4th Herd Remains on Road @ SPC

 Bradenton, Fla - The SCF basketball team (4-2) remain on the road for their next game as they travel to St. Petersburg to take on former conference rival St. Pete College (3-2) at the Gibbs Campus Gymnasium Wednesday night, November 17 at 7:30 pm.

The game will air livestream on the SPC Athletics website (link below).

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of a splint after defeating Florida State College at Jacksonville (86-51) before almost upsetting #11 Eastern Florida State (71-69) at the Florida JUCO Shootout in Melbourne, hosted by Eastern Florida State.

Sophomore James 'Pop' Weathers is leading the path for the Manatees as he is averaging 17.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.5 steals per game. At the Florida JUCO Shootout, Weathers had a combined 22 points, 11 rebounds, 17 assists and five steals.

Weather's 22 points at the Florida JUCO Shootout also put him at 474 in his career and needs 526 to reach 1,000 career points.

Classmate Javon Bell has been leading the path while at the 3-point line. Bell is currently averaging 12 points (2.7 3PT per game), 3.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. At the Florida JUCO Shootout in Melbourne, he had a combined 30 points, three rebounds and four blocks.

Freshmen Cobey Harraway, Jacari White and Djordje Gobovic have been playing well overall as well. Harraway is averaging 12.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game, while White is averaging 10.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game and Gobovic averages 5.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game.

Scouting SPC:

The Titans are coming off of hosting their version of the Florida JUCO Shootout last weekend. Unfortunately, they would fall to Indian River State (92-75) and Pensacola State (73-61). They are currently riding on a three-game losing streak.

Freshman Zane Wilson leads the team offensively averaging 15.8 points and 2.4 assists per game, while sophomore Martin Mercedes follows averaging 12.8 points, four rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.

Series History (2012-present):

Overall, the Manatees are 13-19 against the Titans. Last time both teams met was on January 26 where the Titans won 87-72 at SCF.

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

4th Herd Splits @ Florida JUCO Shootout

Melbourne, Fla - The SCF basketball team (4-2) pushed themselves to another tournament sweep as they defeated Florida State College at Jacksonville (0-3) 86-51 before losing a close game against host #11 Eastern Florida State (4-0) 71-69 at the Florida JUCO Shootout in the Titans Field House. With the sweep, the Manatees are now 8-6 against the Blue Wave and 1-2 against the Titans.

SCF vs FSCJ:

The first half saw the Manatees off to a 7-0 start thanks to points from freshman Djordje Gobovic and sophomore Javon Bell. The Blue Wave took a brief 14-10 lead, but the Manatees put on an offensive drive from a big outing by freshman Cobey Harraway. The Manatees would take the first half 46-27.

The second half was no different for the Manatees after big 3-pointers from Bell and sophomore Kwo Agwa along with crucial rebounds from Gobovic and freshman Jacari White. In the end, the Manatees were able to secure a 30-plus point lead and seal the win.

Five Manatees scored in double figures. Bell would lead the way as he finished with 21 points (7-for-9 FG, 7-for-9 3PT), two rebounds, one assist and two blocks. Harraway would follow with 16 points (6-for-9 FG, 2-for-3 3PT, 2-for-3 FT), one rebound, two assists and two steals off the bench.

White and redshirt sophomore Clarence Cummings III finished with 11 points each. White (4-for-9 FG, 1-for-5 3PT, 2-for-2 FT) added five rebounds, two assists and two steals, while Cummings III (4-for-4 FG, 1-for-1 3PT, 2-for-3 FT) added six rebounds, one assist and one block

Agwa rounded out the order with 10 points (4-for-9 FG, 1-for-4 3PT, 1-for-2 FT), three rebounds, tow assists and one steal.

Freshman Ametri Moss had nine points (3-for-6 FG, 3-for-5 FT), three rebounds, five assists and four steals, while sophomore James 'Pop' Weathers was held to a season-low seven points, but added a season-high 11 assists, eight rebounds and four steals.

Gobovic (two points, five rebounds and one block), sophomore Darik Tannis-Harriet (one rebound and one steal) and freshmen Sam Faraday (two points, one rebound and one block) and Ronnail Tape (two rebounds and one block) also contributed in the game.

SCF vs EFSC:

The first half was seen in the favor of the Manatees as it looked that they were able to hold on to the lead, but the second half proved to be the dagger as the Titans took the Manatees' upset opportunity away to save their national ranking.

