5th Herd Prepares for Rematch @ SPC

Bradenton, Fla - With the holidays nearing the end, along with the new year approaching closer, the SCF basketball team (5-4) will look to focus on their next game as they will travel to St. Petersburg to take on St. Pete college (2-7) at the St. Pete Gibbs Campus Gymnasium Wednesday night, November 30 at 7 pm.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of hosting the second annual Florida vs Georgia Thanksgiving Classic, where they faced and defeated Georgia Highlands (91-77) and Gordon State College (83-74). They also welcomed Polk State and Indian River State to participate in the classic as two of the remaining teams from Florida before becoming co-champions of the classic with Indian River State for the second straight season. Additionally, the Manatees enter their next game on a five-game winning streak.

Sky High Zone:

Since transferring from Missouri State University, sophomore Skylar Wicks has been leading the team offensively. Wicks is currently averaging 20.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.4 steals per game. At the Thanksgiving Classic, he had 51 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and nine steals in both games, which including a career-high 36 points and seven steals against Georgia Highlands.

At the end of the classic, Wicks was named on the All-Thanksgiving Classic First Team and the Thanksgiving Classic MVP.

Harraway Hot Hand:

Sophomore Cobey Harraway has also been leading the team well with Wicks. Harraway currently is averaging 15.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, two assists and 1.4 steals per game. The Seattle native averaged 14 points, five rebounds and three assists per game.

Harraway was named on the All-Thanksgiving Classic Second Team.

Hammer Time:

Sophomore Ronnail Tape is averaging 6.7 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. Tape averaged nine points and 4.5 rebounds at the classic, which included a career-high 16 points and eight rebounds against Gordon State.

Passing in the West:

Since transferring from Porterville College in California, sophomore Isaiah 'Ziggy' Josue has made an impact in passing. Josue is averaging 8.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. At the classic, the Miami native averaged 11.5 points, six rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.

Along with Josue's passing, freshman Malyk Rebetez has also been a key passer in the lineup. Rebetez is averaging 3.9 assists per game to go along with 3.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.

Kashing In the Bank:

Freshman Kasheem Grady continues to play a strong role of the bench for the Manatees. Grady is averaging 5.8 points and 2.3 rebounds. At the classic, the Georgia native averaged eight points and 2.5 rebounds per game.

Wildcard Factor:

Sophomore Ametri Moss, redshirt freshman Zach Smith and freshmen Elijah Terry, Josh Ijeh and Dresean Knight are the wild cards of the team.

Moss returned to the rotation after missing the first six games of the season due to a hand injury. He is averaging two points and 2.3 rebounds per game.

Smith is averaging 4.3 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game despite scoring only one point in the classic.

Terry, who has also played a key role in the bench rotation, is averaging 7.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. He averaged 6.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in the Thanksgiving Classic.

Ijeh has been the leading rebounder for the Manatees in the lineup. The native of Milton Keynes, England is averaging 5.3 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.

Knight, who plays as backup for Ijeh, is averaging 2.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.

Scouting St. Pete:

The Titans are entering the contest with the Manatees on a four-game losing skid and are coming off of a 86-71 loss to former Suncoast rival Hillsborough. 

Freshman Joshua Meo leads the team averaging 15.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. Meo had 24 points and three rebounds against HCC.

Freshman Jaden Ezomo played in the last three games where he is averaging 16.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and two blocks per game.

Overall, the Manatees are 16-19 against the Titans, which includes the 102-98 overtime win at Hal Chasey earlier in the season.

How to Keep Up:

The game will be livestream on the St. Pete College Athletics Page and fans can keep up with the Manatees on all social media platforms.

Livestream Link: https://athletics.spcollege.edu/broadcast/watch

Social Media:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SCFMensBasketball

Twitter - https://twitter.com/SCF_Basketball

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/scfbasketball/

5th Herd Sweeps Thanksgiving Classic

Bradenton, Fla - Last season, the SCF basketball team hosted the inaugural Florida vs Georgia Thanksgiving Classic and were co-champions with Indian River State. Today, the Manatees (5-4) once again became co-champions again with the Pioneers (8-1) as they defeated Gordon State College (6-3) 83-74 on Thanksgiving Thursday and Georgia Highlands (2-7) 91-77 on Friday. With the sweep, the Manatees are now 2-0 against the Highlanders and 3-0 against the Chargers.

"I thought the one thing we learned from both games is that they were both different," said head coach Tom Parks. "I think that now at this point of the year, we're still trying to figure out how to win and we've done a good job the last five games on learning how to win. Not saying the game of basketball is great, but I thought these were really where we took steps in the right direction, in terms of our growth, learning how to win together and get stops down the stretch, so it was a great learning experience playing against two teams from a good region."

SCF vs Gordon State:

Four seasons ago, on December 14, 2018, the SCF basketball team and Gordon State College had their first meeting together at Hal Chasey Gymnasium in which SCF was victorious winning by a score of 76-72. Their game was considered a rematch.

Prior to the SCF's game, Polk State (4-3) defeated Georgia Highlands (2-6) 64-55 in the opening game of the classic

In the first half, it would be a back and forth dog fight in ties and lead changes with sophomore Ronnail Tape leading part of the path offensively. In the end, the Highlanders would take the first half 44-43.

In the second half, things started going on the side of the Manatees with Tape's shooting and Ijeh's blocking as they sealed the deal for the win.

"I thought we played really well," said freshman Josh Ijeh. "We started off a bit slow, but we got there in the end and finished the game off well.

"We played a solid game tonight," said sophomore Cobey Harraway. "There's a lot of things we need to continue to clean up and get better at, specifically on the defensive side of things. Right now, we're just taking it one game at a time and try to improve with every game. Overall, I think we rebounded really well today and we made some great defensive plays in the last stretch of the game."

Five Manatees scored in double figures. It was Tape that lead the offense for the Manatees as he finished with a career-high 16 points (6-for-10 FG, 1-for-4 3PT, 3-for-6 FT) and eight rebounds. Sophomore Skylar Wicks would follow with 15 points (5-for-13 FG, 5-for-5 FT), six rebounds, four assists and two steals, while freshman Kasheem Grady added 12 points (5-for-12 FG, 2-for-8 3PT), three rebounds, two assists and a block.

Harraway would add 11 points (5-for-11 FG, 1-for-4 3PT), seven rebounds, five assists and two steals, while sophomore  Isaiah 'Ziggy' Josue rounded out the order with 10 points (5-for-8 FG), seven rebounds and five assists.

"I feel like I had a solid game," said Harraway on his game. "I was just trying to affect the game in any way I could on both ends of the floor. The other team was really focused on trying to take me away offensively so I was trying to get my teammates involved as much as possible." 

Defensively, Ijeh and freshman Dreseasn Knight each had four rebounds. Ijeh added three points and two blocks, while Knight added four points and three blocks.

