3rd Herd Fall in Season Opener

Marianna, FL - Turnovers played as a disadvantage for the SCF basketball team (0-1) as they dropped their season opener to Chipola (1-0) 81-71 at the Milton H. Johnson Center in Marianna. With  the win, the Manatees are 0-2 against the Indians (2011-present).

“Even though we lost the game, I think the biggest thing we can learn from today is we got a lot of growing to do,” said head coach Tom Parks. “To lose by 10 to really good team on the road with 24 turnovers and going 0-12 at the 3-point line in the second half, it says that if we had a few more shots go down and cleaned up the unforced turnovers, then I think we could have put ourselves in a better position to beat teams on the road.”

“Obviously I’m disappointed with the loss, but we have a lot of areas we can improve on and the exciting is we’ll get a rematch with them on Sunday four days from now, so we got a learning to do once we look things over and clean up the unforced turnovers.”

The Manatees opened the scored on the opening drive with back-to-back back baskets by freshman James “Pops” Weathers and classmate Kwo Agwa and soon the Manatees took a 13-5 lead before the Indians called timeout.

With 12 minutes left in the first half, the Manatees started getting sloppy on their offensive possessions and began to turn the ball over constantly thanks to the Indians’ press and zone defense, which lead to 14 first half turnovers.

“Turnovers played a big role against us in both halves,” said Parks on the turnover count. “The one thing we can take from it is we haven’t played a game in 10 months. Chipola has been practicing their press and zone defense all fall and the beginning of the spring semester, which coach Tyndall is known for and is good at leading it. So when we take a look at the film, we can automatically clean up the turnovers we made for the rematch against them.”

Eventually the Indians took the lead and led by as much as eight points, but the Manatees were able to finish the first half after a final 3-pointer by Weathers kept the Manatees up 45-41 at the end of the first half.

At the start of the second half, the Manatees were able to hold on to the lead for the first seven minutes, but soon the cloud of turnovers and rushed 3-point attempts started to hurt their offense and the Indians would regain the lead and went up by as much as 16 points.

The Manatees tried to cut the deficit to single digits, but unfortunately it was not enough as the Indians kept the lead up by 10 and secured their victory.

Three Manatees scored in double figures and it was Weathers that lead the Manatees offensively as he finished with 22 points (8-for-17 FG, 2-for-5 3PT, 4-for-4 FT), five assists and two steals. Kelly followed with 15 points (5-for-16 FG, 3-for-11 3PT, 2-for-2 FT), three rebounds, five assists and two steals, while Agwa rounded out the lineup in double figures as he finished with 12 points (5-for-12 FG, 2-for-4 FT), four rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Sophomore Marshall Kearing, who recently committed to South Alabama after this season, finished with nine points (4-for-8 FG, 1-for-3 FT), eight rebounds, one assist, one steal and six blocks, while classmate Jordan Clark finished with four points, eight rebounds and one steal.

Hatcher contributed with one assist, while freshman Javon bell finished with seven points, four rebounds, one assist and two steals and sophomore Sam Grayson added two points, two rebounds and a block.

For the Indians, three players also scored in double figures. It was freshman Achor Achor lead the way offense as he finished with 14 points and five rebounds off the bench. Sophomore transfer Carlos Lemus, who also played off the bench, followed with 11 points and four rebounds, while freshman Jaeden Zackery, who was in the starting lineup, rounded out the order with 10 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Notes:

This was the debuts of Weathers, Kelly, Agwa, Bell and Hatcher.

This was also the debut for Chipola head coach Donnie Tyndall, who was the former head coach for the Grand Rapids Drive, the NBA G-League affiliated team for the Detroit Pistons.

Other Southern Conference Games:

Palm Beach State (0-1) would fall to Eastern Florida State 60-58 in their season opener. The Panthers will return to action Saturday afternoon against Santa Fe College.

Indian River State was originally scheduled to face St. Pete College, but it was stopped due to a COVID-19 cancellation. The Pioneers will officially open their season tomorrow night against Pensacola State

#8 Florida Southwestern (FSW) (1-0) defeated Hillsborough (0-1) 76-71 at home. The Buccaneers will return to action Saturday afternoon on the road against Polk State.

Miami Dade (1-0) won their season opener at home to NAIA St. Thomas University JV by a score 97-76. The Sharks will return to action Saturday on the road against Florida State College at Jacksonville.

Up Next:

The Manatees prepare for their home opener as they welcome Eastern Florida State (1-0) to Hal Chasey Gymnasium Friday night at 8 pm before facing Chipola in a rematch Sunday afternoon at 2 pm as part of their four-game homestead.

“When it comes to Easten Florida, I think the biggest thing is they are going to be very disciplined and well-coached and make constant adjustments throughout the game,” said Parks on facing EFSC. “We’re going to have to be one step ahead in order to beat a team regardless if its at home or on the road. I’m definitely excited against the team I coached for back then.”

Parks was the associate head coach for EFSC prior to taking the head coach role for the Manatees. The last time Parks faced head coach Jeremy Shulman, who he coached with in the past, was in the first round of 2018-19 FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 State Tournament where the Titans were victorious.

“Coach Shulman is a friend and a mentor to me and is someone I look up to from the business both on and off the court,” said Parks on Shulman. 

3rd Herd Otoño en la apertura de la temporada

Marianna, FL - Las pérdidas de balón jugaron como una desventaja para el equipo de baloncesto de la SCF (0-1), ya que dejaron caer su primer partido de temporada ante Chipola (1-0) 81-71 en el Milton H. Johnson Center en Marianna.  Con la victoria, los manatíes están 0-2 contra los indios (2011-presente).

"Aunque perdimos el juego, creo que lo más importante que podemos aprender hoy es que tenemos mucho que crecer,” dijo el entrenador en jefe Tom Parks. “Perder por 10 contra un equipo realmente bueno en la carretera con 24 pérdidas de balón y estar 0-12 en la línea de 3 puntos en la segunda mitad, dice que si tuviéramos algunos tiros más, bajamos y limpiamos las pérdidas de balón no forzadas,  entonces creo que podríamos habernos puesto en una mejor posición para vencer a los equipos en la carretera.”

“Obviamente estoy decepcionado con la derrota, pero tenemos muchas áreas en las que podemos mejorar y lo emocionante es que tendremos una revancha con ellos el domingo dentro de cuatro días, así que tenemos un aprendizaje que hacer una vez que miramos  todo y limpiar las pérdidas de balón no forzadas.”