Three Manatees were in double figures in scoring against EFSC. Weathers lead the way with 15 points (7-for-19 FG, 1-for-1 FT), three rebounds and six assists. 

White followed with a season-high 14 points (4-for-8 FG, 1-for-5 3PT, 5-for-6 FT), three rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block, while Harraway rounded out the order with 10 points (4-for-8 FG, 1-for-3 3PT, 1-for-2 FT), three rebounds and one assist.

Bell finished with nine points (3-for-7 FG, 2-for-4 3PT, 1-for-1 FT), two rebounds, one assist, one steal and two blocks.

Gobovic and Agwa each had six rebounds and two blocks. Gobovic added six points, while Agwa added eight points two assists.

Cummings (two points), Moss (three points, two rebounds and two assists) and Tape (two points) also contributed in the game.

Notes:

Weathers' 22 total points put him at 472 and needs 528 to become the second player under the Parks era to reach 1,000 career points.

Other Southern Conference Scores:

Hillsborough (2-2) fell to Pensacola State (3-1) 75-65 before defeating Daytona State (1-4) 95-90 at the Florida JUCO Shootout in St. Pete. The Hawks will return home and welcome Pasco-Hernando State Thursday night, November 18.

#22 FSW (4-1) swept their part of the Florida JUCO Shootout in Melbourne by defeating Tallahassee (1-3) 61-55 before defeating Florida State College at Jacksonville 99-67. The Buccaneers will return home for the next two game as they welcome Snow College and Spartanburg Methodist Friday and Saturday night.

Miami Dade (2-2) fell to RV Santa Fe (4-1) 78-60 and Tallahassee (2-2) 65-55. The Sharks will return home for the next three games at home as they welcome Fort Lauderdale University JV Wednesday night, November 17 before welcoming ASA Miami (1-2) and DME Academy for the Shark Classic.

Indian River State (5-1) defeated St. Pete College (2-3) 92-75 before upsetting #6 Northwest Florida State (3-1) 79-75 at the Florida JUCO Shootout in St. Pete. The Pioneers will travel to Daytona State Wednesday night, November 17.

Up Next:

The Manatees remain on the road for their next three games as they travel to St. Pete to take on St. Pete College Wednesday night, November 17 before heading to Georgia for the start of the Florida vs Georgia Classic Friday, November 20

4th Herd Set for JUCO Shootout

 Bradenton, Fla - The SCF basketball team (3-1) head back on the road for another weekend tournament as they will compete in the two-day Florida JUCO Shootout at the Titan Field House in Melbourne Friday and Saturday night, November 12 and 13. The Manatees will face Florida State College at Jacksonville (0-2) Friday night at 5 pm before taking on host #11 Eastern Florida State (2-0) Saturday night at 7:30 pm.

#22 FSW (1-1), #4 Chipola (3-0), RV Santa Fe (3-0), Tallahasse (1-1) and Miami Dade (2-0) are also competing in the shootout. SCF will not face TCC as they already played them at the Indian River State Veteran's Day Classic. Additionally, SCF will not face FSW, Chipola, Santa Fe and Miami Dade until conference play.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of winning their first home game of the season after defeating ASA Miami 89-80 in a close matchup.

Despite the result, the Manatees moved up to #8 in the NJCAA Region 8 Men's Basketball Polls.

Another Reunion:

The game between SCF and Eastern Florida State will bring upon another reunion between head coach Tom Parks and head coach Jeremy Shulman. Parks was the assistant coach under Shulman's wing during the 2017-18 season before becoming SCF's head coach.

This will be the third time Parks and Shulman face each other as head coach vs head coach. The series between the two is tied 1-1. Shulman took the first game during the first round of the 2019 FCSAA State  Tournament, while Parks took the second during the shortened 2021 season.

Popping for 1,000:

For sophomore James 'Pop' Weathers, he is still looking to become the second player under the Parks Era to reach 1,000 career points. Currently, Weathers is averaging 20 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game and has 450 career points. In the game against ASA Miami, he had 15 points, five rebounds and two assists.

Weathers needs 550 points to reach the milestone, so he would need to average at least 21 points per game for the remainder of the season.

Wild Card Players:

Freshmen Jacari White, Djordje Gobovic and Ametri Moss and redshirt sophomore Clarence Cummings III have been very effective as the wild card players.