"I thought I played decent," said Ijeh on his game. "I got some rebounds and blocks, but I have to make sure to stay out of foul trouble.

Sophomore Ametri Moss (two points, one rebound and two assists), redshirt freshman Zach Smith (three rebounds and two assists) and freshmen Malyk Rebetez (seven points, five rebounds and three assists) and Elijah Terry (four points, three rebounds, one assist and one steal) also contributed in the game.

SCF vs Georgia Highlands:

Last season, the Manatees played Georgia Highlands twice and won both games by three points (85-82 at Georgia Highlands; 75-72 at SCF Thanksgiving Classic).

Prior to SCF playing, Indian River State (7-1) defeated Gordon State College (5-3) by a score of 122-72.

The first half belonged primarily to the Chargers as they continuously shot the hot hand from the 3-point line and being up by as much as 32 points, but after a couple of adjustments and strong rebounding from Terry, and sophomores Skylar Wicks and Cobey Harraway, the Manatees were able to cut the deficit to 21 and finish the first half 47-26 in favor of the Chargers.

At the start of the second half, Wicks, Harraway and Rebetez would light up the beginning of the Manatees' offense with a 17-0 run the first five minutes in. Meanwhile, Wicks and Harraway continued to lead offense by hitting three after three while Wicks played a more defensive role on top of his offense to cut the Chargers lead to six before they called a timeout.

After the timeout, the Manatees continued adding more points as Terry would bring a putback basket off of a Rebetez miss before the Chargers scored their first points of the second half, but the Manatees continued taking advantage of forced turnovers on the Chargers before Wick tied the game at 55 apiece with a 3-pointer.

The Manatees would finally take their first lead of the half as the transfer from Missouri State would hit another 3-pointer before the Chargers tied the game at 61 apiece before a media timeout.

Key defense plays from Wicks, Tape and Ijeh helped the Manatees regain the lead with free throws and a mid-range jumper by Wicks before an and-one from Tape extended the lead to three. Wicks, Harraway and Josue would then extended it to double digits before it became smoothing sailing for the Manatees for the win.

"I feel like the team started out slow in the beginning," sais Tape. "But after that, we didn't give up, picked up the tempo and pushed back for the win. It feels good to play unfamiliar teams that aren’t in our region. Playing on our home court for a national holiday is definitely a bonus and since we’re hosting the tournament I feel like it’s a must win situation.

"As a team overall we just competed," said Terry. "We never put our heads down the entire time. Going into halftime we had no doubt we were still in the game! Just finished the game plan."

Three Manatees lead the offense, but it was once again Wicks that would lead the way as he finished with a new career-high 36 points (11-for-23 FG, 5-for-9 3PT, 9-for-13 FT), seven rebounds, four assists and a career-high seven steals.

Harraway would follow with 18 points (5-for-10 FG, 4-for-7 3PT, 4-for-5 FT), two rebounds, one assist and one steal, while Josue rounded out the order with 10 points (3-for-11 FG, 1-for-3 FT, 3-for-6 FT), five rebounds, two assists and three steals.

Terry would add nine points (4-for-5 FG, 1-for-2 FT), six rebounds and one steal, while Ijeh had six rebounds to go along with four points, one steal and three blocks.

"I just brought the energy my team needed to get going and I just let the rest play out," said Terry.

Despite being held to three points, one rebound, one steal and two assists, Tape played his most aggressive side of defense.

"I feel like I had a slow game offensively," said Tape. "But I helped us push back by being solid and aggressive on the defensive and rebounding side."

Moss (four points, three rebounds and one assist), Rebetez (two points, five rebounds, one assist and one steal), Grady (four points and two rebounds), Knight (three rebounds and a block) and Smith (one point) also contributed in the game.

On the final day of the classic, Indian River defeated Georgia Highlands 94-72 before Gordon State defeated Polk State 88-80 in overtime to close it.

Final Thanksgiving Classic Standings:

1. SCF (2-0)

2. Indian River State (2-0)

3. Polk State (1-1)

4. Gordon State (1-1)

5. Georgia Highlands (0-2)

All-Classic Team Recognition:

At the end of the tournament, Parks announced the All-Florida vs Georgia Thanksgiving Classic Team on Monday where it was separated into two teams.

All-Thanksgiving Classic First Team:

Skylar Wicks (SCF) MVP

PJ Carter (Georgia Highlands)

Jyre McCloud (Indian River)

Christian Watkins (Gordon State)

George Pridgett (Polk State)

All-Thanksiving Classic Second Team:

Cobey Harraway (SCF)

Dominick Nelson (Polk State)

Jayshayne Woodard (Indian River)

Akili Evans (Georgia Highlands)

Kamron Battle (Gordon State)

Other Southern Conference Scores:

Hillsborough (8-1) defeated St. Pete College (2-7) 86-71 in St. Pete. The Hawks will take on RAAD Sports Elite Post Grad Wednesday, November 30 at 7 pm.

Up Next:

The Manatees are back on the road as they travel to St. Pete to take on St. Pete College Wednesday night, November 30 at 7 pm.

5th Herd Takes First Game in Thanksgiving Classic

Bradenton, Fla - Four seasons ago, on December 14, 2018, the SCF basketball team and Gordon State College had their first meeting together at Hal Chasey Gymnasium in which SCF was victorious winning by a score of 76-72. Today, the Manatees (4-4) took the rematch against the Highlanders (5-2) by a score of 83-74 on the first day of the second annual Florida vs Georgia Thanksgiving Classic. The Manatees are now 2-0 overall against the Highlanders.

"I thought we played really well," said freshman Josh Ijeh. "We started off a bit slow, but we got there in the end and finished the game off well.

"We played a solid game tonight," said sophomore Cobey Harraway. "There's a lot of things we need to continue to clean up and get better at, specifically on the defensive side of things. Right now, we're just taking it one game at a time and try to improve with every game. Overall, I think we rebounded really well today and we made some great defensive plays in the last stretch of the game."

Prior to the SCF's game, Polk State (4-2) defeated Georgia Highlands (2-5) 64-55 in the opening game of the classic

In the first half, it would be a back and forth dog fight in ties and lead changes with sophomore Ronnail Tape leading part of the path offensively. In the end, the Highlanders would take the first half 44-43.

In the second half, things started going on the side of the Manatees with Tape's shooting and Ijeh's blocking as they sealed the deal for the win.

Five Manatees scored in double figures. It was Tape and sophomore Skylar Wicks that lead the offense for the Manatees as they each had 15 points apiece. Tape  (6-for-9 FG, 3-for-6 FT), who was two rebounds shy of a double-double and set a career-high in points, added, eight rebounds, one assist and one steal, while Wicks (5-for-12 FG, 5-for-5 FT) added five rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Sophomore Ziggy Josue finished with 13 points (6-for-9 FG), seven rebounds and five assists, while freshman Kasheem Grady added 12 points (5-for-12 FG, 2-for-9 3PT), four rebounds, two assists and two blocks.

