 5.1 rebounds.

The Buccaneers still have four players scoring in double figures, but lately they have faltered in the second half after building a lead.

"We've got to work on playing a complete game all-around," Saunders said.

Barry's women's team will host Tampa in the second game Saturday at 4 p.m. The Spartans women's team is 12-3 overall, 3-3 in the SSC. The Spartans are ranked No. 25 in the women's poll. Barry is 9-6 overall, 1-5 in the league.

Tune in to both of Saturday's games on the Bucs Broadcast Network. Will Sanchez will handle the call. Follow the men's game via LIVE STATS. Follow the women's game via LIVE STATS.

GAME NOTES

SERIES RECORD: Barry is 18-39 all-time against the Spartans ... Barry split the season series with Tampa last year, winning, 80-73, at home Jan. 7, 2012 and losing, 56-55, on the road Feb. 4, 2012.

EYES ON OPPONENT: Tampa started the year winning its first 12 games to earn a spot in the Top 25 rankings ... Once the New Year started, the Spartans have been a different team ... Tampa has lost five of their past six games, all in conference play ... Da’Marcko Foster is the second leading scorer in the SSC (17.7 ppg) ... Anthony Griffis is averaging 14.9 ppg and 5.1 reb ... Vincent Cornu is the Spartans leading rebounder at 6.8 per game ... Jon Riles is averaging 4.7 assists per game.

TRENDING TWIN TAILSPINS: Both Tampa and Barry have lost five of their past six games ... The Bucs have been involved in three games during that stretch decided by five points, winning one in overtime ... Tampa’s lone win during that stretch was a 69-65 OT win over Saint Leo ... One of Barry’s OT games during that stretch was also vs. Saint Leo.

McCOY SHOOTING UP SSC: Barry Sr. G Justin McCoy has scored in double figures in 14 straight games ... He ranks sixth in the SSC in scoring at 15.3 ppg.

A-MART’s ASSAULT: Barry Sr. F Aaron Martin continues to shoot well from the perimeter ... Over his past four games, A-Mart is shooting 50 percent (12 of 24) from behind the three-point line ... He ranks 15th in the league in scoring (11.7) and 17th in 3-pt shooting (.381).

RENFRO IN RECORD BOOK: Barry Sr. G Chad Renfro ranks 18th all-time in Bucs history in scoring average (11.4) ... He’s tied for 18th in three-point field goals made (71) ... He ranks 19th in free throw percentage (.722) ... Renfro is 20th all-time in defensive rebound average (3.4).

BOARD WAR: Tampa leads the SSC in rebounding margin at +5.9 per game ... The Spartans are averaging 37.3 reb ... Barry is averaging 37.2.

FREE THROW FUNK: Tampa is shooting a league-low .621 from the free throw line this year ... The Bucs are shooting .733, which ranks fourth.

Men's Basketball Alumni Game Feb. 15

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 17:28:00 GMT

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Barry University men's basketball team will hold its annual alumni game Friday, Feb. 15 at Health & Sports Center.

The Buccaneers alumni will compete in the Red and Black game of former players on Friday, and are invited to remain in town for Saturday's 7:30 p.m. game against Eckerd College the next day. Over 75 former players have been invited to men's basketball alumni weekend.

"We had a huge turnout last year, and I would like to repeat that," said Barry assistant coach Ryan Saunders, an alumnus himself. "It is definitely nice when the alumni support us, and it helps us out tremendously."

Barry has five home games remaining, beginning with Saturday's 2 p.m. matinee against Tampa. The Buccaneers will also host Florida Southern at 7:30 p.m. Wed., Feb. 6, Palm Beach Atlantic at 7:30 p.m. Wed., Feb. 20 and Nova Southeastern in the regular season finale at 5:30 p.m. Sat., Mar. 2.

Bucs Men's Hoops Tamed by No. 17 Tars

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:33:00 GMT

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- It was another one of those games where Barry did what it needed to in the first half, and then watched it slip away in the second half.

Barry lost to No. 17 Rollins, 72-55, Wednesday at Health & Sports Center. The 55 points were the fewest the Bucs have scored since being held to 51 against St. Thomas on Nov. 13.

The Buccaneers (7-8, 1-5 SSC) built a five-point halftime lead after shooting 45 percent from the field, but Rollins (14-2, 6-0) went on a 17-0 run to open the second half to take a 12-point lead. The Tars widened the gap to 20 with 10:06 to play.

The Bucs didn't score for the first 7:33 of the second half until Aaron Martin sank two free throws. Barry's first field goal in the second half didn't come until the 8:46 mark when Justin McCoy hit a layup.

"It was the tale of two halves," Buccaneers assistant coach Ryan Saunders said. "That's the theme for us right now."

Barry cut the deficit to 11 with 3:21 to go when McCoy, who finished with 21 points, sank two free throws. But Rollins extended the lead back to 18, and the Bucs couldn't recover.

It was the 14th straight game McCoy scored in double figures. Martin added 16 for Barry. Adam Allen finished with 14, and Mitch Woods had 12 points and six boards for Rollins. Jeff Dirkin added 12 points.

Rollins shot 53.1 percent from the floor, hitting 66.7 percent of its field goals in the second half. Barry shot 34.1 percent, going 5-for-21 in the second half.