Los Manatíes abrieron el marcador en la serie inicial con canastas consecutivas del estudiante de primer año James "Pops" Weathers y su compañero de clase Kwo Agwa y pronto los Manatíes tomaron una ventaja de 13-5 antes de que los Indios pidieran un tiempo muerto.

Con 12 minutos para el final de la primera mitad, los manatíes empezaron a descuidarse en sus posesiones ofensivas y empezaron a perder el balón constantemente gracias a la presión y la defensa de zona de los Indios, que llevaron a 14 pérdidas de balón en la primera mitad.

"Las pérdidas de balón jugaron un papel importante en nuestra contra en ambas mitades,” dijo Parks sobre el recuento de pérdidas. "Lo único que podemos sacar es que no hemos jugado un partido en 10 meses.  Chipola ha estado practicando su defensa de zona y prensa durante todo el otoño y el comienzo del semestre de primavera, por lo que el entrenador Tyndall es conocido y es bueno para liderarlo. Entonces, cuando echamos un vistazo a la película, podemos limpiar automáticamente las pérdidas de balón que hicimos para la revancha contra ellos.”

Finalmente, los Indios tomaron la delantera y lideraron por hasta ocho puntos, pero los Manatíes pudieron terminar la primera mitad después de que un triple final de Weathers mantuvo a los Manatíes arriba 45-41 al final de la primera mitad.

Al comienzo de la segunda mitad, los manatíes pudieron mantener la ventaja durante los primeros siete minutos, pero pronto la nube de pérdidas de balón y los intentos de triples apresurados comenzaron a dañar su ofensiva y los Indios recuperaron la ventaja y se fueron.  hasta en 16 puntos.

Los manatíes intentaron reducir el déficit a un solo dígito, pero desafortunadamente no fue suficiente ya que los indios mantuvieron la ventaja por 10 y aseguraron su victoria.

Tres manatíes anotaron en dígitos dobles y fue Weathers quien lideró a los manatíes ofensivamente cuando terminó con 22 puntos (8 de 18 tiros de campo, 2 de 5 3PT, 4 de 4 FT), cuatro asistencias y un robo. Kelly siguió con 15 puntos (5 de 13 tiros de campo, 3 de 9 3PT, 2 de 2 FT), cuatro rebotes, tres asistencias y dos robos, mientras que Agwa completó la alineación en cifras dobles cuando terminó con  12 puntos (5 de 13 tiros de campo, 2 de 4 tiros libres), dos rebotes, dos asistencias y dos robos.

El estudiante de segundo año Marshall Kearing, quien recientemente se comprometió con el sur de Alabama después de esta temporada, terminó con nueve puntos (4 de 8 tiros de campo, 1 de 3 tiros libres), siete rebotes, dos asistencias, dos robos y cinco bloqueos, mientras que su compañero de clase Jordan Clark  terminó con cuatro puntos, siete rebotes y un robo.

Hatcher contribuyó con una asistencia, mientras que el estudiante de segundo año Sam Grayson agregó dos puntos, dos rebotes y dos bloqueos.

Para los indios, tres jugadores también anotaron en cifras dobles. El novato Achor Achor lideró la ofensiva al terminar con 14 puntos y cinco rebotes desde el banco.  El traspaso de segundo año Carlos Lemus, quien también jugó desde el banco, siguió con 11 puntos y cuatro rebotes, mientras que el novato Jaeden Zackery, quien estaba en la alineación titular, completó el orden con 10 puntos, tres rebotes, tres asistencias y dos robos.

 Notas:

Este fue el debut de Weathers, Kelly, Agwa, Bell, Hatcher y el estudiante de primer año Joe Stubbs.

Este también fue el debut del entrenador en jefe de Chipola, Donnie Tyndall, quien fue el ex entrenador en jefe de Grand Rapids Drive, el equipo afiliado de la NBA G-League para los Detroit Pistons.

Otros Juegos de la Conferencia del Sur:

Palm Beach State (0-1) caería ante Eastern Florida State 60-58 en su primer partido de temporada.  Los Panthers volverán a la acción el sábado por la tarde contra Santa Fe College.

Originalmente, Indian River State estaba programado para enfrentar a St. Pete College, pero se detuvo debido a una cancelación de COVID-19.  Los Pioneers abrirán oficialmente su temporada mañana por la noche contra Pensacola State

#8 Florida Southwestern (FSW) (1-0) derrotó a Hillsborough (0-1) 76-71 en casa.  Los Buccaneers volverán a la acción el sábado por la tarde en la carretera contra Polk State.

Miami Dade (0-1) perdió su primer partido de temporada en casa ante NAIA St. Thomas University JV por un marcador 97-76.  Los Sharks volverán a la acción el sábado en la carretera contra Florida State College en Jacksonville.

 Hasta la próxima:

Los manatíes se preparan para su primer partido en casa cuando dan la bienvenida a Eastern Florida State (1-0) al Hal Chasey Gymnasium el viernes por la noche a las 8 pm antes de enfrentar a Chipola en una revancha el domingo por la tarde a las 2 pm como parte de su casa de cuatro juegos.

"Cuando se trata de Easten Florida, creo que lo más importante es que serán muy disciplinados y bien entrenados y harán ajustes constantes durante todo el juego,” dijo Parks al enfrentarse a EFSC. “Tendremos que estar un paso por delante para vencer a un equipo sin importar si está en casa o fuera. Definitivamente estoy emocionado contra el equipo para el que entrené en ese entonces.”

Parks fue el entrenador en jefe asociado de EFSC antes de asumir el papel de entrenador en jefe de los Manatíes. La última vez que Parks se enfrentó al entrenador en jefe Jeremy Shulman, con quien entrenó en el pasado, fue en la primera ronda del Torneo Estatal FCSAA / NJCAA Región 8 2018-19, donde los Titanes obtuvieron la victoria.

“El entrenador Shulman es un amigo y un mentor para mí y es alguien a quien admiro del negocio tanto dentro como fuera de la cancha,” dijo Parks sobre Shulman.

SCF VB Opens 2021 Season

Bradenton, Fla. - After seven months of not being able to compete, the SCF volleyball team is set to return to action as they open the 2021season on neutral grounds Friday, January 22. The Manatees will compete in a tripleheader against Palm Beach State at 9 am, Miami Dade College at 3 pm and Indian River State at 6 pm in the FSW Kickoff Classic at the Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Ft. Myers, hosted by Suncoast Conference Runner-up Florida Southwestern State. Host FSW, Florida State College at Jacksonville and Daytona State will also be participating in the classic, but neither team will be competing against the Manatees until the following dates (1/30 @ Daytona State, 2/13 vs DSC, 2/24 @ DSC, 2/16 vs FSW and 3/4 @ FSW).