Harraway would round out the order with 11 points (5-for-10 FG, 1-for-3 3PT), six rebounds, five assists and two steals.

"I feel like I had a solid game," said Harraway on his game. "I was just trying to affect the game in any way I could on both ends of the floor. The other team was really focused on trying to take me away offensively so I was trying to get my teammates involved as much as possible." 

Defensively, Ijeh and freshman Dreseasn Knight each had three blocks. Ijeh added three points and one steal, while Knight added four points and four rebounds.

"I thought I played decent," said Ijeh on his game. "I got some rebounds and blocks, but I have to make sure to stay out of foul trouble.

Sophomore Ametri Moss (two points, one rebound and two assists), redshirt freshman Zach Smith (three rebounds and two assists) and freshmen Malyk Rebetez (seven points, five rebounds and four assists) and Elijah Terry (four points, four rebounds and one steal) also contributed in the game.

All-Classic Team Standings:

1. SCF (1-0)

2. Polk State (1-0)

3. Indian River State (0-0)

4. Gordon State (0-1)

5. Georgia Highlands (0-1)

Up Next:

The Manatees will wrap up their portion of the classic as they face Georgia Highlands Friday night, November 25 at 7 pm.

5th Herd Set for Thanksgiving Classic

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF basketball team (3-4) return home to Hal Chasey Gymnasium after a successful road game as they prepare for the second annual Thanksgiving Classic. The Manatees will welcome Gordon State College (5-1) and Georgia Highlands (3-3) on Thanksgiving weekend, November 24-25 (4 pm vs Gordon State College on Nov. 24; 7 pm vs Georgia Highlands on Nov. 25).

Polk State (3-2) and Indian River State (6-1) will also be participating in the classic, but will not face SCF until later dates.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of a road win rematch after defeating Santa Fe College 92-85 in Gainesville. They have won three straight games so far going into the classic.

Origin of The Classic:

Last season, head coach Tom Parks originated the Thanksgiving Classic through a humorous Twitter war against a few head coaches from Georgia. One tweet lead to another and it was confirmed and made official with Georgia Highlands, South Georgia Tech and Albany Tech representing Georgia. Soon after, Eastern Florida State, Indian River State and Chipola entered the fray and joined SCF in the classic to make it official.

In the inaugural opener of the classic, the Manatees would tie as co-champions with Indian River State after defeating then #17 South Georgia Tech (103-98, OT), then RV Georgia Highlands (75-72) and Albany Tech (73-67). Both SCF and Indian River State

Then sophomore James 'Pop' Weathers was named Co-All-Classic MVP with then sophomore AJ Cajuste (Indian River State) and a member of the inaugural Florida vs Georgia Thanksgiving All-Classic Team with then freshman Ametri Moss.

Reach for the Sky:

Redshirt sophomore Skylar Wicks has been one of the leading factors for the Manatees offense. The transfer from Missouri State University is currently averaging 19.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while also averaging three 3-pointers a game (56.8 %). Against Santa Fe, Wicks set a new career-high with 34 points (5-for-7 at the 3-point line) and six rebounds.

Harraway Hot Streak:

Sophomore Cobey Harraway has scored in double figures in five straight games this season. Harraway currently is averaging 15.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He had 15 points and six rebounds against Santa Fe.

Rebounding Hammers:

In rebounding, freshmen Josh Ijeh and Dresean Knight and sophomore Ronnail Tape lead the way.

Ijeh is averaging 8.3 rebounds, 5.9 points and 1.6 blocks per game, including nine rebounds, six points and four blocks against Santa Fe.

Knight is still averaging 2.3 rebounds, 2.7 points and 1.7 blocks per game. He had two points, three rebounds and two blocks in his last outing.

Tape, who has started the last four games, is currently averaging 5.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game and has improved on his 3-point shooting. Tape had five points and four rebounds in his last game.

Kash Flow:

Freshman Kasheem Grady has played a strong role off the bench and has provided sparks for the team's offense. Grady is averaging 5.1 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. He had 11 points and three rebounds in his last outing.

Wild Cards:

Sophomore Ziggy Josue, redshirt freshman Zach Smith and freshman Elijah Terry and Malyk Rebetez are the wild cards in the game.

Josue is averaging 8.6 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. The transfer from CCCAA Porterville College had eight points and five assists in the last game.

Smith is averaging 5.4 points and two assists per game. He had five points and two assists last game.

Terry is averaging 8.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. He had five points and four rebounds against Santa Fe.

Rebetez plays as the primary pass-first guard. The Swiss native is averaging 3.6 points and 4.3 assists per game. Rebetez had two points and three assists last game.

Scouting Gordon State College:

Gordon State College is located in Barnesville, Georgia and are a part of NJCAA Region 17/GCAA. They are lead by head coach Darryl Stinson. The Highlanders are coming off of their first loss of the season as they fell to Denmark Tech by a score of 83-69.

Sophomores Zyterious Wright (16 ppg and 5.5 rpg) and Kameron Battle (16 ppg and 4.2 rpg) and freshman Chaydon Stone (16.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg and 2.2 apg) lead the offensive front.

This will be the second time the Manatees play the Highlanders. The first encounter between both team was on December 14, 2018 where the Manatees won 76-72.

Scouting Georgia Highlands:

Georgia Highlands also representing NJCAA Region 17 (Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association) and are lead by head coach Jonathan "JJ" Merritt, who enters his third season as head coach. The Chargers are entering the classic on a two-game losing skid after falling to Gulf Coast State (95-84) and #4 Chipola College (94-82) at the Milton Johnson Classic in Mariana.

Sophomore PJ Carter leads the team with 21.3 points and three rebounds per game, while redshirt freshman Akili Evans follows with 12.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and two assists per game and sophomore Varun Danak is averaging 8.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.

This will be the third time both teams. Last season, the Manatees won both matchups against the Chargers by scores of 85-82 and 75-72.

How to Keep Up:

Both games will air on the SCF Sports Network and fans can keep up with both teams on all social media platforms.

Livestream Link: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/scf/

Social Media:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SCFMensBasketball

Twitter - https://twitter.com/SCF_Basketball

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/scfbasketball/

5th Herd Takes Rematch Over Santa Fe

Gainesville, Fla - The SCF basketball team (3-4) pulled off their third straight win as they defeated Santa Fe College (3-2) 92-85 at the Santa Fe Gymnasium in Gainesville in a rematch.

In the first half, both teams would go back and forth in exchanging lead changes and ties. Eventually, the Saints would take the first half 49-48.

In the second half, the Manatees would hold the lead by as much as seven, but a Saints 3-pointer would tie the game at 73 apiece with less than seven minutes to go. With much determination, sophomores Skylar Wicks and Cobey Harraway would give the Manatees some leverage with 3-pointer after 3-pointer to regain the lead before Wicks finalized the half with two final free throws to give the Manatees win.