"Their defense was great," Saunders said. "They do what they do, and they don't get out of it. They make you take tough shots. The second half, I thought our guys held onto the ball too much, and didn't make quick decisions. Give them credit. Their zone ... they're long, they're tall and they disrupt any offense, so you really can't run anything. You just got to rely on guys making plays."

Barry had eight assists and nine turnovers in the first half, but managed just three assists and committed 10 turnovers in the second half.

Rollins' bench outscored Barry, 27-4, in a game that had seven lead changes. The Tars outscored the Bucs, 24-14, in the paint. Both teams scored 20 points off turnovers.

Barry will host Tampa at 2 p.m. Saturday.

"I don't know what can be said, what can be done," Saunders said. "I thought we were ready to play this game. Coming off four straight conference losses, we needed tonight's game. We came out hungry. In the first half, we all accepted the gameplan. All of our guys kind of bought into that, and we kind of fed into that energy. You could tell from the first half, our guys were into the game. They wanted to win, but again the second half was completely different.

"There's no time to really sulk about it. We've got Tampa coming in here Saturday, and they're probably going to be hungry, too."

BOX SCORE

Men's Basketball Hosts No. 17 Rollins Wednesday

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 19:26:00 GMT

LIVE VIDEO BROADCAST

LIVE STATS

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Bryan Van Cott had no idea what his team was about to see tomorrow until today. A day before the biggest game of the schedule so far, now he and the Buccaneers know.

Barry will host No. 17 Rollins at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Health & Sports Center.

The Buccaneers (7-7, 1-4 Sunshine State Conference) have been in every game but one this year. So there's nothing that suggest they can't compete with the league-leading Tars (13-2, 5-0).

"We kind of play up to our level of competition," Van Cott said. "Being that they are ranked, we'll probably play with a sense of urgency. Being at home, we have more enthusiasm to play against high-caliber teams, according to the rankings."

The Bucs have lost four of their last five, with two of those games going into overtime. During that stretch, Barry has been involved in three games decided by five points. Two of those five games were against teams who've cracked into the NCAA Division II Top 25 this year -- Florida Southern and Saint Leo.

Rollins, which owns a five-game winning streak, is just another test on the schedule. The Tars will be the fourth team with a ranking on the Buccaneers will have seen this year.

"It's just preparation and hard work," Van Cott said. "We've been working all week on finding a way when we get a 10-point lead to increase it to 20. The problem is we settle. When things come our way, we just fall back. We let teams back into the game.

"It's not about putting teams away early. We're all college athletes. Everybody's gonna make their runs. Everybody can put the ball in the basket. It's sustainability about what we do. We just have to toughen up what we do. From the first player on the bench to the last player on the bench."

Rollins has three players scoring in double figures. Dave Diakite leads the Tars at 15.1 points per game. He is shooting .511 from the field and pulling down six boards per game. Kyle McClanahan is scoring 14.1 ppg, and leads the team in assists at 5.3 per game. Adam Allen is averaging 10.5 ppg and shooting 48.5 percent from three-point range.

The Tars are shooting 40.3 percent from beyond the three-point arc, and are averaging 9.6 triples per game. Barry is holding opponents to 31.2 percent from long range. But the Bucs are shooting just 38.7 percent from the floor, including 33.3 percent behind the arc.

"Frustration has definitely set in," said Van Cott, who is Barry's top three-point shooter at 36.7 percent, and is scoring 10.9 ppg.

"But we still have one of the strongest beliefs we can do things in the conference. We still believe we can win the tournament in March. I know all our four coaches believe that. We just have to make everybody else believe that on the court.

"We just want to start changing people's minds about Barry. We have all the talent. We just haven't put it all together, and when we do then we're going to become the team we know we can be."

Fans can watch the game on the Bucs Broadcast Network. Will Sanchez will handle the call. The men's game follows the women's game, which tips off at 5:30 p.m.

St. Pete Stumble: Men's Hoops Lose at Eckerd

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 20:03:00 GMT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Well, this one didn’t go to overtime, but the Buccaneers would’ve taken their chances with that scenario.

Instead, Barry watched a high-octane first half turn into second half struggles when Eckerd turned it up a notch to send the Bucs back to Miami Shores with a 75-63 loss Saturday.

The Buccaneers (7-7, 1-4 Sunshine State Conference) built a 10-point first half lead, and maintained that for the better part of the first half until Eckerd scored on a layup by Darrien Mack to beat the buzzer and send the Tritons into the break with a little momentum.

Filip Toric’s free throw at the 5:06 mark pushed the Buccaneers to a 31-21 lead. Justin McCoy’s bucket inside the last minute of the first half kept Barry in front by eight before Mack’s field goal beat the buzzer to help the Tritons (9-4, 3-3) trim the gap to six.

Barry held Eckerd to 0-for-11 three-point shooting in the first half.

But the Tritons turned the tables in the second half, erasing the six-point gap by going on a 31-10 run over the first 11:57 to seize a 60-45 lead. Junior McLeod’s dunk at 8:55 mark gave the Tritons a 10-point lead. Jerrick Stevenson capped off the second-half turnaround with a three to extend Eckerd’s lead to the game’s biggest at 15.