After the tournament, the Manatees will return for their home opener against Paavo-Hernando State.

Last Time Out:
The Manatees finished last season 5-19 overall with a 2-4 record in the Suncoast Conference for a third place finish. Originally, the Manatees were 3-23 overall with an 0-6 record in conference for a last place finish but due to St. Pete College (SPC) having an ineligible player compete and furthermore had to forfeit their spot in the FCSAA State Tournament with Florida Southwestern State (FSW) taking their place.


The Manatees will be led by Lynn Burnette. Burnette enters her second season as full-time head coach after being named as interim head coach last season. Burnette is joined by assistant coach Karen Byrd. Burnette and Byrd also coach the SCF beach volleyball team.

Last Season's Standings with Conference Standings:
1. Hillsborough (24-6, 6-0)
2. FSW (16-8, 4-2)
3. SCF (5-19, 2-4)
4. SPC (0-16, 0-6)

Welcome Back Polk State:
In regards of Polk State, their volleyball team will be rejoining the Suncoast Conference after spending the last three seasons in the Mid-Florida Conference winning back-to-back Mid-Florida Regular Season Championships and qualifying for the state and national tournaments for six straight seasons. The Eagles left the Suncoast to join Mid-Florida in 2017 before finishing last season 24-6 overall with a 6-0 record in the Mid-Florida Conference and a seventh place finish in the national tournament in Casper, Wyoming.

Polk State will also be playing in the Suncoast Conference for baseball and softball, but will be in the Mid-Florida Conference for men’s basketball.

Big Losses/Key Returners/New Gains:
The Manatees will be without six players: Sydney Jaco, Barbora Tichackova, Emily Sauceda, Hannah Strickland, Lakeesha Esseboom and Daviya Bernanrd. Jaco and Tichackova have chosen to continue their collegiate volleyball careers at the NCAA DI level. Jaco will be attending Florida A&M University (FAMU) in Tallahassee, while Tichackova will attend Hampton University in Hampton, VA.

On November 12, it was announced via Twitter that rising sophomore Brooke Henry has committed to continue her collegiate volleyball at Southeastern University (NAIA) in Lakeland, FL with 3 years of eligibility remaining. Henry finished third on the team with 142 digs, while adding seven aces.

The Manatees will have five returners back in the rotation: Leilani Wilcox-Nanai, Lisa Jaunet, Bailey Sikkema, Gracee Carpino and Jazmin Spencer.

Wilcox-Nanai led the Manatees offensively with 151 kills, while defensively had 197 digs (second on the team).

Jaunet finished third on the team in kills (117), while adding 31 blocks (eight solo) on the defensive end.

Sikkema, a local product from Bradenton Christian School, finished her freshman campaign with 51 kills and 19 blocks (four solo).

Carpino led the Manatees last season with 586 assists and 25 aces.

Spencer finished her freshman campaign with 70 kills and 21 blocks (eight solo).

As far as newcomers, Burnett was able to land 12 newcomers to join the team: Kaylee Forman, Jennifer Rivera, Abby Hutchinson, Brianna Sweitzer, Kaysha Kahai-Enos, Giulia Rodrigues, Adlene Jideofor, Laugene Arnsby, Kayla David, Jadyn Wallen, Faith Blaise and Carolina Moffatt.

Rivera, Hutchinson, Arnsby and Sweitzer are all local products

Kaylee Forman:
Forman, a setter from Cary, NC, joins the Manatees after graduating from Colonial Crowns Homeschool in Cary, NC. She finished her senior year with 755 assists (9.9 assists per game), 208 digs and 119 aces. 

As a member of the Crowns, Forman helped them to a 19-7 overall record with a 2-4 in league play (NCISAA Independent) and lead them to the NCISAA Independent volleyball playoffs.

Jennifer Rivera:

A local product from Palmetto High School, Rivera plays as a defensive specialist/libero.
As a senior, Rivera helped lead the Tigers to a 16-10 record where they made it to the quarterfinals of the FHSAA 6A District 7 Tournament. She finished her senior year with 183 digs and 32 aces, which included a season-high 26 against Booker (10/3/19).

Abby Hutchinson:

Another local product from North Port High School, Hutchinson plays as a middle blocker.

As a senior, she finished her campaign with 176 kills and 20 solo blocks while leading the Bobcats to the semifinals of the FHSAA 7A District 8 Tournament.

Brianna Sweitzer:

Sweitzer is another local outside hitter that joins the Manatees from Braden River High School. As a senior for the Pirates, she helped them to a 13-9 record before falling in the first round of the FHSAA 6A District Tournament.

Kaysha Kahai-Enos:

Joining the Manatees off the coast of Puna, Hi, Kahai-Enos joins the Manatees as a sophomore transfer from Lee College in Baytown, TX (NJCAA Region 14/SWJCC). She will have one year of eligibility remaining.

As a member of the Runnin’ Rebels, she played in five matches, tallying one kill, one block and two digs while helping them to a 20-13 overall record with a 5-4 record in the Region 14 Standings (5th place).

Prior to Lee College, Kahai-Enos played at Kamehameha Hawai’i High School in Kea’au, HI.  As a member of the Warriors, she led them to a 27-11 overall record with a 17-2 league play record while earning a fifth place finish in the HHSAA State Tournament.

Giulia Rodrigues:

Hailing from West Boca Raton via Brazil, Rodrigues joins SCF as a defensive specialist after graduating from West Boca Raton High School in Boca Raton.
As a senior for the Bulls, Rodrigues help lead them to the FHSAA 6A State Tournament where she finished her senior year with six aces and one assist.

Adlene Jideofor:

A middle blocker from North Miami via Nigeria, Jideofor joins the Manatees after graduating from North Miami Senior High School in Miami.

Jideofor’s junior year was promising as she finished with 149 kills, 31 aces, 22 blocks (19 solo) and 320 digs. Despite the Pioneers going 9-12 overall with a 5-7 in the 9A District, she earned an honorable mention on the All-Dade Team.

Her senior year was the most effective as she helped the Pioneers to a 16-6 overall record with a unblemished 7-0 record in the 6A District 15 standings while finishing her senior campaign with 154 kills, 83 aces, 33 blocks (26 solo) and 370 digs.

Laugene Arnsby: 
Another local product, Arnsby is a setter from Riverview High School in Sarasota. She comes in as a two-sport athlete playing both volleyball and basketball for the Rams.