Wicks would lead the offense overall as he finished with a career-high 34 points (11-for-21 FG, 5-for-8 3PT, 7-for-8 FT), four rebounds, three assists and one steal. Harraway would follow with 15 points (4-for-11 FG, 2-for-7 3PT, 5-for-6 FT), six rebounds, three assists and three steals while freshman Kasheem Grady rounded out the order with 11 points (4-for-10 FG, 2-for-5 3PT, 1-for-2 FT), three rebounds and one assist and sophomore Isaiah 'Ziggy' Josue had eight points (3-for-8 FG, 1-for-4 3PT,1-for-2 FT), one rebound and five assists.

In rebounding, freshman Josh Ijeh lead the way with eight rebounds to go along with six points (3-for-3 FG) and three blocks, while classmate Dresean Knight added three blocks to go along with three rebounds and two points.

Sophomores Ronnail Tape (five points, four rebounds and one block) and Ametri Moss (one rebound and one assist), redshirt freshman Zach Smith (five points, one rebound and one assist) and freshmen Malyk Rebetez (two points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals) and Slim Terry (five points, four rebounds, one assist and one block) also contributed in the game.

For the Saints, sophomore Kordell Brown lead the way with 18 points and nine rebounds, while redshirt sophomore Jalen Speer followed with a double-double of 15 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds before fouling out.

Other Southern Conference Scores:

RV Indian River State (6-1) defeated St. Pete College (2-5) 85-62. The Pioneers will take on Time to Ball Prep Monday night, November 21 at 5:30 pm.

Up Next:

The Manatees return home to Hal Chasey Gymnasium as they host the second annual Florida vs Georgia Thanksgiving Classic on Thursday and Friday, November 24 and 25. They will welcome Gordon State College (5-1) and Georgia Highlands (3-3).

5th Herd Secures First Home Win in OT Thriller

Bradenton, Fla - A huge spark off the bench from freshman Kasheem Grady helped the SCF basketball team (2-4) pulled off a thriller at Hal Chasey Gymnasium as they defeated former conference rival St. Pete College (1-4) 102-98 in overtime. With the win, the Manatees are 16-19 against the Titans.

"I thought we had some ups and downs, which is a part of basketball," said head coach Tom Parks. "There's a lot of runs from both teams in basketball and we took a few of them in this game with an early lead to set the tone defensively and adjusted to it by halftime. It was a fun second half of both teams going back and forth in lead changes, so I'm just trying to worry about results so much and try to enjoy each practice, game and possession and I felt this was an enjoyable basketball game to witness."

"We did great and stuck together as a team," said Grady. "We really meshed together really good and not let each other feel down and play hard."

"I think we did a lot better moving the ball around when we were struggling with it at first," said sophomore Sky Wicks. "After that we just had a big change after our last win and we just turned our whole mindset around and that was really important."

"I think the team did great," said redshirt freshman Zach Smith. "These types of games that we keep having test our character. Honestly, we had a few leads and we blew it a bit, but we still fought. It could have been so bad for us but we came back and fought to the end and I'm proud of how we did."

The first half started off in the Manatees favor as they started a 12-0 run in the first three minutes. The Manatees would go up by as much as 16 points before the Titans cut the deficit and tied everything up in the first half at 52 apiece.

At the start of the second half, both teams would exchange shots before the Titans took their first lead of the half before going up by as much as nine points. With seven minutes left, the Manatees started to come back with putback shots from Grady as both teams exchanged leads before the Titans remained in the lead 86-84 with 13 seconds left.

As the Titans inbounded the ball, the Manatees took advantage of a crucial mistake as Wicks stole the ball and dished it to an open Cobey Harraway as the sophomore took the ball to the hole and secured a game-tying layup to make it 86 apiece. In a last chance effort, Smith attempted to score a game-winning 3-pointer from the wing, but it went to no avail and sent the game into overtime.

At the start of overtime, the Manatees began with a layup from Smith before Harraway secured a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 91-87 before the Titans cut the lead by two before Grady secured an and-one.

In the final two minutes of overtime, the Titans would make a costly mistake as they committed a technical foul that forced Wicks to shoot one of two free-throws to make it 94-92 before the Titans took the lead with a 3-pointer with 1:13 left in overtime, but a Wicks layup and a crucial rebound by Harraway lead Wicks to the free throw line to shoot two free throws in success.

With 20 seconds left, the Titans tried to tie the game with a 3-pointer, but to no avail as Wicks secured the rebound and went to the free throw line again to make both before Grady sealed it with a dunk before the game ended.

"We were up and trying to get some good shots and rebounding while taking advantage of their (SPC) bad shots and fouls," said Wicks on overtime. "It was a big part of the game plan for us."

"Overtime felt like a dog fight for us," said Grady on overtime. "It just whoever wanted it more was going to get it and we kept fighting and didn't let up and kept pushing."

Three Manatees scored in double figures. It was Wicks that lead the way as the former Missouri State University transfer finished with 19 points (4-for-9 FG, 2-for-4 3PT, 9-for-10 FT), two rebounds, three assists and two steals.

"I thought I did well, even if there's some steps to improve on," said Wicks on his performance. "I did well on my free throws early on and it was a big improvement."

Harraway and Grady would each finish with 16 points apiece. Harraway (5-for-9 FG, 3-for-6 3PT, 3-for-4 FT) added three rebounds, two assists and a steal, while Grady (7-for-9 FG, 2-for-4 3PT) added six rebounds, two assists, three steals and one block.

"I felt like we were practicing hard with the guys pushing me in practice and vice versa," said Grady on his performance. "I thought I did good and I just kept up the momentum while listening to my coaches."

"Kash Grady was the turning point for us in this game," said Parks on Grady "There was a lot of emotion of what I wanted to say and it came back from the fact we wouldn't win a game without him. The rebounds, energy and deflections he made down the stretch earned him a lot of respect from me in the course of this game. I feel he is someone who has struggled to find his way on the team and what he could do to earn minutes and help our team. Tonight, he told everyone what he did with his playing because the physical thing about today was a lot of his points came at will off of the rebound and I was just really proud of him for all the sacrifices he has made with his intensity."

Sophomore Isaiah 'Ziggy' Josue and freshman Josh Ijeh rounded out the order with nine points each. Josue (3-for-9 FG, 1-for-2 3PT, 2-for-2 FT) added three rebounds, two assists and one steal, while Ijeh (4-for-6 FG, 1-for-2 FT) added five rebounds and one block.

Smith lead all the Manatees with five assists to go along with six points, three rebounds and two steals.

"We were learning in practice on getting to transitions," said Smith. "I thought we practiced that really well and pushed the pace for us."

Sophomore Ronnail Tape (eight points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block) and freshmen Dresean Knight (eight points, five rebounds and three steals) and Elijah 'Slim' Terry (seven points, two rebounds and three assists) also contributed in the game.