“They refocused their gameplan and pounded the ball inside, which is traditionally what they do,” Bucs assistant coach Ryan Saunders said. “They went to the line 23 times, which means they pounded the ball inside. I think they settled a little bit too much in the first half, and our defense softened up. Our energy and our toughness in the first half was not there in the second half."

Barry cut it to seven on a pair of Chad Renfro free throws, but that’s as close as the Bucs got.

Eckerd entered the game making more free throws than their opponents have attempted all season. That trend held up again Saturday as the Tritons hit 27 of 33 free throws. The Bucs attempted 26, making 19.

Barry was 2 for 10 from long range in the second half after hitting 42.9 percent of their triple tries in the first half. Eckerd finished the game shooting 2 of 17 from beyond the three-point arc.

“They did a better job defensively limiting our open looks,” Saunders said. “We told ’em at halftime, ‘It’s a 40-minute game,’ and that we needed to carry the same energy and intensity over the second half. It seems like we haven’t been able to do that all year. That was a game that got away from us.

“When we play good, solid Barry basketball we can compete with anybody and be in any game. I just don’t think we come out with the same intensity in the second half. We lose track of what got us the lead in the first half."

Mack finished with 24 points and seven rebounds. Malcolm Brunner Jr. had 17 points and 12 rebounds. He was 9 of 13 from the free throw line. Woody Taylor had eight assists and five rebounds.

Renfro had 14 points and four rebounds. McCoy had 14 points. Aaron Martin scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Toric had seven boards, six points, five assists and two blocks. Magne Fivelstad had seven points and four boards.

Barry, which will host Rollins at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Health & Sports Center, had just 10 assists with only one player over two.

“Our field goal percentage dropped drastically in the second half,” Saunders said. “I don’t think we were as crisp moving the basketball. We weren’t making that extra pass.”

BOX SCORE

Triton Test: Basketball Heads to St. Pete

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 22:42:00 GMT

ST. PETERSBURG -- Barry University women's and men's basketball teams play at Eckerd Saturday in a return to conference action.

The Bucs women's team plays at 2 p.m. The men's game will follow. Fans can see the game on a pay-per-view basis by clicking HERE. Listen to both games on the Bucs Broadcast Network. Follow the women's game via WOMEN'S LIVE STATS. Follow the men's game via MEN'S LIVE STATS.

The Buccaneers women's team has won its past two, and takes a 9-4 overall, 1-3 Sunshine State Conference record into the game with the Tritons, who are 6-6 overall, 3-2 in the SSC.

Eckerd's Liga Vente is scoring 13.6 points per game and pulling down 6.1 rebounds per game. Annie Armstrong is averaging 11.2 ppg and 4.1 reb.

Colette Eule leads the Bucs in scoring (13.8 ppg) and is pulling down 4.9 rebounds. Jackie Perez is averaging 10.8 ppg and 4.8 reb. Tyler Hardy has scored in double figures in three of her past five games, and is averaging 9.8 ppg and 6.3 reb. Dominique Dixon is averaging 8.2 ppg and 5.2 reb. Kaley Howard has given the Bucs a lift lately, and is averaging 9.4 ppg and 5.0 reb.

The Tritons are 3-3 at home this year, and are holding teams to 59.2 ppg. Barry is averaging 64.2.

"They're a good shooting team, and they have a lot of good size," said Barry forward Amanda Frontino, who hit her first five shots in Wednesday's game and had 15 points and eight rebounds. "They're always moving in their offense, so we have to play defense for the whole 30 seconds."

Barry's men's team won two of three games against the Tritons last year. But this is a new year.

"This game will be a war," Barry assistant coach Ryan Saunders said. "Eckerd is one of the more physical teams in the conference year-in and year-out. They do a great job of getting the ball inside and rebounding around the basket. We must 'man-up,' and bring it on both ends for 40 minutes in order to pull out a win on the road. If we can win and avoid overtime that would be great, but I'll take a W however we can get it."

Barry's tension meter is high this year after playing in five overtime games already this season.

This game will feature the league's top two rebounders in Eckerd's Darrien Mack, the two-time SSC Player of the Week, and Barry's Filip Toric. Mack is averaging 7.8 rebounds per game, while Toric is pulling down 7.6.

Mack is scoring 16.7 ppg. Guard Alex Bodney is averaging 11.7.

The Buccaneers are coming off their first road win of the season in the overtime victory at Palm Beach Atlantic Wednesday.

Overtime Again: Men's Basketball Outlasts PBA on Road

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 22:15:00 GMT

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – This year has extra-time tension written all over it.

Barry men’s basketball team survived another overtime game, holding off host Palm Beach Atlantic, 73-68, Wednesday night at Rubin Arena. It marked the fifth overtime contest of the season for the Buccaneers, who are 3-2 in those games.

“We make it too close often,” Barry sophomore forward Magne Fivelstad said. “On the positive side, we learn from playing all these close games so later in the year we can cash in.”

Justin McCoy and Fivelstad each sank a pair of free throws to put the Bucs in front by four in overtime. Aaron Martin grabbed a critical rebound after a missed field goal, and then sank a pair of free throws to extend the Bucs lead to six.

McCoy hit a baseline step-back jumper with 1:44 on the clock to give Barry a 64-63 lead.

The two teams combined to go 0-for-14 from the field in overtime. Barry was 0-for-4. PBA was 0-for-10.