Arnsby helped the Rams to a 22-7 overall record with a 3-0 record in the FHSAA 7A District where they made it as far as the regional semifinals of the 7A state tournament.

Kayla David:
At only 5’7”, David, a middle blocker from Spring Hill, Florida, joins the Manatees after graduating from Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High.

David was a three-sport athlete where she played volleyball (indoor and sand) and basketball. In volleyball, she played all fours years at the varsity level and finished her career with 160 kills and 85 blocks (49 solo). She helped lead the Hurricanes to four straight FHSAA State Tournament appearances.

Her junior year was her best showing as she helped lead the team to an almost unblemished 30-1 overall record with a 6-0 league record before becoming runner-up in the FHSAA 3A State Tournament.

As a member of the basketball team, David averaged six points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game in two seasons (16-17, 18-19) with the 2018-19 season being her most productive year where she averaged eight points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game.

Jaydn Wallen:
An outside hitter out of Fort Myers, Wallen joins the team after graduating from Evangelical Christian High School.

After playing three years of varsity for the Sentinels, Wallen finished her career with 665 kills, 580 digs, 133 aces and 78 blocks (38 solo). During her career, she led the Sentinels to the playoffs for three straight seasons (two as a member of the FHSAA 3A district, one as a member of the FHSAA 2A district).

In her junior campaign, Wallen was named a member of the 2018 News-Press All-Area Second Team while finishing with 195 kills, 200 digs, 43 aces and 19 blocks (12 solo).

Her most productive year was her senior year as she finished with 251 kills, 208 digs, 52 aces and 23 blocks (six solo).

Faith Blaise:
Joining her fellow teammate Jideofor, Blaise, a right side hitter, joins the Manatees after graduating from North Miami Senior High School.

Blaise played her last two seasons on varsity finishing with 122 kills, 143 aces, 637 digs and 25 blocks (16 solo). 

Her senior year was the most productive as she finished with 60 kills, 74 aces, 327 digs and 11 blocks (eight solo).

Carolina Moffatt:
Moffatt, a middle blocker from Gainesville, joins the Manatees after graduating from Cornerstone Academy.

Playing the last two seasons on varsity for the Cougars, Moffatt finished with 71 career kills, 31 solo blocks, 45 aces and 262 digs. While her senior was her most productive in stats (57 kills, 28 solo blocks, 23 aces and 119 digs), her junior year helped the Cougars to a 16-6 overall record with a 5-2 league record in the FHSAA 2A District and a spot in the regional semifinals of FHSAA 2A State Tournament while she added 14 kills, three blocks, 22 aces and 143 digs).

Scouting Indian River State:
The Pioneers finished last season 14-9 overall with a 3-3 record in the Southern Conference. They did not make it to the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 State Tournament. 

Side Note: Not to be confused with the NCAA Southern Conference.


The Pioneers will lose seven players: Jacki Schmitz, Jada Bivins, Ayanna Henry, Caitlyn Leadabrand, Erin Ergle and Valentina Beltran.

Schmitz (Niagara) and Bivins (Morgan State) are currently continuing their collegiate volleyball careers at the D1 level.

Key returners for the Pioneers include Tessa Raadsheer, Mallory Roney, Kaitlyn Chavarria and Jasmine Sayre.

Raadsheer and Roney both lead the Pioneers offense with 229 kills and 153 digs each. Raadsheer 25 aces and 24 blocks, while Roney added 23 aces and 26 blocks. Both were also named on the All-Southern Conferece First Team. 

Sayre is one of the two returning anchors for the Pioneers’ defense as she finished last season with 298 digs and 22 aces. She was named as a member of the All-Southern Conference Second Team.

Chavarria lead the team with 54 blocks (13 solo) to go along with 76 kills.

Scouting Palm Beach State:
The Panthers are coming off of a 7-14 overall record with a 1-5 record in the Southern Conference.

The Panthers will be without six players: Aleksandra Hamuda, Sydney Asher, Bella Magrino, Natalie Kordt, Madison Monahan and Martha Torres.

Hamuda (Emmanuel College: NCAA DII), Kordt (North Alabama) and Monahan (St. Francis Brooklyn) have decided to continue playing for their collegiate careers with Kordt playing on the beach volleyball team with North Alabama.

Madison Barton is the leading offensive returner. Barton finished her freshman campaign with 161 kills (third on the team), 203 digs (fourth on the team) 14 aces (tied second on the team) and 69 blocks (13 solo, third on the team). She was named as one of four players on the All-Southern Conference Second Team.

Scouting FSCJ:
The Sharks are coming off of finishing last season 29-3 overall with a perfect 6-0 record in the Southern Conference, while being ranked No. 4 in the nation. Additionally, they not only won the Southern Conference Regular Season Championship, but they won the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 State Tournament to qualify for the NJCAA National Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas where they went 3-1and finished in third place. 

Currently, the Sharks are set to be ranked No. 2 in the nation.
They will be without seven players, which include their lead offensive players in Scherine Dahouse, Yaniris Miller-Green, Vanda Zimoa and Kimberlie Apolinario-Correa. Zimoa, Miller-Green and Apolinario-Correa were also key defensive players for blocks with Zimoa (122) and Miller-Green (117) each had over 100 total blocks. Additionally, Miller-Green was named Southern Conference Player of the Year.
Key returners for the Sharks include Erika Asencio, Ana Araujo, Camila De La Rosa and Paola Pimentel.

Asencio finished third highest offensively as she had 318 kills (third on the team), 19 aces and 367 digs. She was named a member of the All-Southern Conference Second Team.
The Sharks will primarily play a double setter rotation as both Araujo and De La Rosa combined for 1,426 assists with De La Rosa leading with 1,200 of them. De La Rosa was named on the All-Southern Conference First Team.
Pimentel will be the lead defensive anchors as she finished with 579 digs.

Scouting PHSC:

The Lady Bobcats finished last season 11-14 overall with a 4-6 record in the DII Sun Lakes Conference (fifth place finish).

The Lady Bobcats are led by head coach Deann Newton, who enters her fourth season with the Lady Bobcats and third season as head coach. Newton was named the Sun Lakes Conference Coach of the Year during the 2018 season.

The Lady Bobcats will lose six sophomores with four continuing to play collegiate volleyball, including their lead offensive player Arianna Colon, lead defensive players in Linsey Christianson and Alyssa Lake and setter Morgan Bullinger.