For the Titans, Jaden Enzomo lead the way with 24 points (11-for-19 FG) and nine rebounds off the bench, while Josh Meo followed with 20 points (7-for-10 FG, 6-for-9 3PT).

Notes:

Wicks, Grady and Smith are the first players to be interviewed for the 2022-23 season.

Other Southern Conference Scores:

Hillsborough (6-0) defeated Santa Fe College (3-1) 95-81. The Hawks will take on Polk State (2-2) Friday afternoon, November 18.

RV Indian River State (5-1) were upset by Daytona State (6-0) by a score of 111-101. The Pioneers will take on St. Pete Saturday afternoon, November 19 at 2 pm.

Up Next:

The Manatees return on the road for their next game as they travel to Gainesville for a rematch against Santa Fe College Saturday afternoon, November 19 at 4 pm.

5th Herd Readies for Old Rivalry

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF basketball team (1-4) return from a two-game road trip as they welcome former Suncoast Conference rival St. Pete College (1-3) to Hal Chasey Gymnasium Wednesday night, November 16 at 7 pm.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of winning their first game of the season after defeating then RV South Georgia State 93-91 at the Indian River Veteran's Classic in Fort Pierce.

5th Herd Splash Brothers:

Sophomores Skylar Wicks and Cobey Harraway lead the way in scoring for the Manatees. Wicks, a transfer from Missouri State University, is averaging 16.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game, while Harraway is averaging 16 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. Against South Georgia State, Wicks had a career-high 28 points (7-for-11 at the 3-point line), three rebounds, four assists and two steals, while Harraway had 25 points (7-for-10 at the 3-points line), six rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Dishing the Assist Life:

Sophomore Isaiah 'Ziggy' Josue and freshman Malik Rebetez lead the way for assists. Josue is averaging 3.8 assists per game along with 8.8 points and 3.2 rebounds, while Rebetez leads averaging five assists per game to go along with 3.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals. Against South Georgia State, both players had eight assists each.

On the rebounding game, freshmen Josh Ijeh and Elijah 'Slim' Terry lead the path in rebounding. Ijeh leads averaging 8.8 rebounds per game to go along with 5.2 points and 1.2 blocks, while Terry is averaging seven rebounds per game to go along with nine points per game. Ijeh had four points and four rebounds against South Georgia State, while Terry had 12 points and seven rebounds.

Sophomore Ronnail Tape is averaging 5.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. Tape had seven points and four rebounds in his last game.

Wildcards:

Redshirt freshman Zach Smith and freshman Dresean Knight are the wildcards in the rotation. Smith is averaging 5.4 points and 1.4 assists per game, while Knight is averaging 1.8 blocks, 1.5 points and 1.8 rebounds per game. Smith had six points and two rebounds in his last outing, while Knight had two points, three rebounds and a block.

Scouting SPC:

The Titans are coming off of a 91-64 loss to Hillsborough (former Suncoast Confernce member). They will play Pasco-Hernando State Tuesday night, November 15 prior to playing SCF.

Head coach Earnest Crumbley will enter his 23rd season with the Titans.

Freshmen Josh Meo (13.8 points), Brenden Williams (13.3 points) and Brandon Johnson (13 points) lead the scoring route, while in rebounding sophomore Branco Balingate (6.3 rebounds and 4.3 points per game) leads the path.

Series History:

Overall, the Manatees are 15-19 against the Titans. In their last outing, the Manatees took the overall series last season (68-63 and 88-65).

How to Keep Up:

The game will be livestream on the SCF Sports Network and fans can keep up with the Manatees on all social media platforms

Livestream Link: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/scf/

Social Media:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SCFMensBasketball

Twitter - https://twitter.com/SCF_Basketball

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/scfbasketball/

5th Herd Secures First Win of the Season

Fort Pierce, Fla - After falling in the first four games of the season, the SCF basketball team (1-4) secured their first win of the season as they defeated RV South Georgia State (3-2) 93-91 at the Indian River Veteran's Classic, hosted by Indian River State.

"Overall, I thought we played really hard and competed," said head coach Tom Parks. "I think the brightest note is trying to put more stuff in to create a better pace for us. We do got to clean up a lot of errors and some others things that we have to work on. The best thing of all is we fought and came back to take the lead after falling in the first four games. It was a good feeling getting our first win and I'm very happy for the guys."

The first half belonged to the Manatees as they took the first half 57-34, while they did give up a big lead in the second, they managed to hold on and secure the win.

It was sophomores Skylar Wicks and Cobey Harraway that lead the way for the Manatees overall. Wicks lead the way with a career-high 28 points (9-for-18 FG, 7-for-11 3PT, 3-for-4 FT), three rebounds, four assists, two steal and a block, while Harraway had 25 points (9-for-14 FG, 7-for-10 3PT, 1-for-2 FT), six rebounds, two assists and two steals. Freshman Elijah Terry would round out the order with 12 points (4-for-6, 2-for-3 3PT, 2-for-2 FT), seven rebounds and one assist off the bench.

Sophomore Ziggy Josue and freshman Malik Rebetez leads the way with eight assists each. Rebetez added four points, one rebound and four steals, while Josue added seven points, two rebounds and a block before fouling out.

Sophomore Ronnail Tape (seven points, four rebounds and one assist), redhsirt freshman Zach Smith (six points, two rebounds and two assists) and freshmen Josh Ijeh (four points, four rebounds and one steal), Dresean Knight (two points, three rebounds and a block), Kasheem Grady (one assist) and Shawn Lefrense (two assist) also contributed in the game.

For the Hawks, Zae Wiggins and Carlos Hart lead the way with 28 and 25 points respectively. Wiggins added five rebounds, three assists and two steals, while Hart added seven rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block.

Up Next:

The Manatees return home to Hal Chasey Gymnasium as they welcome former conference rival St. Pete College (1-3) Wednesday night, November 15 at 7 pm.

SCF Volleyball Closes Season at Districts

Palatka, Fla - The #7 seed SCF volleyball team (12-15) ended their season for 2022 at the opening round of the Gulf District Tournament as they fell to #2 seed (#19) Gulf Coast State (24-3) 3-0 (14-25, 23-25, 21-25).

Earlier Matches:

Before SCF played Gulf Coast State, there were matches before them.

#4 seed Palm Beach State (12-6) shutout #5 seed South Florida State (8-12) 3-0, while #3 seed and host St. John's River State (21-14) shutout Northwest Mississippi (15-14) 3-0. As a result of their losses, South Florida State and Northwest Mississippi moved down to the loser bracket.

After the matches, the Manatees were up and while they fought in the second and third sets, it was ultimately not enough as the Commodores took the win to advance to the next round.

It was freshman Haley Rhoads that lead the offense and front row defense as she finished with 16 kills (.348) and six blocks. Classmates Caelen Cook and Shelby Pillow followed along with Cook finishing with nine kills, three digs and two blocks, while Pillow rounded out the order with seven kills and three blocks.

