5th Herd Looks to Keep Playoff Hopes @ FSW

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF basketball team (15-10, 5-5 Southern) will look to secure their spot in the FCSAA State Tournament for the fourth time in five seasons under head coach Tom Parks with one more win in conference play. The Manatees will travel to Fort Myers for the third time this season as they will face Florida Southwestern State (17-8, 5-5 Southern) Thursday night, February 16 at 7 pm at the Suncoast Credit Union Arena.

The Manatees are 1-21 against the Buccaneers so far. This game will be the rubber game (series decider) for both teams. The Buccaneers took the first game in Fort Myers by a score of 107-80. The Manatees would return the favor at Hal Chasey Gymnasium by winning the second game 63-62 on a game-winning 3-pointer by sophomore Isaiah Josue.

Southern Conference Standings:

1. #25 Indian River State (21-6, 7-2)

2. SCF (15-10, 5-4)

3. Florida Southwestern (17-8, 5-5)

4. Miami Dade (16-12, 5-5)

5. Hillsborough (15-11, 2-8) e

e - eliminated from tournament


Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of securing their only sweep in conference play as they defeated Hillsborough 90-85 at Hal Chasey Gymnasium. The win also bumped the Manatees to second place after Miami Dade (16-12, 5-5 Southern) fell to FSW.

Hillsborough is the first team in the Southern Conference eliminated from qualifying for the FCSAA State Tournament.

Pensacola State (10-16, 1-8 Panhandle) is the first team eliminated from the Panhandle Conference.

Possible Scenario Outcomes:

The Manatees do have a solid chance to secure a spot in the FCSAA State Tournament as an at-large bid, but they also have a chance to finish as the runner-up or possibly the regular season champions, but in order to do that here is what needs to happen:

Scenario 1:

Option 1 - If the Manatees attempt for runner-up, then they have to do the following:

1. Win all their remaining conference games

2. Miami Dade must lose their remaining conference games

Top 3 Final Standings (non-official):

1. #25 Indian River State (23-8, 9-3)

2. SCF (18-10, 8-4)

3. Florida Southwestern (19-9, 6-6)


Option 2 - If the Manatees attempt for runner-up, then they have to do the following:

1. The Manatees win three of four conference games

2. Miami Dade must lose all three conference games


Top 3 Final Standings:

1. #25 Indian River State (24-6, 10-2)

2. SCF (17-11, 7-5)

3. Florida Southwestern (19-9, 6-6)


Scenario 2- The Manatees could move to first place and win the regular season championship if the following occurs:

1. SCF win all remaining conference games

2. Indian River loses remaining conference games

Final Standings Top 2:

1. SCF (18-10, 8-4)

2. #25 Indian River State (21-9, 7-5)



Slim Takes Over:

Freshman Elijah Terry played as the hero for the game against Hillsborough as he had a double-double of 22 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and one block off the bench. Terry is averaging 7.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. His 22 points were a career-high this season.


Kash Up:

Like Terry, freshman Kasheem Grady has played a versatile role off the bench as he is averaging 7.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. Grady had nine points, three rebounds and three assists against HCC.


Hometown Hammer:

Sophomore Ronnail Tape will return to his hometown of Fort Myers for the third time this season. Tape, despite being held to three points and four rebounds against HCC, is averaging 7.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.


No Limits:

Sophomore Skylar Wicks remains one of the Manatees most consistent offensive scorers. Wicks, who will be transferring to Central Michigan University fall 2023, is averaging 17.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Against HCC, Wicks had 12 points, four rebounds, three assists and a steal in the win.


Meach Still Got It:

Sophomore Ametri Moss continues his strong role since returning to the starting lineup during conference play. Moss is averaging 9.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. Against HCC, he was two rebounds and three assists shy of a triple-double as he finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.


Soul of Swiss Passes:

Freshman Malyk Rebetez still plays a key role off the bench in passing after Moss returned to the starting lineup. Rebetez is averaging 2.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Rebetez had two points, two rebounds and three assists off the bench against HCC.


Rebound Cleaning:

While he has not score in many games, freshman Josh Ijeh remains a key role in the Manatees inside defense game and rebounding. While he was held to six points and four rebounds with no blocks against HCC, Ijeh is still averaging 4.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game.


Zigging Through:

Sophomore Isaiah Josue plays a key role off the bench like Terry and Grady. Josue is averaging 8.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. Against HCC, the Porterville College transfer had 12 points (all from the 3-point line), four rebounds and two assists off the bench.


Wild N' Crazy:

Sophomore Cobey Harraway and freshmen Dresean Knight are the key wildcards in the game. Harraway is averaging 11.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game, while Knight is averaging 2.6 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. Against HCC, Harraway had six points, three rebounds and four assists, while Knight had two points, one rebound and one block.


Scouting FSW:

The Buccaneers are coming off of a 79-56 win over Miami Dade and are tied for third place in conference.

Sophomore Bradley Douglas leads the way averaging 15.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. Classmate Jadarian Tracy and Tyson Brown follow Douglas averaging 12.9 and 11.9 points per game respectively. Tracy, who was named the FCSAA Region 8 Player of the Week, is also averaging 5.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game, while Brown averages 9.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.


How to Keep Up:

The game will air livestream on the FSW Athletics Fan Zone for anyone unable to attend the game. Fans can also keep up with the Manatees on their social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram).

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