Palm Beach Atlantic’s Matt Roy hit a triple to put the Sailfish in front by two, but McCoy buried a jumper with 51 seconds left to tie it. Neither team converted down the stretch, sending the game to overtime.

Damien Dwaine scored on a dish from Bryan Van Cott to pull Barry within two at the 11:26 mark. Vladimir Raymonvil buried a three-pointer with the shot clock wearing down to give the Buccaneers the lead, 51-50.

“A lot of guys stepping up at the right time,” said Fivelstad, who finished with 14 points and nine rebounds. “Guys coming off the bench, even if they play two or four minutes, they do a great job.”

Barry led by as many as nine with 10:51 remaining in the first half when Raymonvil knocked down one of his two first-half triples. Fivelstad scored to keep the lead at nine at the 9:32 mark.

Dwaine’s layup with 6:49 left on the first-half clock padded the Buccaneers lead back to eight after Christian Martinez hit a triple to pull the Sailfish within five. Filip Toric sank three free throws at the 3:41 mark to match Barry’s biggest lead at 31-22, and Fivelstad split a pair from the free throw line to keep it nine.

But the Sailfish went on a 6-0 run to close the first half and draw within two at the break.

The Buccaneers shot 40 percent from the floor, hitting 22 of 55 field goals. The Bucs were seven of 15 from behind the arc. Palm Beach Atlantic was 24 of 59 from the field, including seven of 25 from long range.

Barry outrebounded PBA, 39-32. The Bucs hit 22 of 31 free throws. The Sailfish was 13 for 18 from the line. Barry's bench outscored Palm Beach Atlantic, 37-26.

McCoy finished with 13 points and seven rebounds. Martin scored 14 points. Raymonvil and Toric each scored nine points. Toric was 5 for 5 from the line. Dante Valentine scored 16, and Martinez had 14 for PBA.

“We go into every game looking for the win, but after losing three straight it puts extra pressure on us,” Fivelstad said. “Luckily we capitalized. We look to build a little streak.”

BOX SCORE

Soul Searching: Men's Basketball Heads to PBA

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 14:46:00 GMT

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Ryan Saunders tossed a tension ball around his office.

"We haven't hit the panic button yet," Barry's assistant men's basketball coach said.

No, but after three straight losses, something needs to change. For the Buccaneers, that opportunity starts 7 p.m. Wednesday when they play at Palm Beach Atlantic.

The men's game follows the women's game at 5 p.m. Both games can be seen in LIVE VIDEO. Follow the women's game via LIVE STATS. Follow the men's game via LIVE STATS.

"There's an extreme sense of urgency going into this game against Palm Beach Atlantic," Saunders said. "They play with a lot of confidence, and they play with a ton of energy. All those things are magnified when they're at home."

PBA (1-12) has not won in seven home games this year. Barry (6-6) is 0-3 on the road. Something has to give.

"We just have to get on the same page," Barry senior guard Chad Renfro said. "They're desperate for a win. We just have to come out hungrier for a win than they are."

Barry is 2-4 when turning the ball over 16 or more times in a game.

"We have to take care of the ball," Saunders said. "We've given up leads. We can't do that."

The Bucs are coming off a double-overtime loss against Sunshine State Conference leader Saint Leo -- a game Barry played well enough to win.

"I thought if there was a game we deserved to win, it was Saint Leo," Saunders said. "Our guys were pretty disappointed after that game. They want to win. We definitely need a win. We need a win for our confidence."

PBA and Barry split the two meetings last season. Barry lost by five to the Sailfish on the road last year.

"Are we gonna show up and take care of busniess? That's the question," Saunders said. "We can't let Palm Beach Atlantic hang around. We've got to try to put them away from the get-go. We can't let them hang around because they're dangerous. If one shot goes in, a ton goes in."

Three players are scoring in double figures for the Sailfish. Marcus Hardy is averaging 17.5 points per game and 7.2 rebounds. Dante Valentine is averaging 11.7 ppg and 7.1 reb. Christian Martinez is scoring 11.6 ppg.

Barry's Justin McCoy leads the Bucs in scoring (15.1) and is second in assists (3.0). Bryan Van Cott is averaging 12.3 ppg, Renfro 11.4 ppg and 5.0 reb, and Aaron Martin 11.1 ppg and 4.3 reb.

But the problem has been on defense. In the last four games, Barry has given up 82.75 points to its opponents. Saunders credits that to better opponents and two overtime contests. In the first four games, Barry was holding opponents to 58.8 ppg, and ranked in the top 10 in the country in scoring defense.

"We need to get more aggressive," Renfro said.

Palm Beach Atlantic is scoring 69.5 ppg and giving up 83.8. The Sailfish are shooting 39.7 percent from the floor. The Bucs are shooting 39.3.

"Different guys have got to step up," Saunders said. "We need complete games from everybody that goes in. We can't afford to have guys not show up. That's not just offensively. Defensively, we can't have guys take nights off. The more guys that step up, the more dangerous we're going to be."

GAME NOTES

SERIES RECORD: Barry is 19-4 all-time against PBA ... The Bucs split the
series last year, winning at home, 60-57, on Feb. 1.