While still playing off the bench, White has been on point from a defensive standpoint. Currently, he is averaging 10 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game. Against ASA Miami, White had 12 points, seven rebounds and three steals.

Since being in the starting lineup, Gobovic has had a effective role defensively as he is averaging 6.5 points, five rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. He had eight points, 10 rebounds and three blocks against ASA Miami.

Although he was held to seven points and three assists against ASA Miami, Moss is still averaging 9.8 points per game.

Cummings III has played a crucial role in the starting lineup since transferring from Hillsborough this season. Cummings III is currently averaging 9.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. Against ASA Miami, he had 11 points, six rebounds and five assists in the game.

Ring the Bell:

Sophomore Javon Bell is currently averaging 10.5 points and four rebounds per game. Bell almost had a double-double against ASA Miami as he had 18 points and seven rebounds in the game.

Scouting FSCJ:

The Blue Wave opened their first two games of the season at home. They would fall to Florida Gateway 90-75 and Indian River State 92-62.

Redshirt sophomore Chris Clark leads the way averaging 19.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, while sophomore Marland Thompson is averaging 10.5 points and seven rebounds per game.

Scouting EFSC:

The Titans enter this season #3 in the FCSAA and #11 in the nation's top 25 poll. They opened their first two games of the season with wins over Central Pointe Academy (95-71) and ASA Miami (78-28).

The Titans will play #4 Chipola College on day one of the Florida JUCO Shootout.

Freshmen Derrick Butler (15 ppg) and Reggie Hill (14 ppg) lead the path in scoring with Butler averaging six rebounds and 4.5 steals per game and Hill averaging 7.5 rebounds per game.

Series History:

Overall, the Manatees are 1-2 against the Titans and 7-6 against the Blue Wave.

Bell Leads 4th Herd to First Home Win

Bradenton, Fla - Sophomore Javon Bell’s near double-double chance helped lead the SCF basketball team (3-1) to an 89-80 win over ASA Miami (1-2). With the win, the Manatees are now 4-1 against the Silver Storm.

"I just think we have a lot of freshmen and the theme is learning from our experiences," said head coach Tom Parks. "We took a team for granted tonight and we allowed them to play in our gym with a lot of confidence and when you do that, it ends up being a close game down the stretch. I thought we guarded when we needed to get stop, in which we did for three straight games now, but we need to make sure that we guard all the time and not just when our backs are against the wall where we have to get a stop to get. If we can do that for 40 minutes, then we can put some teams away early to have a better game overall."

"It's a good feeling to get a dub at home," said sophomore Kwo Agwa. "It wasn't the way we expected it, but a win is a win at the end of the day."

"We started off slow in the game and we had to pick it up in the second half," said freshman Jacari White. "We wanted to win by much more and I had to gather up scoring on the defensive end and we picked it up."

"We came out slow against a pretty decent team," said Bell on getting the win. "We could have been better from the outcome, but we got the win and that's what counts and all that matters at the end of the day

The Manatees got off to a slow start and were starting to almost dwindle back to their season opener, but after a few tweaks and modifications, the Manatees were able to hold the first half in their favor by a score of 40-37. 

The second half provided a lot of defense for the Manatees from Bell, Agwa, White and freshman Djordje Gobovic from several steals, blocks and rebounds. In the end, the Manatees continued to hold their own and secure their first home win of the season.

Five players scored in double-figures, including Bell, who finished with 18 points (7-for-11 FG, 2-for-4 3PT, 2-for-4 FT), seven rebounds, one assist and three blocks.

"I felt good out there," said Bell on his game. "I thought I could have done better at getting more shots, but it wasn't too bad of a game for me."

"I think Javon played with a lot of energy, which we needed and I thought he made some big plays early, especially during that run late in the first half that helped," said Parks on Bell. "It was nice to see him score the ball because he needed it. I believe we're a team that have a bunch of guys that can lead in scoring on any given night, so it is just reassuring to be able to come out and score the basketball like that because when you have so many guys that can score, you'll have games that you will not score as much, whether it's from a scouting report or whether you don't get the looks that day, so I think it was good for his confidence and it helped out our team."

Sophomore James 'Pop' Weathers, who started the first half with one point, followed with 15 points (7-for-19 FG, 3-for-8 FT), five rebounds, two assists and one steal.

