"It feels great to get a clean sweep in a very good classic such as Veteran's Day Classic at Indian River," said head coach Tom Parks. "There were four really good teams and to be the only team to come out 2-0 says something about our program."
SCF vs Daytona:
"It's alway good to get your first win of the year," said Parks. "Obviously, we don't play an easy schedule, so anytime we get a win against a region opponent is great. It's great confidence for the guys as we progress in our non-conference schedule. I thought as a team, we played really well against Daytona. I thought there were no personal agendas and everyone stepped up and played their role.
The first half was a back-and-forth battle as both teams exchanged in lead changes. The Falcons were able to hold a five point lead, but last-second 3-pointer by freshman Ametri Moss cut the deficit to two points. The falcons still took the first half 47-45.
In the second half, the Manatees were down by as much as six to seven points, but then they started kicking it into high gear at the 3-point line and were able to push their lead to double digits before sealing the deal.
"We just picked up and maintained our pace," said Parks on the turning point. "We're just a firm believer that we can run harder than any team in the country. If we keep running that, then at one point the other team is going to run out of gas and that's what happened to Daytona."
In the end, five Manatees scored in double figures, but it was freshman Cobey Harraway that lead the way for the Manatees as he finished with a team-leading 25 points (11-for-15 FG, 2-for-6 3PT, 1-for-1 FT), three rebounds, one assist and three steals off the bench.
"Cobey did what we knew he was capable of doing," said Parks on Harraway. "He's a very good player at the wing and can make great plays on both ends of the floor. It was nice to see him score the ball to help with his confidence, even though he is an extremely confident young man and does not need any reassurance, but it was nice to see hime score some points."
Moss followed behind Harraway with a season-high 18 points (6-for-10 FG, 4-for-6 3PT, 2-for-4 FT), five rebounds, one assist and one steal.
Sophomore James ‘Pop’ Weathers earned his first collegiate triple-double as he finished with 13 points (3-for-11 FG, 1-for-4 3PT, 6-for-8 FT), 10 rebounds and 10 assists while adding six steals. Classmate Javon Bell had 13 points (4-for-14 FG, 2-for-10 3PT, 3-for-4 FT), six rebounds, two blocks, two assists and three steals.
Freshman Jacari White rounded out the order with 12 points (4-for-9 FG, 3-for-6 3PT, 1-for-1 FT), three rebounds, two assists and four steals.
Sophomores Clearance Cummings III (four points, six assists, two rebounds, one block and one steal) and Kwo Agwa (six points, five rebounds, two assists and two blocks) and freshman Djordje Gobovic (four points, three rebounds and one assist) also contributed in the game.
SCF vs TCC:
The Manatees were off to a 10-0 start in the first three minutes of the first half, but soon things started to falter as turnovers played a big negative and soon the Eagles took the lead and eventually took the first half 38-31.
At the start of the second half, the Manatees began at a slow pace, but after a few adjustments to the defense, their offense soon exploded and communication went smoother to cut the deficit to single digits. With less than 20 seconds left in the second half, the Manatees were able to tie the game at 74 a piece thanks to a crucial layup by Harraway, which would send the game to overtime.
At the start of OT, rebounding and strong defense played a big factor for the Manatees as they were able to take advantage of miscommunications from the Eagles. Harraway would hit the final free-throw before the Eagles missed their scoring opportunity to get the win as the Manatees took the second game and the sweep.
"It felt great to beat Tallahassee, a team that we never beat," said Parks on defeating TCC. "We go into every game as if we're the ones that are supposed to win and play as if we are the underdogs, however our mentality is that we are the better team. It feels good to beat them and we weren't treating them different like any other opponent."
"We fought while we were down by 10 points in the second half and there was never one time where I felt like the guys felt defeated. I think they knew we were in a good position in the game and needed to keep our pace going."
Weathers, despite only scoring two points in the first half, would lead the team offensively as he finished with a season-high 26 points (7-for-15 FG, 12-for-15 FT), nine rebounds, three assists and three steals.
"Pop had a great game," said Parks on Weathers. "He knew he needed to take a little more of a scoring role and that's what he did when he scored 24 in the second half and OT. He was just unstoppable with his ability to get to the paint while making some big plays down the stretch and trusted his teammates to make big shots."
Harraway and Cummings III both finished with 13 points each. Harraway (4-for-8 FG, 2-for-4 3PT, 3-for-4 FT) added two rebounds, while Cummings III (4-for-7 FG, 5-for-8 FT) added seven rebounds.
"Cobey hit some huge shots for us in regulation and OT, which was a big help," said Parks on Harraway.
Gobovic rounded out the order as he finished with 11 points (4-for-7 FG, 1-for-2 3PT, 2-for-3 FT), five rebounds (three offensive), one assist and three blocks.
"Djordje had a solid game defensively," said Parks on Gobovic. "He's definitely a very intense player where he fits when we need him in order to beat a team like Tallahassee and he showed it tonight."
White (seven points, five rebounds, one assist and four steals), Bell (five points, two rebounds, one assist, and one steal), Agwa (four points, two rebounds, one assist, two blocks and one steal) and Moss (four points, one rebound, one assist and a steal) also contributed in the win over TCC.
Notes:
Weathers 39 points put him at 433 and needs 567 to reach the milestone of 1,000 points in his career.
Other Southern Scores:
RV Indian River State (2-1) fell to Tallahassee CC (1-0) 89-82 in their hosted classic before defeating Daytona State 109-72. The Pioneers will face Florida State College at Jacksonville Tuesday, November 9.
Hillsborough (0-1) fell to Santa Fe College (2-0) 84-82 in their season opener this past Wednesday. The Hawks will take on Pasco-Hernando State (2-1) Wednesday, November 10.
#3 FSW (1-1) opened their season at home defeating Victory Rock Prep 146-51. It was the most points in the Buccaneers school history. They would then get upset by Santa Fe by a score of 83-81. They will face St. Pete (2-0) Tuesday, November 9.
Upcoming Southern Conference Games (11/9-11/13):
11/9:
#3 FSW vs SPC
RV Indian River State vs Florida State College at Jacksonville
11/10:
HCC vs Pasco-Hernando State
Miami Dade vs Miami Sports Academy
11/12:
MDC vs Santa Fe
HCC vs Pensacola State
#3 FSW vs TCC
RV Indian River State vs SPC
11/13:
MDC vs TCC
#3 FSW vs Florida State College at Jacksonville
RVIndian River State vs #11 Northwest Florida State
HCC vs Daytona State
Up Next:
The Manatees will return home as they welcome ASA Miami (0-1) to Hal Chasey Gymnasium Tuesday, November 9 at 7:30 pm.
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