EYES ON OPPONENT: The Sailfish are coming off an 86-68 loss at Rollins
Saturday ... PBA has lost 10 in a row ... Marcus Hardy is averaging 17.5 ppg
and 7.2 reb ... Dante Valentine is averaging 11.7 and 7.1 reb ... Christian
Martinez is scoring 11.6 ppg ... PBA is 0-7 at home this season.

LAST TIME AT PBA: Barry lost to PBA in West Palm Beach last season,
65-60 ... Justin McCoy scored 11 points in that game.

ROAD WOES: Barry is 0-3 on the road this year.

FIRST 4, LAST 4: Barry is allowing 82.75 ppg in its last four games ... The
Buccaneers were holding teams to 58.8 ppg in the fi rst four games.

REAL McCOY: Sr. G Justin McCoy ranks seventh in the Sunshine State
Conference in scoring at 15.1 ppg ... He has scored in double figures in 11
straight games ... Last week, he averaged 22 ppg in two contests.

CAREER LEADERS: Sr. G Vladimir Raymonvil ranks third in school history
in career free throw percentage (.815) ... Sr. G Bryan Van Cott ranks
fifth (.797).

FREE THROW EQUALITY: Sr. G Bryan Van Cott has a .797 free throw
percentage for both his season and career averages.

RENFRO IN RECORD BOOKS: Sr. G Chad Renfro ranks in the top 20 in
seven statistical career categories at Barry ... He is 17th all-time in scoring
average (11.6) and three-point percentage (.342).

8 IS ENOUGH: Sr. F Filip Toric has led the Buccaneers in rebounding in
eight games this season ... He is averaging 8.0 rebounds per game.

DISNEY BOUND: Barry will compete in the Sunshine State Conference
tournament in Kissimmee, Fla., Mar. 6-10 at Silver Spurs Arena ... Kissimmee
is home to Disney World ... All SSC teams qualify for the tournament.

Men's Basketball Drops Double OT Game to Lions

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 19:48:00 GMT

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Barry nearly snatched away a big win from the league's best. Instead the Buccaneers suffered their third straight loss, this time a double-overtime setback to Saint Leo, 84-79, Saturday.

The Buccaneers (6-6, 1-3 Sunshine State Conference) played the league leader man-up for 49 minutes, but it got away from them in the last crucial stages, and Saint Leo (11-2, 4-0) held on for a tough road win.

Barry, which trailed by as many as 13 in the first half, erased a 12-point second half deficit. Justin McCoy's three-pointer with 41 seconds left in regulation tied the game. Neither team could convert with the ensuing possessions in the final 40 seconds.

The Buccaneers, who are 3-3 in games at Health & Sports Center, took a two-point lead in the first overtime when Damien Dwaine scored on a putback. Chad Renfro converted a three-point play to give the Bucs a 69-67 lead with 2:44 to go. Marcus Ruh's layup tied the game for Saint Leo a minute later. Ruh hit a jumper with 52 seconds left to push the Lions in front by two, but McCoy hit a layup with 22 seconds left to tie the game again.

Renfro hit a jumper with 3:00 to play in the second OT to give Barry a one-point lead, but Jerrel Harris canned a triple to bump the Lions in front, 77-75. Harris hit two free throws before Renfro scored to cut it to two, but Saint Leo closed the game with a 5-2 run to put it away.

"The first half we were down 13, the second half we were down 12, and we came back. It shows how resilient our guys are," Barry assistant coach Ryan Saunders said. "We've been resilient all year long. We would've like to have pulled it out. If we play Barry basketball, we can play with anyone in the league."

Barry outscored Saint Leo, 34-24 in the paint. The Bucs bench outscored the Lions, 30-21. Barry outrebounded Saint Leo, 39-34. But Barry's 16 turnovers resulted in 19 Saint Leo points.

Ruh had 22 points and five rebounds, and Harris scored 21 points and had six assists for the Lions.

Magne Fivelstad had 17 points, eight rebounds and three assists for the Buccaneers. McCoy had 15 points and four rebounds. Renfro and Bryan Van Cott each scored 11. Filip Toric had eight points, eight boards and three assists.

"Magne's had a lot of pressure on him, waiting to play for a year-and-a-half," Saunders said. "He's a great kid, and he had a great game today. He gave us a big lift."

Barry plays at Palm Beach Atlantic 7 p.m. Wednesday.

"We're only going to learn from this," Saunders said. "The league is extremely tough. Wednesday is going to be a war. Playing in a lot of close games like this. Hopefully some of them will go our way."

BOX SCORE

Barry Student-Athletes Post Record Highs

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 17:59:00 GMT

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. – Barry University’s student-athletes established a new academic high in the fall semester as 74.3 percent of the Buccaneers athletes posted grade point averages of 3.0 or better.

Each of Barry’s 12 teams had GPAs above 3.0 for the fall semester. It marks the first time all 12 sports had team GPAs above 3.0.

The Bucs women’s golf team had a 3.678 cumulative GPA in the semester. Volleyball posted a 3.497. Men’s soccer had a 3.319. Men’s tennis had a 3.278.

“We are very proud of our student-athletes and their academic achievements,” Barry Athletic Director Mike Covone said. “All 12 of Barry University’s programs have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher with nearly 75 percent of all student-athletes with a 3.0 GPA or higher, as well. That is outstanding!”