Colon, who led the team with 253 kills and 22 blocks (13 solo) while being named a member of the Sun Lakes All-Tournament Team, will be continuing to play collegiate volleyball at NCAA DII Catawba College in Salisbury, NC. 

The Indians finished last season 7-19 overall with a 5-17 record in the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) for a ninth-place finish.

Christianson lead the Bobcats with 494 digs while adding 75 assists and nine aces. She will be attending NAIA Bethel University in McKenzie, TN.

The Wildcats finished last season 22-13 overall with an 11-2 record in the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) for second place overall. They would qualify for the SSAC Tournament before falling in the semifinals. As of 2020, the Wildcats have left the SSAC and will now be competing in the Mid-South Conference (MSC).

Lake finished second on the team with 41 blocks (24 solo) and 65 kills and will finishing her collegiate volleyball career at NCAA DII Coker College in Hartsville, SC.

The Cobras finished last season 7-20 overall with a 4-18 record in the SAC for a 10th-place finish.

Bullinger will continue playing volleyball at NCAA DII Northwest Oklahoma State University in Alva, OK. She finished her sophomore campaign with 14 kills and 22 assists.

The Rangers finished last season 23-11 overall with a 12-4 record in the Great American Conference (GAC) for a second place finish before falling in the semifinals of the GAC Tournament.

The Lady Bobcats will have one returning offensive player in Brooke Sereda. Sereda finished her freshman campaign with 211 kills (second on the team), 264 digs (third on the team) and 26 blocks (13 solo). Sereda was named a member of the All-Sun Lakes Second Team.

Setter Mary Lowe will also be making her return with the Bobcats. Lowe led the team in assists (630) and was second on the team in digs (324).

Mariella Haimes will be returning likely as the starting libero after finishing her freshman campaign with 202 digs (third on the team) and 13 aces (second on the team).

Defensively, the Bobcats will bring back middle blocker Seytia Hill. Hill led the team with 63 blocks (42 solo) to go along with 89 kills (fourth on the team).
Series History:

The Manatees are 8-8 against the Panthers, 2-15 against the Sharks, 4-8 against the Panthers and 3-5 against the Pioneers.

How to Keep Up:
Fans can keep up with all four teams on Twitter:

SCF: @SCFVolleyball
IRS: @IRSVB
PBSC: @PBSCPanthers
MDC: @MDCSHARKS
PHSC: @PHSCVolleyball

SCF Baseball Readies for Season Opener

Bradenton, FL - The SCF baseball team is now set for the 2021 season as they travel to neutral grounds to face Indian River State (1-0) at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex in Auburndale, FL Saturday afternoon, January 23 at 1 pm.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming finishing last season 16-11 overall with a 5-1 record in the Suncoast Conference before the Covid-19 pandemic ended their season. Despite that, the Manatees were the Uncrowned Suncoast Conference Regular Season Champions.

The Manatees are lead by head coach Tim Hill II. Hill enters his ninth season as head coach and is set to be on path for his 300th career win as head coach.

Hill is joined by Don Robinson, Barry Batson and David Moates.

The Manatees part ways with with eight players as they graduated and transferred to other universities: Jake Smith, Justin Wrobleski, Logan Frasier, Aaron McKeithan, John Malcom, Nick Winkelmeyer, Jamarcus Lyons and Remi Patry.

Smith has decided to transfer to the University of Miami. The former ace for the Manatees, who transferred from Chipola College, went 5-1 with a 1.57 ERA and 59 strikeouts. He was also 2-0 in Suncoast play. Smith will have two years of eligibility remaining.

The Hurricanes went 12-4 last season with a 3-0  record in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

Wrobleski will be heading to Sooner country as he will be playing for Oklahoma State University with two years of eligibility remaining. A former player for Clemson, the native of Canton, Georgia went 2-2 for the Manatees with a 2.89 ERA and 27 strikeouts. 

The Cowboys went 13-5 overall before the pandemic ended the season and before they could play in Big 12 Conference play.

A local product from Palmetto, Frasier will be attending Bryant University with three years of eligibility remaining. Frasier was shutdowns last season after injuring his arm in the first game last season, yet was still named a nominee for the Bill Tuten Award (best student-athlete in Florida JUCO baseball).

The bulldogs finished last season 4-11 overall, yet did not play any games in the Northeast Conference.

McKeithan will continue on UNC Charlotte with two years of eligibility remaining. A transfer from Tulane finished his lone season batting .289 with two home runs and 14 RBI.

The 49ers finished last season 9-8 overall but did not play any games in Conference USA.

Malcom, Winklemeyer and Lyons have decided to continue at the University of Tampa (NCAA DII).

Malcom joined the Manatees after transferring from Vanderbilt, the 2019 College World Series Champions. With the Manatees, he batted .330 with five home runs, 25 RBI and 18 walks.

Winklemeyer was shutdown from injury after playing four games while batting .267 with a run scored. He will have three years of eligibility remaining. As a freshman for the Manatees, Winklemeyer batted .317 with a home run, 20 RBI and 12 steals while being named a member of the All-Suncoast Second Team.

Lyons, a former transfer from UCF, played his lone season batting .333 with four home runs and 17 RBI.

The Spartans finished last season 15-7 overall with a 4-2 record in the Sunshine State Conference.

Patry, a native of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada will be transferring to Oklahoma Wesleyan University (NAIA). He finished his second season with the Manatees batting .264 with a home run and 17 RBI.

The Eagles finished last season 14-14 overall with a 3-5 record in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC).

The Manatees did bring back several returners, which include Cole Ayers, Owen Ayers, Rook Ellington, Toni Rossi and AJ Fritz. Additionally, Hill added 13 newcomers (four university transfers).

Scouting Indian River:

The Pioneers finished last season 13-11 overall with a 5-5 record in Southern Conference. They have already opened their season on the road against Palm Beach State winning by a score of 6-2.

Series History (2012-present):

Overall the Manatees are 7-3 against the Pioneers. Last time both teams met was twice during the 2017 season where the Manatees won both matchups by scores of 5-1 (2/2/17) and 12-2 (2/7/17).

Fun Facts (2012-present):

The Manatees are 6-3 when opening the season (5-3 under Hill II).

How to Keep Up:

Livestats will be provided by GameChanger and fans can up to date with both teams on Twitter:

SCF: @SCFBaseball

IRS: @IRSC_Baseball

Livestats Link: https://gc.com/t/spring-2021/state-college-of-florida-6006c9046d2f825a1c98e005

3rd Herds Opens Season on the Road

Bradenton, Fla. - The SCF basketball team will officially go underway with their season as they open up on the road Wednesday night, January 20 at 8 pm. The Manatees will travel to Marianna, FL to take on Chipola College at the Milton H. Johnson Center.