In setting, freshman Kendall Steinert secured her 17th double-double on the year as she finished with 38 assists, 12 digs, four kills and three aces.

On back row defense, it was freshman Bailey Perry that lead with a career-high 28 digs, five kills, three aces and three blocks. Classmate Bella Rebimbas and sophomore Shelby McGee followed with 12 and 13 digs respectively. Rebimbas added four kills, two assists and a block, while McGee added two assists.

Sophomore Lison Stoffel (nine digs, two assists and two aces) and freshman Rachel Carroll (five digs) also contributed in their final match of the season.

Notes:

With her 38 assists, Steinert now has 884 in her career and has surpassed Gracee Carpino (859, 2019-20) for fifth all-time. She will need 85 next season to surpass Kierston Smith (2011-12) for fourth all-time and be the fourth setter to reach 1,000 career assists.

Stoffel's final two assists put her at 534 in her career.

Rhoads was named a member of the NJCAA Gulf District All-Tournament Team.

Perry's 28 digs put her in the FCSAA 25 Dig Club.

Up Next:

This concludes the season for indoor volleyball and for sophomores Lison Stoffel, Shelby McGee and Lana Sandanom. The Manatees will now focus on beach season and defending their national championship for the 2023 season.

SCF VB Heads to Gulf District Tournament

Bradenton, Fla- After a long drought of not qualifying for the postseason for eight straight seasons, the SCF volleyball team (12-14) will turn their shining moment into a reality as they travel to Palatka for the two-day FCSAA/NJCAA Gulf District Tournament at the William H. Tuten Gymnasium Friday and Saturday, November 4-5, hosted by St. John's River State. The Manatees will be the #7 seed in the tournament and will face #19 Gulf Coast State College (24-7) in the first round at 2 pm.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees wrapped up their portion of the regular season after losing to Palm Beach State at home (3-2) at home before losing to #17 Hillsborough (3-0) on the road in the finale. They would finish in second in the Sun Lakes South Division.

Final Sun Lakes Standings:

North - 

1. #19 Gulf Coast State (22-3, 10-3) #*

2. RV Pensacola State (24-7, 10-3) #

3. St. John's River (20-14, 9-4)#

4. Florida State College at Jacksonville (9-7, 7-6) e

5. Lake Sumter State (10-15, 3-10) e

South - 

1. Palm Beach State (11-6, 9-4) #*

2. SCF (12-14, 5-8) #

3. South Florida State (8-11, 5-8) #

4. St. Pete (8-11, 4-9) e

5. Pasco-Hernando State (8-16, 3-10) e

# - Clinched Playoff Berth

e - eliminated

* Conference Champions

Historic Fact:

In 2014, the Manatees, who at the time were division one, went to the 16-team NJCAA Volleyball National Tournament in Casper, Wyoming after automatically qualifying after reaching the finals of the FCSAA State Tournament and finishing as the runner-up. They would be one of three teams in Florida to go to nationals (Miami Dade and Polk State were the other two teams that went).

The Manatees would finish in 10th place and finish the season 28-7 overall with a 7-1 record in conference where they had the third longest winning streak in program history (22 straight wins) while being ranked nationally.

The following names are the players on the 2014 SCF volleyball team:

JaNhea Beisner

Yamiana 'Yami' Ramos

Jessica Emile

Hannah Curtis

Kalli Collier

Lea Lieb

Katie Gathman

Taylor Lafavre

Jenny D'Alessandro

Holly Kabana

Maja Ristic

Kelly Stewart

Susanna Peonia

Tournament Breakdown:

The FCSAA DII/NJCAA Gulf District Tournament is single elimination where seven teams will compete. The team that loses their match is eliminated from the tournament and ends their season. The winner of the final match will win the tournament and represent the Gulf District as one of 16 teams for the NJCAA National Volleyball Tournament in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Six teams from Florida will be in the tournament with one team from Mississippi also joining. As a result of taking the tiebreaker in the north division, Pensacola State is the #1 seed in the tournament and  will have a first round bye.

Lake Sumter State, who won the district tournament last year, did not qualify for the tournament this year as they finished this season in last place in their division.

There is a possible chance where one of the teams could get a spot in the national tournament as an at-large bid.

The following listed are the seven teams that qualified for the Gulf District Tournament and their seedings:

#1 (#19) Gulf Coast State (23-3)

#2 RV Pensacola State (24-7)

#3 St. John's River State (20-14)

#4 Palm Beach State (11-6) 

#5 South Florida State (8-11)

#6 Northwest Mississippi CC (15-13)

#7 SCF (12-14)

Match 1: #4 Palm Beach State vs  #5 South Florida State, 9 am

Match 2: #3 St. John's River vs Northwest Mississippi CC, 11:30 am

Match 3: #2 (#19) Gulf Coast State vs #7 SCF, 2 pm

Match 4: RV Pensacola State vs Match 1 winner, 4:30 pm

Match 5: Match 2 winner vs Match 3 winner, 7 pm

Match 6: Match 4 winner vs Match 5 winner, 1 pm (Gulf District Championship)

Award Winners:

Prior to the start of the district tournament, Steve Winterling, the chairman of the Sun Lakes Conference and athletic director to Pasco-Hernando State College, presented the yearly awards to the coaches and players.

Sun Lakes Player of the Year:

The Sun Lakes Conference Player of the Year was crowned to freshman outside hitter Allison Bryant from Palm Beach State. Bryant lead the Panthers with 269 kills, 34 aces, 210 digs and 25 blocks. She was also named a member of the All-Sun Lakes First Team and the All-FCSAA DII Team.

In addition to the Sun Lakes Player of the Year accolade, Bryant won the Dulcie 'Cookie' Stevens Award for being named the DII Player of the Year.

Sun Lakes Coach of the Year:

The Sun Lakes Conference Coach of the Year would be awarded to Pensacola State head coach Patricia Gandolfo. Gandolfo enters her first season with the Pirates after spending her last two seasons as an assistant coach for the University of West Florida. She helped the Pirates to the playoffs after their run last season where they fell in the semifinals to Lake Sumter State.

All-Sun Lakes First Team:

For the Manatees, freshmen Kendall Steinert was named to the All-Sun Lakes First Team. Steinert, who is ranked #27 in the nation in assists, is a three-time FCSAA Setter of the Week (9/6, 9/20 and 10/25) and one-time NJCAA Offensive Player of the Week (9/22). The setter from Englewood, Florida currently has 846 assists, 280 digs, 37 aces, 37 blocks (six solo) and 61 kills while producing 16 double-doubles in the season.

Additionally, Steinert recently surpassed Ewine Guscetti (824, 2018) for sixth all-time in career assists in the match against South Florida State and needs 14 to surpass Gracee Carpino (859, 2019-20) for fifth all-time.