The average term grade point average for student-athletes was 3.307 – also a Barry University high. The university previous high was a 3.273 during the fall of 2011.

The average team cume GPA rose to 3.298 with women’s golf leading the way at 3.674. Men’s soccer was the highest of the male sports at 3.354.

A total of 5.5 percent of all student-athletes recorded 4.0 GPAs, earning them President’s List honors.

“As an NCAA Division II institution and members of the Sunshine State Conference, we are committed to a comprehensive, balanced program of students as learners and student-athletes that compete at the highest level,” Covone said. “Through the leadership of our administrators, coaches and staff, the department has created an environment that encourages and supports these types of accomplishments by all student-athletes, which is excellence in both academics and athletics.”

Barry has won nine national championships.

BARRY UNIVERSITY
Team Rankings

FOR FALL, 2012 TERM

                                      TERM GPA                                           CUM GPA
Women’s Golf               3.678            Women’s Golf               3.674
Volleyball                      3.497             Volleyball                       3.471
Women’s Basketball     3.469             Women’s Basketball    3.432
Men’s Soccer               3.319             Men’s Soccer                 3.354
Softball                        3.309              Softball                           3.316
Men’s Tennis               3.278              Women’s Soccer           3.280
Men’s Basketball         3.276             Men’s Tennis                 3.264
Women’s Rowing         3.271             Women’s Tennis            3.227
Women’s Tennis         3.221               Women's Rowing          3.195
Baseball                      3.167              Men’s Basketball         3.184
Women’s Soccer        3.108                Baseball                         3.117
Men’s Golf                   3.096              Men’s Golf                      3.065

Team - Average Term GPA 3.307 Team - Average Cum GPA 3.298

• 74.3 % of all student-athletes had a Fall term GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• 5.5 % of all student-athletes had a 4.0 Fall term GPA.
• 74.3 % of all student-athletes had a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher following Fall 2012 term.
• 12 of 12 TEAMS have TERM & CUM GPA’s of 3.0 or HIGHER

Men's Hoops Hope to End Skid vs. Lions

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 13:43:00 GMT

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Barry men's basketball will host Saint Leo at 4 p.m. Saturday, following the women's game.

The Buccaneers (6-5, 1-2 Sunshine State Conference) have dropped their past two games. Saint Leo (10-2, 3-0) is riding a seven-game winning streak.

The game will be broadcast by Will Sanchez on the Bucs Broadcast Network. The game can also be accessed by Live Stats.

Saint Leo is tied for first place in the league standings. Barry sits in seventh.

Marcus Ruh leads the Lions in scoring at 17.7 ppg. He is shooting 49.1 percent from beyond the three-point arc. Jerrel Harris is scoring 14.1 ppg.

Barry senior guard Justin McCoy leads the Buccaneers in scoring at 15.1 ppg. Senior guard Bryan Van Cott is scoring 12.5 ppg. He is shooting 81.5 percent from the free throw line. Senior guard Chad Renfro is averaging 11.4, and is coming off an 18-point game.

Fans can participate in halftime contests.

GAME NOTES

LAST TIME OUT: Barry lost to Lynn 71-66 on Wednesday.

SERIES RECORD: Barry is 26-30 all-time vs. Saint Leo ... The Bucs lost to the Lions, 61-56, in Miami Shores in the last meeting Feb. 25, 2012.

EYES ON OPPONENT: The Lions beat Florida Southern, 71-63, Wednesday to remain tied for first in the SSC ... Marcus Ruh leads the Lions in scoring (17.7) and averages 5.1 reb while shooting 47 percent from the floor and 84.3 percent from the line ... Jerrel Harris is averaging 14.1 ppg ... Trent Thomas is scoring 13.3 ppg ... The Lions are riding a seven-game winning streak.

GETTING DEFENSIVE: Saint Leo ranks first in the league in scoring defense (61.2) and Barry is sixth (69.8) ... The Lions are first in field goal percentage defense (.372) and the Bucs are fourth (.411).

ASSISTANCE NEEDED: Barry and Saint Leo rank at the bottom of the SSC in assists ... Barry is eighth at 12.5 per game ... Saint Leo is ninth at 11.3 ... The Bucs and Lions are tied for ninth in assist-to-turnover ratio (0.8) ... Barry is averaging 15.6 turnovers per game ... Saint Leo is averaging 14.1.

BOARDING SCHOOL: Barry ranks second in the league in defensive rebounds (26.1) ... Saint Leo is third (25.7).

TORIC AT THE TOP: Senior F Filip Toric ranks 68th in the country and first in the SSC in rebounding ... He is averaging 8.0 boards per game ... He ranks seventh in the league in assists (3.4) and fifth in blocks (1.1).

DOUBLING UP: Senior G Justin McCoy has scored in double figures in 10 straight games ... McCoy is coming off a career-high 29 points ... He ranks ninth in the league in scoring (15.1).

CAREER LEADERS: Senior G Vladimir Raymonvil ranks third in school history in career free throw percentage (.815) ... Senior G Bryan Van Cott ranks fifth (.804).

THAT 70s SHOWING: Five players are shooting better than 70 percent from the free throw line ... The Buccaneers are shooting .725 from the line this season.

Men's Basketball Fades in Loss to Lynn

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 22:26:00 GMT

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- The Buccaneers have hit a standstill. Something's got to change.