Last Time Out:
The Manatees are coming off of one of their best seasons in program history as they finished 21-11 overall with a 5-7 record in conference. The 21 wins for the Manatees were the most they have had from the 2010 ERA. 

They would win the Suncoast Conference Tournament by defeating Polk State for the second straight season and qualify for the FCSAA/NJCAA Region VIII State Tournament before falling to then #10 Tallahassee CC in the first round.

Meet the Staff:

The Manatees are led by head coach Tom Parks, who enters his third year as head coach. He is joined by assistant coaches Lem Andrews (12th year), Nav Gill (2nd year) and student assistant David Peck.

Rob Beckmann, who was the associate head coach for the Manatees has parted ways from the team and has decided to become an assistant coach for the women’s basketball team at Independence CC.

Additionally, Travis Nesby joins the Manatees coaching staff as an assistant coach. Nesby is also assistant coach for the Booker High School boys basketball team in Sarasota.

Team Changes:

The team will be without seven players: D'Moi Hodge, Isiah Dasher, Remy Robert II, Christnoff "Chris" Scarborough, Max Bell-Ramos, Jean-Pierre "JP" Frederick and Michael Gavin as they have transferred to continue their collegiate basketball careers. Hodge, Dasher, Robert II, Scarborough and Bell-Ramos have graduated upon their transfers.

Hodge, a two-time All-Suncoast First Team member, will be attending Cleveland State University in Cleveland with two years of eligibility remaining. Hodge finished his sophomore campaign averaging 25.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 2.7 steals and 2.1 blocks per game while setting two program scoring records for SCF Basketball: Most Points in a Single Season (805) and Most Career Points (1,403) in program history.

The Vikings finished last season 11-21 overall with a 7-11 record in the Horizon League (8th in conference standings).

Another two-time All-Suncoast First Team member, Dasher will be continuing his path at Portland University in Portland, Or with two years of eligibility remaining. Dasher was six points shy of reaching 1,000 points in his career and becoming the second active player to reach the milestone (first was Hodge), yet Dasher finished his sophomore campaign averaging 15.6 points, five rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.

The Pilots finished last season 9-23 overall with a 1-15 record in the West Coast Conference (last in conference standings).

Like Dasher, Scarborough will also be heading to the west coast as he will continue playing at Holy Names University (NCAA DII) in Oakland, California with two years of eligibility remaining. Although he mainly played as a backup center, the Clearwater native finished his sophomore campaign averaging 5.1 points and four rebounds per game, which including a career-high 16 points and his first collegiate double-double.

The Hawks finished last season 8-20 overall with a 6-16 record in the Pac West Conference (10th in conference standings).

Robert II will be the third Manatee to go DI as he will be transferring to Wichita State University as a walk-on with two years of eligibility remaining. The Baton Rouge native finished his sophomore campaign averaging 3.8 points per game with a 27.8% 3-point percentage.

The Shockers finished the 2019-20 season 23-8 overall with an 11-7 record in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) (4th in the conference standings), however they were unable to play in their conference tournament due to COVID-19. They did finish 5-1 against Power 5 Conference schools and included three upset wins against a Top 25 team (#25 VCU, #25 Oklahoma State and #21 Memphis).

Bell-Ramos will continue his collegiate basketball career at Lane College, a historically black college in Jackson, Tennessee. Bell-Ramos finished his sophomore campaign averaging 4.3 points and 2.4 rebounds per game, which included a career-high 14 points on two occasions. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.

The Dragons, who are a part of the NCAA DII Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) finished last season 11-17 overall with a 7-12 record in western standings of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (5th in the conference standings).

Frederick, who was unable to play for the Manatees due to several issues with the NJCAA and a previous non-athletic college in Saint Lucia he attended, has also parted ways with SCF and will be enrolling at Northwood University in Midland, Michigan as a redshirt freshman with all four years of eligibility remaining.

The Timberwolves, who are a part of the NCAA DII Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), finished the 2019-20 season 18-13 overall with an 11-9 record in the GLIAC before losing in the finals of the conference tournament.

Gavin has decided to transfer to Keiser University (NAIA) with three years of eligibility remaining. Gavin finished his freshman campaign averaging five points per game with a 37.1 three-point percentage, which included a game-high 16 points against Impact Academy (11/30/19). He will be joining senior fellow SCF Alum Corey Davis on the team.

The Seahawks, who were ranked No. 21 in the nation in the NAIA, finished last season 23-7 overall with a 14-4 record in the Sun Conference. They would make it to the Sun Conference Tournament and yet despite losing in the semifinals, they still managed to qualify for the NAIA National Tournament.

Farewell Suncoast, Hello Southern Conference:
It was just announced that men's basketball will no longer be competing in the Suncoast Conference as it is now has been defunct. The Manatees and three-time Suncoast Conference Regular Season Champions, Florida Southwestern State (FSW) and St. Petersburg College will now be joining the Southern Conference starting in 2020-21. The Manatees, Titans and the Buccaneers will be joining their new conference spot with Miami Dade (MDC), Palm Beach State (PBSC) and defending Southern Conference Regular Season Champions Indian River State.

On June 30, Broward College, who was an originally member of the Southern Conference, made the decision to discontinue their athletics due to their budget cuts.

ASA Miami has made the decision to cancel their 2020-21 athletic season due to COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the remaining members of the Suncoast, Polk State and Hillsborough, will be joining the Mid-Florida Conference with Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ), Eastern Florida State (EFSC), Santa Fe and Daytona State.

Central Florida, the defending Mid-Florida Regular Season Champions, will not be participating as they have cut their men's and women's basketball teams.

The Panhandle Conference remains in tact with their members, TCC, Gulf Coast State (GCSC), Pensacola (PSC), Chipola and Northwest Florida (NWFS).

Despite the change for men's basketball, the SCF volleyball, softball and baseball teams will remain in the Suncoast Conference while women's tennis and beach volleyball remain in their respective conferences.

NJCAA Changes:
The NJCAA recently announced on July 13 that due to the effects of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), all of their fall and winter sports (indoor volleyball, football, men's and women's basketball, wrestling, and swimming and diving) have been pushed back to start in January. Baseball, softball, men's and women's tennis (DI and DII) and beach volleyball will run their normal scheduling with a few minor adjustments to their schedules.

In the case with all men's and women's junior college basketball teams, the NJCAA has ruled that all junior colleges will play a maximum of 22 games with the inclusion of non-conference play^.

