SCF Basketball vs HCC: Suncoast Conference Tournament Semifinal Preview

The SCF basketball team (16-14) will now be preparing for the Suncoast Conference Tournament as they host one of two semifinals games. The Manatees will face Hillsborough (15-15) at the Hal Chasey Gymnasium on Monday, February 25 at 7 pm.

Polk State (13-16) will host the other semifinal game and face St. Pete College (16-14) at the Winter Haven Health Center same. The winners of those games will face each other and play at the highest seed's location.

Suncoast Conference Final Standings:
1. Florida Southwestern State (FSW) (28-1, 12-0) * ^
2. SCF (16-14, 6-6) #1
3. Polk State (13-16, 5-7) #2
4. SPC (16-14, 4-8) #3
5. HCC (15-15, 3-9) #4

*Conference Regular Season Champion
#1-4 conference tournament seeds
^ Clinched Playoff Berth

FCSAA/NJCAA District VIII Men’s Basketball Championship:
The FCSAA/NJCAA District VIII Men’s Basketball Championship takes eight teams from the top two seeds in the Suncoast, Mid-Florida, Panhandle and Southern Conference. Those eight will then play in an eight team single elimination tournament where the winner and runner-up will punch their tickets to be in the 72nd NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship - known as The Tournament. The Location of the tournament will be held at Patriot Gym at College of Central Florida in Ocala, Florida.

#1 FSW (28-1, 12-0 Suncoast), #21 Eastern Florida State (24-6, 10-2 Mid-Florida), #6 Northwest Florida State (24-4, 10-2 Panhandle) and Palm Beach State (21-7, 9-2 Southern) have won their respected conference championships and a playoff berth in the district championship. #11 Chipola College (25-4, 8-3 Panhandle) also earned a playoff berth, but will be in their conference championship as the #1 seed.

A look at SCF:
The Manatees are coming off of a tough loss to #1 FSW as they fell 91-59 at home on sophomore day for 10 sophomores. Leading the way offensively for the Manatees have been six players: freshmen D'Moi Hodge and Isiah Dasher, sophomores DeAndre Osuigwe and Cyrus Barnes, Clearance Miles and redshirt sophomore Tre Alexandrea.

Hodge is averaging 18.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 3.1 steals per game. Despite only scoring nine points against FSW, Hodge added seven rebounds, two blocks and a steal to his regime.

Dasher is averaging 16.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Dasher led the team against FSW with 18 points and two rebounds.

Primarily a pass first guard, Osuigwe is averaging 12.1 points and 5.7 assists per game. Osuigwe had four points and seven assists against FSW.

Although he was serving a one-game suspension, Barnes is averaging nine points per game. In his last game against HCC, Barnes had eight points and five rebounds.

Mainly the 3-point specialist, Miles is averaging 3.5 points per game and leads the team in 3-pointers made (31). Against FSW, Miles had six points that were behind the 3-point line.

Alexandrea is averaging 9.3 points and 4.7 assists per game. Alexandrea had 10 points and two assists against FSW.

Scouting HCC:
The Hawks enter the conference tournament as the #4 seed. They finished their last game with an 80-71 win over SPC.

Sophomores Walter Covington IV (15.5), Jeffrey Prophete (13.5), Anthony Jeanty (13.4) and Jacorie Archie (11.8) and freshman Michael Cole (12.7) continue to lead the way for the Hawks in scoring, while sophomore Efstratios Kalogerias is averaging seven points and 9.3 rebounds per game and freshman Joshua Jackson averages 7.8 points and 6.6 assists per game.

Series History (2012-present):
The Manatees are 12-15 against the Hawks and have taken the series, defeating them 93-79 and 104-92 in the first two games before falling 93-88 in the finale.

How to Keep Up:
The game will be livestream on SCF's YouTube page.

Fans can also keep up on Twitter:
SCF: @SCF_Basketball
HCC: @HCCFLAthletics

Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFpxyXJqcQVkozbVYacR26g/featured