Barry lost to rival Lynn, 71-66, Wednesday night in a game that started out so promising. The loss dropped the Bucs to 6-5 overall, 1-2 in the Sunshine State Conference. Lynn improved to 8-4, 1-2.

Barry led by as many as 18 in the first half, but Lynn went on a 17-3 run over the last 5:30 of the first half to cut the gap to four at the break.

The Buccaneers pushed their lead back to nine on Vladimir Raymonvil's jumper at the 13:14 mark of the second half, but the Fighting Knights responded with a 13-0 run to take a four-point lead. Justin McCoy's three-pointer pulled Barry within one with 8:54 left, but Lynn extended its lead back to 10 with 2:03 to go, and the Bucs were playing catch-up.

Barry drew within four after two free throws by McCoy, and then forced a Knights turnover with 17 seconds to play, but the Bucs couldn't convert on the offensive end, and Lynn sank three of its final four free throws to salt the game away.

Barry was outscored 38-29 in the second half when the Bucs went 8 of 25 from the floor. The Buccaneers shot 38.5 percent from the field for the game. Lynn hit 46.7 percent of its shots.

McCoy scored a career-high 29 points, 18 of which came in the first half. He was nine of 16 from the field, including five of 10 three-point goals.

Lynn's Kevin Ohen had 24 points, nine rebounds and four steals. Pavle Raickovic had 13 points and seven boards.

Barry's Chad Renfro scored 18 points and pulled down four rebounds. Bryan Van Cott had nine points and four assists.

The Bucs host Saint Leo at 4 p.m. Saturday.

BOX SCORE

Men's Basketball Hosts Lynn Wednesday

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 16:12:00 GMT

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Barry will host a desperate Lynn men's basketball team 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in Health & Sports Center.

Both teams are coming off league losses Saturday, fueling the intensity for a game between the two Sunshine State Conference rivals.

"Playing against Lynn is like fighting your brother in the backyard as Coach (Cesar) Odio always says," Buccaneers assistant coach Ryan Saunders said. "You know going in that it’s going to be a war for 40 minutes."

Lynn (7-4, 0-2 SSC) is coming off a 10-point loss at Saint Leo Saturday. Barry (6-4, 1-1) was humbled at Florida Southern. The Fighting Knights lost by five to Florida Southern.

"They have been right there, and are definitely going to be hungry for a win," Saunders said. "Coach (Scott) McMillin gets his guys to play very hard, and they are a very well-balanced team."

Lynn has four players averaging over 10 points per game and three others scoring over nine. Barry has five players averaging in double figures.

But the Buccaneers will need to do a better job defensively after surrendering 96 points to FSC Saturday. The Bucs are allowing teams to score 69.7 points per game, while averaging 71.6 themselves. Lynn is shooting 46.6 percent from the field, while Barry has struggled at 38.5 percent.

"Both teams dig in and look to grind it out defensively," Saunders said. "We must match their intensity, and our defense can’t allow easy baskets like we did against Florida Southern. Getting stops on defense will be key to helping our offense. From there we must be disciplined and execute against their pressure in order to pull out a win."

TIP-INS: Senior G Bryan Van Cott scored his 500th career point Saturday.

LIVE STATS

VIDEO BROADCAST

GAME NOTES

LAST TIME OUT: Barry lost at No. 27 Florida Southern, 96-70, Saturday.

SERIES RECORD: Barry is 17-22 all-time against the Fighting Knights ... The Bucs lost at Lynn, 69-53, in the last meeting Feb. 8, 2012.

EYES ON OPPONENT: The Fighting Knights are coming off a 69-59 loss at Saint Leo Saturday ... Four players are scoring in double figures: Shamel Akins (10.9), Slobodan Miljanic (10.7), Pavle Raickovic (10.6) and Kaleb Clyburn (10.2) ... Raickovic is averaging 7.4 rebounds per game ... The Knights are holding opponents to 62.1 points per game.

TOO MANY: Barry gave up a season-high 96 points in the loss to the Mocs Saturday ... Barry is allowing 69.7 points per game.

TORIC LEADS SSC: Senior F Filip Toric ranks 68th in the country and first in the SSC in rebounding ... He is averaging 8.2 boards per game ... He has grabbed seven or more rebounds in all but one game ... He’s led the Bucs in rebounding in six games this year.

MAGNUM EFFORT: Sophomore F Magne Fivelstad has grabbed seven rebounds in his past two games ... He also recorded his first 10-point game.

DOUBLING UP: Senior G Justin McCoy has scored in double figures in nine straight games ... McCoy leads the Bucs in scoring at 13.7 ppg.

HIGH FIVE: Five Buccaneers are averaging in double figures ... Sr. G Justin McCoy (13.7), Senior G Bryan Van Cott (12.8), Senior F Aaron Martin (12.2), Senior G Chad Renfro (10.7) and Senior F Filip Toric (10.0).

BALANCE IN BUNCHES: Barry has had three or more players score in double figures in every game but one this season ... In two games, the Bucs have placed five players in double figures.

THAT 70s SHOWING: Six players are shooting better than 70 percent from the free throw line.

DISNEY BOUND: Barry will compete in the Sunshine State Conference tournament in Kissimmee, Fla., Mar. 6-10 at Silver Spurs Arena ... Kissimmee is home to Disney World ... All SSC teams qualify for the tournament.