^side note: the amount of non-conference games will vary based upon the decision of the regions.

The NJCAA also stated that the board of directors approved a blanket waiver on Thursday for all sports in the 2020-21 season, meaning athletes at 512 member institutions in 45 states will not lose a year of eligibility regardless of their levels of participation this year.

The NCAA, which has also issued a waiver for competition this season, will not automatically apply the NJCAA's decision for transfer students, and will require NCAA schools to submit a waiver or extension request for review based on each athlete's specific situation. But it's likely the NJCAA's waiver will be considered in the process.

The junior college organization's ruling potentially means that freshmen could play this spring and still enter a four-year school with four years of eligibility. Likewise, junior college athletes would be eligible to return for a third season.

Last Season's Suncoast Standings:
1. #1 FSW (29-2, 12-0)
2. Polk State (21-10, 7-5)
3. SCF (21-12, 5-7)
4. SPC (14-17, 4-8)
5. HCC (10-18, 2-10)

Last Season's Southern Standings:
1. Indian River State (22-8, 11-1)
*2. Broward (17-10, 7-5)
3. MDC (18-11, 5-7)
4. PBSC (13-17, 4-8)
5. ASA Miami (9-21, 3-9)

*Final season for the Seahawks

This Season's Southern Conference Look:

1. SCF

2. FSW

3. MDC

4. PBSC

5. SPC

6. Indian River

Next Season's New Bloods:
For the upcoming "3rd Herd", Parks confirmed on January 20 that he had signed four players to join SCF next season: Kwo Agwa, Michael Hatcher, DK Kelly and Javon Bell. Parks then confirmed in April that he signed three more newcomers, Luke LeCroy, Joe Stubbs and James "Pop" Weathers.

Redshirt freshmen Rae Miller and Christian Nieto, who were walk-ons last season, will be making their debuts after sitting out last season.

The Manatees did add two more additions to their team to complete the roster: Darik Tannis-Harriet and Tethloach Tut.

Initially, the Manatees attempted to sign Hunter Madden, a native of Sydney, Australia and developmental player of the Sydney Kings in the National Basketball League (Australia), but has committed to play for the University of Idaho instead.

Keenan Willie, another recruit from Australia that initially signed, has decided to go pro back in Australia.

Kwo Agwa:

A 6-7 swingman from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, by way of South Sudan, Agwa will come from the Edge School in Calgary. Agwa played in only four games with Edge due to an injury while averaging 17.5 points per game.


Michael Hatcher:

A 6-6 wing, Hatcher is a local product from Palmetto High School in Palmetto, Florida. As a senior, Hatcher averaged 18.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game with the Tigers while being named Florida Athletic Coaches Association District 16 Boys Basketball Player of the year and helping the Tigers to a 15-7 overall record and reach the regional quarterfinals of the FHSAA 6A State Tournament.

*Javon Bell:

A 6-4 wing, Bell committed to SCF and will join upon finishing his senior year at Santa Fe Catholic School in Lakeland, Florida. Bell was a two-sport athlete playing both football and basketball.

As a football player, Bell had 87 yards and a touchdown his junior year with the Hawks before primarily focusing on playing basketball. Bell finished his senior year averaging 16.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 1.9 steals per game and finishing his career with averaging 16.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 2.1 steals per game.

In three seasons of varsity play, Bell tallied up 932 career points, 384 rebounds, 122 blocks and 122 steals with the Hawks.

Decorrian "DK" Kelly:

A 6-1 guard from Memphis, TN, Kelly will join SCF upon his completion of his postgraduate year at Huntington Prep in West Virginia. Prior to that, Kelly graduated from Bolton High School in Arlington, Tennessee where he averaged 16.4 points, six rebounds and 3.3 steals per game.

*Joe Stubbs:

A 6-4 guard, Stubbs joins fellow teammate Bell after wrapping up his senior year at Santa Fe Catholic School in Lakeland, Florida and was also a two-sport athlete playing football and basketball.

As a football player, Stubbs had 154 yards and two touchdowns before focusing primarily on basketball. Stubbs averaged 16.7 points, six rebounds and 2.5 assists per game his senior year and 17.3 points, six rebounds and 2.3 assists per game for his career.

*Side Note: Both Bell and Stubbs helped lead the Santa Fe Catholic to the Regional Finals of the FHSAA 3A State Tournament before losing to Saint Andrews. They were both named to the FHSAA All-County Boys Basketball First Team.

Luke Lecroy:

Lecroy, a 6-7 wing, is another local product from Lakewood Ranch High School. A two-year varsity member, Lecroy helped lead head coach Jeremy Schiller to an 18-8 overall record (10-0 at home) with a 1-0 district record (7A) and to the regional quarterfinals of the FHSAA 7A State Tournament his senior year, while being named an honorable mention for the Herald Tribune Prep All-Area Boys Basketball Team. As a senior, Lecroy averaged 11.1 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.

As a junior for the Mustangs, Lecroy averaged 4.7 points and 1.3 rebounds per game while the Mustangs finished the 2018-19 season 24-7 overall with a 11-0 district record (7A) before being named the FHSAA 7A State Runner-Up.

James "Pop" Weathers:

A 6-0 guard from Baton Rogue, LA, Weathers joins SCF after completing his high school career at Glen Oaks Senior High School under the wing of head coach Harvey Adger. There he helped lead the Panthers to the state tournament for three straight seasons.

Rae Miller:

A 6-7 wing from Satellite Beach, Miller joined SCF last season as a walk-on after graduating from Riverview High School in Sarasota in 2019. 

As a junior with Satellite Beach High School, Miller averaged 8.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game before parting ways. Miller then tried out and joined in success, yet chose to redshirt due to an injury and to maintain his two years of eligibility.

Christian Nieto:

Like Miller, Nieto joined SCF as a walk-on last season. A 6-2 guard, Nieto joined after graduating from Lake Brantley High School. During his freshman campaign, Nieto started playing Forest Lake Academy in Apopka, Florida on the junior varsity team before transitioning to the varsity level his sophomore year.

After finishing the 2015-16 season with a record of 12-13, Nieto transferred to Lake Brantley his junior year where the team finished 8-18. Nieto averaged 5.8 points per game before parting ways. Nieto joined Miller as a walk-on for SCF in success, while choosing to redshirt. Nieto will play only this season and is hoping to transfer to a university with three years of eligibility remaining.