Members from the other teams are as listed:

Gulf Coast State - Jenna Schuliger and Annabell Chancey

Pensacola State - Anyaliz Rodriguez

Palm Beach State - Allison Bryant and Nina Vellesi

South Florida State Yeishlanie Reyes and Isabella Hurtado 

St. Pete College - Bianca Johnson

Florida State College at Jacksonville - Ava Pringle

St. John's River State -  Cassidy Casey

All-Sun Lakes Second Team:

Representing the Manatees on the All-Sun Lakes Second Team is freshmen Haley Rhoads and Isabella Rebimbas.

While she sat out the last two matches to rest, Rhoads lead the offense with 203 kills, 12 aces and 50 blocks (14 solo). She is ranked #197 in the nation.

Rebimbas, who is the hybrid player for playing both offensively and defensively, finished the regular season with 188 kills, 16 aces, 280 digs and 21 blocks. She also produced four double-doubles on the season.

Members from the other teams are as listed:

Gulf Coast State - Erica Irby

Pensacola State - Brooke Sproat

Palm Beach State - Dena Otte and Ashlyn Banton

Pasco-Hernando State - Elena Castillo-Wetzell and Isabella Greifenstein

Florida State College at Jacksonville - Althea Sandoval

Lake Sumter State - Yarelis Lopez Osorio

St. John's River State - Julianne Lindsay

All-FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Team:

Along with being named on the All-Sun Lakes First Team, Steinert was named a member of the DII All-FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Team.

Members from the other teams are as listed:

Gulf Coast State - Annabell Chancey and Jenna Schuliger

Pensacola State - Julia Neveu and Anyaliz Rodriguez

Palm Beach State - Allison Bryant and Nina Vellesi

Florida State College at Jacksonville - Ava Pringle

St. John's River State - Cassidy Casey, Hope Harrington

St. Pete - Bianca Johnson

South Florida - Yeishlanie Reyes

Big Helps:

Alongside Steinert, Rhoads and Rebimbas, sophomores Shelby McGee and Lison Stoffel and freshmen Caelen Cook and Shelby Pillow play big roles in the rotation.

McGee leads the back row for the team with 338 digs, 23 aces and 42 assists. She has made the FCSAA 25 Dig Club three times this season.

Stoffel, who has played at three different positions, currently has 252 digs, 42 aces, 84 assists and 42 kills. In assists, she has 532 career assists (310 with Independence CC) and needs 65 to surpass Sanja Vojnovic (596, 2015) for 10th all-time.

Cook has rotated around between front row block and attack. Currently, she has 187 kills, 90 digs and 15 blocks in her name.

Pillow, the lead blocker in the front row, currently has 168 kills and 70 blocks (23 solo). She is currently tied at #102 in the nation in total blocks.

The Wild Ones:

Alongside the players who made the conference teams, freshmen Bailey Perry and Rachel Carroll have been the wildcards for the team, despite some nagging injuries (Perry: ankle; Carroll: concussion).

Perry currently has 45 kills and 96 digs, while Carroll has 19 aces and 175 digs this season.

Scouting #19 Gulf Coast State:

The Commodores, who are ranked #19 in the nation, are the #2 seed in the tournament after finishing in first in the north division.

Sophomore Evyn Peddie leads the offense with 178 kills and 35 blocks, while freshman Erica Irby (All-Sun Lakes Second Team) follows with 172 kills, 138 digs and 18 blocks and classmate Lauren Marien rounds the order with 160 kills, 39 aces and 18 blocks. 

Defensively, sophomore Aliyah Baker leads with 48 blocks (21 solo) to go along with 78 kills and 25 aces, while sophomore Jensen Diggs leads with 208 digs and 14 aces.

Scouting RV Pensacola State:

The Pirates are receiving votes in the NJCAA National Polls after finishing second behind Gulf Coast State, with the help of Sun Lakes Coach of the Year Patricia Gandolfo. They will be the #1 seed and will have a first round bye while awaiting the winner between #4 Palm Beach State and #5 South Florida State.

Freshman Anyaliz Rodriguez (All-Sun Lakes First Team - North Division) leads the offense 369 kills (3.32 kills per set), 32 aces, 416 digs and 52 blocks, while sophomore Brooke Sproat (All-Sun Lakes Second Team) follows with 309 kills and 70 blocks.

On defense, freshman Paige Patterson leads the front row with 98 blocks (85 block assists) and 151 kills, while sophomore Julia Neveu leads the back row with 515 digs and 40 aces.

Scouting St. John's River:

The Vikings earned the #3 seed after finishing in third place in the division.

Sophomore Cassidy Casey (All-Sun Lakes First Team) leads the offense with 310 kills, 15 aces and 80 blocks (70 block assists), while classmate Emma West follows with 214 kills and 41 blocks.

Defensively, freshman Alina Schneider leads the back row defense with 448 digs and 53 aces (#71 in the nation).

Scouting Palm Beach State:

The Panthers claimed the Sun Lake South Division Regular Season Championship while securing the #4 seed in the tournament.

Aside from Bryant (Sun Lakes Player of the Year, Region 8 DII Player of the Year and All-Sun Lakes First Team), sophomore Nina Vellesi (All-Sun Lakes First Team) has 117 kills, 23 aces and 31 blocks, while Otte (All-Sun Lakes Second Team) has 129 kills and 24 blocks.

On the back row defense, Banton (All-Sun Lakes Second Team) leads with 278 digs and 22 aces.

Scouting South Florida State:

The Panthers are the #5 seed in the tournament after finishing third in the south division.

Sophomore Isabella Hurtado (All-Sun Lakes First Team) leads the team offensively with 171 kills and 52 blocks, while freshmen Jayleen Santiago (144 kills) and Allie Shaffer (123 kills, 23 aces and 150 digs) follow along.

On defense, sophomore Yeishlanie Reyes (All-Sun Lakes First Team) leads with 342 digs.

Scouting Northwest Mississippi CC:

Northwest Mississippi CC is lead by Allison Burchyett, who enter her third season as head coach.

The Rangers are coming off of finishing the regular season at 15-13 overall with a 3-1 record in conference play. They qualified for the Gulf District Tournament after defeating Pearl River CC 3-0 in the NJCAA Region 23 Play-In Championship.

On offense, freshman Micah Swift leads the way with 211 kills, while classmates Kennedy Smith (185 kills and 13 aces), Jacie Hayes (161 kills)

On defense, sophomore Kayla Beal leads the way with 305 digs and 34 aces, while Swift and Hayes lead with 70+ blocks (Swift: 73; Hayes: 75).

How to Keep Up:

All the matches will air livestream on the FCSAA Digital Network and fans can keep up with the Manatees on all social media platforms.