Barry Men's Basketball Mowed Down by Mocs

Sat, 05 Jan 2013 22:28:00 GMT

LAKELAND, Fla. – This is one the Buccaneers would rather soon forget.

Barry men’s basketball team lost to No. 27 Florida Southern, 96-70, on the road Saturday night, snapping the Bucs’ three-game win streak.

The Buccaneers (6-4, 1-1 Sunshine State Conference) were playing catch-up most of the way. Despite taking an eight-point lead in the first half, the Bucs couldn’t seize control. The Moccasins (9-1, 2-0) closed the first half with a 33-15 run to take a 10-point halftime lead.

The Bucs never recovered in the second half.

Barry shot 29.1 percent from the field, going 16-for-55. Florida Southern shot 47.4 percent, going 36 of 76 from the floor. The Moccasins were 4 of 26 from long range.

Barry’s Aaron Martin and Filip Toric each scored 15, Justin McCoy had 14 and Magne Fivelstad 10. Toric and Fivelstad had seven rebounds apiece, but the Buccaneers were outrebounded, 47-40.

Barry was outscored 50-16 in the paint. Florida Southern’s bench outscored the Bucs, 54-9.

Seth Evans had 21 points, and Brett Bailey 20 for the Mocs.

The Buccaneers were 30 of 37 from the free throw line. Florida Southern hit 20 of 26 free throws. Barry gave up 20 second chance points, while scoring six of their own.

Barry will host Lynn at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in Miami Shores.

BOX SCORE

Men's Basketball Faces Florida Southern Saturday

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 15:22:00 GMT

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Barry University men's basketball team hits the road to meet Florida Southern at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

The Buccaneers (6-3, 1-0 Sunshine State Conference) are coming off two straight overtime wins, the latter an 86-80 victory over Florida Tech Wednesday to open league play.

Barry lost to the No. 27 nationally-ranked Moccasins (8-1, 1-0 SSC) in both meetings last season. The Bucs dropped a four-point contest at home in February.

Florida Southern is the league's top-scoring team, averaging 84.6 points per game. Barry has allowed opponents to score 80 or more points in only two of its nine games.

The Mocs have three players scoring in double figures in junior guard Dominic Lane (16.6 ppg, 6.2 reb), senior guard Seth Evans (14 ppg) and junior forward Lamar McKnight (12.1 ppg, 5.6 reb).

The Buccaneers have four players averaging in double figures with senior guard Justin McCoy (13.7 ppg, 3.6 apg), senior guard Bryan Van Cott (13.4 ppg), senior forward Aaron Martin (11.9 ppg, 4.3 reb) and senior guard Chad Renfro (11.6 ppg, 5.6 reb).

VIDEO BROADCAST

LIVE STATS

GAME NOTES

LAST TIME OUT: Barry opened SSC play with an 86-80 overtime win over Florida Tech in Miami Shores as Aaron Martin scored 21 points.

SERIES RECORD: Barry is 14-42 all-time against the Mocs ... Barry lost to Florida Southern, 71-67, in Miami Shores in the last meeting Feb. 11, 2012.

EYES ON OPPONENT: The Mocs are ranked No. 27 in NCAA Division II ... Florida Southern leads the SSC in scoring (84.6) ... The Mocs also lead the league in offensive rebounds (14.8), assists (17.7), steals (12.8) and turnover margin (+8.8) ... Dominic Lane is averaging 16.6 ppg and 6.2 reb ... Seth Evans is averaging 14 ppg and 4.0 apg.

PUTTING A LID ON IT: Barry is ranked 26th in the nation in field goal percentage defense ... The Bucs are holding opponents to 39.7 percent.

TORIC LEADS SSC: Senior F Filip Toric ranks 55th in the country and first in the SSC in rebounding ... He is averaging 8.4 boards per game.

A-MART’s ASCENCION: Senior F Aaron Martin has scored 20 points or more twice this season ... He is coming off a career-best 21 points in Wednesday’s overtime win over Florida Tech.

SSC SCORING: Senior G Justin McCoy ranks 12th in the league in scoring (13.7), senior G/F Bryan Van Cott is 13th (13.4), senior F Aaron Martin is 19th (11.9) and senior G Chad Renfro is 20th (11.6).

VAN COTT IS HOT: Senior G/F Bryan Van Cott is shooting 44.7 percent from beyond the three-point arc ... He ranks sixth in the SSC in three-point FG percentage.

FREE THROW PERFECTION: Bryan Van Cott’s 10-for-10 free throw shooting effort vs. Florida Tech is tied for fifth all-time in single-game school history, along with Vladimir Raymonvil, who was 10 of 10 last year against Johnson & Wales ... Calix N’Diaye holds the record, going 14-for-14 at Florida Southern on Feb. 12, 2005 ... Eight Bucs have shot perfect from the free throw line in a game this year: Van Cott (10-for-10, 7-for-7), Aaron Martin (6-for-6), Damien Dwaine (6-for-6), Chad Renfro (6-for-6, 2-for-2), Filip Toric (4-for-4), Raymonvil (2-for-2), Garrett Naughton (2-for-2) and Bouna N’Diaye (2-for-2) ... The Bucs are shooting 71.4 percent from the line this season.