Darik Tannis-Harriet:

A 6-3 combo guard from London, England, Tannis-Harriet joins the Manatees as a walk-on for the team. He played his sophomore year with Florida Prep before playing the last two seasons with Victory Rock Prep where he averaged 19 points and 5.6 assists per game. As a member of Florida Prep, Tannis-Harriet helped lead the Falcons to the regional finals of the FHSAA 2A State Tournament.

Tannis-Harriet follows the footsteps of his older brother and SCF alum, Dominik. Dominik played for the Manatees during the 2013-14 season where he averaged 5.6 points per game in 13 games (three starts).

Tethloach Tut:

A 6-6 wing from Omaha, Nebraska, Tut joins the team as a late addition after graduating from Omaha Central High School.

As a member of the Eagles for his last two seasons on varsity, Tut averaged three points and 2.5 rebounds per game and helped lead the team to the NSAA State Championship twice where they were named the runner-up in the 2019 finals and placed in the quarterfinals in the 2020 state tournament. He averaged 2.8 points and 2.5 rebounds per game as a junior and 3.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game as a senior.

Big Returns:

Along with the newcomers, Parks brings back three returners for their sophomore campaigns: Jordan Clark, Marshall Kearing and Sam Grayson.

Clark, the lone returning local product from Booker High School, started all but one of his 33 games played where he averaged 10.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. At the end of the Suncoast Tournament, Clark was named a member of the All-Suncoast Second Team. In fact, Clark was the only Manatee named to the All-Suncoast Second Team. Clark's season-best scoring game was against ASA Miami scoring 27 points with eight rebounds.

Kearing started 30 of his 33 games played averaging 11.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game while completing five double-doubles. A native of Perth, Australia, Kearing joined Hodge and Dasher as a member of the All-Suncoast First Team in which his best game was in the Suncoast Conference Tournament Finals where he had 25 points, nine rebounds and a season-high eight blocks.

Although a majority of his season was a tough battle between a MCL injury and sickness, Grayson, a native of Ipswich, Australia, was able to average 2.4 points and 1.5 rebounds per game in 23 with his best game against Santa Fe College where he had 10 points and five rebounds.

Scouting Chipola:

Chipola finished last season 18-10 overall with a 6-6 record in the Panhandle Conference (fourth place finish). They did not qualify for the FSCAA State Tournament.

The Indians will welcome their new head coach Donnie Tyndall. Tyndall joins the team after spending last season with the Detroit Pistons G-League team, the Grand Rapids Drive, as their head coach. He will bring 22 years of coaching experience to Chipola, which includes 18 years of collegiate experience at the NCAA DI level (LSU, Idaho, Middle Tennessee, Morehead State, Southern Miss and Tennessee) to as well as four years of experience at the NBA G-League level.

The Indians will be without five players, which include leading scorer Cheikh Faye, who averaged 12.4 points per game and Lat Mayen, their leading rebounder (8.4 rebounds per game). Mayen was on the All-Panhandle First Team, while Faye was on the All-Panhandle Second Team.

The main returners for the Indians include redshirt sophomore Marial Mading, Lance Irving and Ishan White.

Mading, a big man from Perth, Australia, finished his redshirt freshman year averaging 12 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. He joined Mayen on the All-Panhandle First Team.

Irvin finished his true freshman campaign averaging 10 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.

White, the team’s predominant sixth man, averaged 11.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game last season

Series History (2011-present):

Overall, the Manatees are 0-1 against the Indians, dating back to November 21, 2015 where they lost 100-70 at home.

How to Keep Up:

Fans can keep up with both teams on Twitter:

SCF: @SCF_Baskeball

Chipola: @ChipolaHoops

Link: https://youtu.be/2sB75Qqj60k

FGCU WBB vs Florida Memorial Recap

Freshman Maddie Antenucci poured in a game-high 18 points, along with five rebounds and three assists, in her collegiate debut to lead the FGCU women's basketball team to an 86-40 win over Florida Memorial in the season opener on Wednesday inside Alico Arena.
 
With the win, which featured six players reach double-digit scoring totals, FGCU is now 14-5 all-time in season openers, as well as 17-2 in home openers, including a streak of five straight victories. On top of that, the Eagles are now 13-0 all-time against Florida Memorial.
 
"It was good to get a game under our belt," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "We have a lot of new players, and a lot of them who are having their first college game. We haven't been able to scrimmage this year, so this was our first chance to execute a game plan and how we run things. It was definitely uneven, but there were some really good performances. We'll try to build from here."
 
Before she even scored her first points, which came via a steal and fast break layup under a minute into the game, Antenucci made history by becoming just the fourth true freshman to start her first collegiate game in the Green and Blue. She joined Tytionia Adderly (2016), Katie Meador (2012) and Courtney Chihil (2008). All of her points came in the first half, but with her total, she broke Adrianne McNally's record (16 vs West Florida in 2006) for most points scored by a freshman in her first game in program history.
 
Grad Student Andrea Cecil who competed in her first game with the Eagles as a graduate transfer, added 13 in her FGCU debut while chipping in five rebounds and three assists. Seniors Alyssa Blair and Sheahen Dowling each contributed 12 points, while Blair led all players in rebounds (9) and steals (4). Junior Tanner Bryant (11 points, six rebounds, four assists) and redshirt junior Emma List (10 points, six rebounds, two steals) also notched double-figures. For List it's her career-high while wearing the Green and Blue.
 Freshmen Tomia Johnson (6) and Seneca Hackley (2) also reached the scoring column in their collegiate debuts, while Hackley ripped down eight boards and dished four assists in 21 minutes. Johnson  added three steals, and redshirt freshman Kierra Adams totaled two points in her first game with FGCU after redshirting last season.
 
As a team, FGCU assisted on 20 of 29 field goals as five players had at least three apiece. Four players notched at least two steals and all but one player had at least three boards. All of Antenucci's five rebounds came on the offensive glass.
 
Milestone Watch
The Eagles made 10-for-41 from long distance, which is the 281st game in program history with double-figures as a team. Furthermore, FGCU has now made 2,858 3-pointers inside Alico Arena all-time as they approach the 3,000 milestone.
 
On top of that, FGCU improved its all-time record to 494-95 (.839), which puts the Eagles just six victories away from the 500 milestone.
 
Individual, Cecil pushed her NCAA scoring total to 887 in her 91st career game. 
Next Up
FGCU will be back in action this week in the Gulf Coast Showcase's Beach Bubble as the Eagles are set to host No. 24 Missouri State on Friday, No. 14 Arkansas on Saturday and Davidson on Sunday. All three games are closed to the general public