Social Media Links -

Instagram: @volleyball_SCF

Twitter: @SCFVolleyball

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SCFvolleyball

FCSAA Livestream Link - https://team1sports.com/fcsaa/

5th Herd Opens Season on the Road

Bradenton, Fla - After much needed time practicing, the SCF basketball team, known as 5th Herd, will open the season on the road as they travel to Daytona to take on Daytona State College at the Lemerand Health, Wellness and Community Education Center Tuesday night, November 1 at 7 pm.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of finishing last season 14-16 overall with a 3-9 record in the Southern Conference. They did not make the postseason for the first time since the 2017-18 season.

The Manatees are lead by head coach Tom Parks, who enters his fifth season as head coach since taking the reins in 2018.

Parks is joined by assistant coaches Travis Nesby (third season) and Jamal Gaines (first year).

Recruits:

Parks has brought in 10 recruits (two transfers) to join the five returners from last season

Dresean Knight:

A 6-11 forward/center from Birmingham, Alabama, Knight joins the Manatees after graduating from Minor High School in Adamsville, Alabama.

As a member of the Tigers, Knight averaged his senior year over 14.4 points, 15.2 rebounds and 7.4 blocks per game while leading them to the AHSAA 6A State Tournament his last two years.

Quaivontay "Quai" Hammonds:

A 6-8 wing and local product from Bradenton, Hammonds joins the team from Palmetto High School. Prior to playing basketball, Hammonds played football for the Tigers as a quarterback before parting ways from it. He would get enrolled after passing his GED exams to help him.

This is Hammonds' first time playing organized basketball, but he will sit out this season to maintain his two years of eligibility.

Elijah "Slim" Terry:

A 6-7 wing from Enterprise, Alabama, Terry joins the Manatees after graduating and spending his last two years of varsity at Enterprise High School. As a player for the Wildcats, he averaged 13.6 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. 

During his junior year, Terry averaged 11.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, two assists and 1.4 steals per game while leading the team to the semifinals of the AHSAA 7A State Championship.

His senior year was his highlight year as he averaged 15.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game before winning the AHSAA 7A State Championship against James Clemens by a score off 66-64.

Isaiah "Ziggy" Josue:

A 6-4 guard from Miami, Josue joins the team after transferring from Porterville College (CCCAA) in Porterville, California with one year of eligibility remaining.

As a player for the Pirates, Josue averaged 11.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game while leading them to the Northern California Regional Tournament. Additionally, he was named the Central Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year and a member of the All-CVC First Team.

Prior to Porterville, Josue played at Mater Academy Charter School in Hialeah Gardens where he played three years of varsity for the Lions before continuing to play at postgrad level at Combine Academy. As a player on the Lions, Josue averaged 10.1 points per game and lead them to regional finals of the FHSAA 6A State Tournament.

Recently, Josue competed in the JUCO Showcase in Atlanta where he averaged nine points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game.

Kasheem Grady:

A 6-6 shooting guard from Lawerenceville, Georgia, Grady joins the Manatees after graduating from Mount Pisgah Christian School in Johns Creek, Georgia. As a member of the Patriots, Grady helped them to winning the 2021 GHSA Boys Basketball State Championship where he secured the game-winning steal and made the game-winning shot. In his senior year, he averaged 14.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.9 steals per game.

Josh Ijeh:

A 6-10 forward from Milton Keynes, England, Ijeh graduated from Milton Keynes Academy before enrolling at SCF. He was a member of Team Birmingham (UK NBL 2 D3) where he averaged 8.6 points, 11.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks for them.

Skylar Wicks:

A 6-6 combo guard from Jersey City, New Jersey, Wick joins the Manatees as a transfer from Missouri State University with one to two years of eligibility remaining. He is the first player under the Parks era from an NCAA DI university, the first NCAA transfer since 2018 (Deandre Osuigwe from DII Nyack College, 2018-19) and the first NCAA DI transfer since Devon Hodges (2012-13, Bradley University).

As a member of the Bears, Wicks played in six games during the 2020-21 season where he averaged one point 0.8 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game before redshirting the following season and transferring.

Prior to Missouri State, Wicks played his sophomore year of highs school at DePaul Catholic School in Wayne, New Jersey where he averaged five points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game before transferring to Surge Christian Academy in Clearwater where he averaged 15.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.

Malyk Rebetez:

A 6-3 guard from Lausanne, Switzerland, Rebetez joins the Manatees after graduating from Tennessee Prep Academy in Memphis, Tennessee before heading to DME Sports Academy in Daytona Beach.

During the summer, Rebetez played for the U20 Swiss National Team and participated in the FIBA U20 European Championship where the team earned a bronze medal by defeating North Macedonia in the third place game. He averaged 11.8 points, five rebounds and 3.8 assists per game during the tournament.

Malik Banks:

A guard and local product from Bradenton, Banks joins as a walk-on after graduating from Southeast High School where he will redshirt to maintain his two years of eligibility.

While with the Seminoles, after spending his freshman year on JV, Banks played three years of varsity where he averaged 8.7 points (487 points total), 2.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 steals per game. His senior year was his highlight year as he averaged 16.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.1 steals per game while leading the Seminoles to the regional finals of the FHSAA 5A Boys Basketball State Tournament.

Sean Lefrense:

A 6-2 shooting guard and local from Port Charlotte, Lefresne joins the Manatees as the other walk-on player. He graduated from Port Charlotte High School in 2021 where he averaged 5.7 points and 0.8 rebounds per game with the Pirates. His senior year was his most productive as he averaged 4.7 points and 1.9 rebounds per game while helping them to regional semifinals at the FHSAA 5A State Tournament.

Parks bring back five returners from last season: Cobey Harraway, Ametri Moss, Ronnail Tape, Mason Cooper and Zach Smith.

Harraway finished his freshman campaign last season averaging 10.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game in 27 games played (18 starts). The Seattle native was an All-Southern Conference Honorable Mention and recently competed in the JUCO Showcase in Atlanta where he averaged 15.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.

Despite battling a current injury, Moss returns after finishing last season 10.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game while earning All-Southern Conference Second Team Honors.

After beginning the season on the bench, Tape became the starting big man after the departures of Djordje Gobovic and Kwo Agwa. He averaged 3.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.

Both Cooper and Smith redshirted last season to maintain their eligibility and look to make their debuts this season.

Scouting Daytona State:

The Falcons are coming off of finishing last season 11-19 overall with a 3-12 record in the Central Conference. They are currently lead by Joey Cantens, who enters his second season with the Falcons after spending time as an assistant coach for Florida Gulf Coast University. They bring back one key returner in Ky Stattmann (13.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game), while Cantens brings in six transfers (five from NCAA DI) to join.

Series History:

Overall, the Manatees are 1-6 against the Falcons. Last season, the Manatees split the series winning the first game by a score of 93-77 before losing the second game 73-72.

How to Keep Up:

The game will be livestream on Daytona State College YouTube Page and fans can keep up with the Manatees on all social media platforms

Livestream LinkL https://www.youtube.com/user/DaytonaFalcon

Social Media:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SCFMensBasketball

Twitter - https://twitter.com/SCF_Basketball

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/scfbasketball/