"I think Pop is trying to learn his progression as a point guard and he's trying to figure out when he needs to score and when he needs to get others involved," said Parks on Weathers. "Last year, he needed to be a primary scorer and this year he is learning that we have guys that can score and can help facilitate them scoring the basketball by setting them up and I think, in the last two games, he has had a slow first half and turned it up in the second half. I probably coached one or two other guys in my career that have endurance like his and when you have endurance like that, then you're going to wear teams out and I think that it's just a thing where late in the game, Pop had so many uncontested layups based on the fact that he had plenty left in the tank while everyone else was empty, so I know it wasn't the game he wanted since he struggled from the line, but I think he'll be able to look at his film and see a lot of areas he can improve on so he won't make the same mistake twice, especially when it's early in the year."

Agwa finished with 14 points (5-for-11 FG, 1-for-5 3PT, 3-for-3 FT), eight rebounds, one assist and three blocks, while White finished with 12 points (4-for-8 FG, 2-for-4 3PT, 2-for-2 FT), seven rebounds, one assist and three steals. Both played off the bench.

"The coach is always telling me to play defense and get rebounds and come off the bench effectively," said Agwa on his game. "So that's what I did and that helped us out."

"I was trying to find my game in the beginning," said White on his game. "We were struggling and scrambling to score, but eventually got my scoring from the defensive end and picked it up as it came to me."

"Jacari is a fun player to coach," said Parks on White. "I think he gets a lot of energy from defensive intensity and he can really guard. He does incredible things on the defensive end, which fuels him offensively. He struggled to start the year shooting the basketball, but he's a really good shooter and I think today was important because he got a couple of shots late to fall that I thought helped with his confidence, but he's a very special player and has a very bright future with us."

Cummings III rounded out the order with 11 points (3-for-9 FG, 1-for-1 3PT, 3-for-4 FT), six rebounds, five assists and one steal.

From a defensive standpoint, aside from three blocks from both Bell and Agwa, Gobovic lead the Manatees with 10 rebounds to go along with eight points and three blocks.

"I think Gobo (Gobovic) is interesting," said Parks on Gobovic. "It's really fun to coach him because he gets really excited for every game, almost like a little kid because he's always hyped up and is not scared to play anybody. He's a confident player with so much energy and I think that he's just finding his place on the team and how he can impact the game. He does it with energy and effort, which is something every coach asks for from their players. He may drive me crazy, but he plays hard and does the dirty work when he's on the floor and he's another player that will have a bright future with us."

Freshmen Amerti Moss (seven points, two rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal), Cobey Harraway (two points, two rebounds, one assist and two steals) and Ronnail Tape (two rebounds) also contributed in the game.

Notes:

Weathers’ 15 points put him at 450 in his career and need 550 to reach 1,000 career points.

Tape made his on-court debut for the Manatees.

This was the first interviews with Bell, White and Agwa for the 2021-22 season.

Other Southern Conference Scores:

Indian River State (3-1) defeated Florida State College at Jacksonville (0-2) 92-62. The Pioneers will compete in the two-day Florida JUCO Shootout in St. Pete (11/12-13) and take on St. Pete and #6 Northwest Florida State (2-0).

#22 Florida Southwestern (2-1) defeated St. Pete College (2-1) 99-68. The Buccaneers will compete in the Florida JUCO Shootout in Melbourne against Tallahassee CC (1-1) and Florida State College at Jacksonville.

Upcoming Weekly Southern Conference Games (11/10-17):

11/10:

Hillsborough @ Pasco-Hernando State

Miami Dade vs Miami Sports Academy

11/12:

Miami Dade vs RV Santa Fe College

Hillsborough vs Pensacola State

#22 FSW vs TCC

Indian River State vs St. Pete

11/13:

Miami Dade vs Tallahassee

#22 FSW vs Florida State College at Jacksonville

Indian River State vs #6 NWFS

Hillsborough vs Daytona State

11/17:

Indian River State @ Daytona State

Miami Dade vs Fort Lauderdale University (JV)

Up Next:

The Manatees will join FSW and Miami Dade in the two-day Florida JUCO Shootout in Melbourne. They will face Florida State College at Jacksonville (0-2) and #11 Eastern Florida State College (2-0).

4th Herd Returns Home vs ASA Miami

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF basketball team (2-1) set their sights back home to Hal Chasey Gymnasium Tuesday night, November 9 at 7:30 pm. The Manatees will welcome ASA Miami (1-1) for their next home matchup.

The game will air livestream on the SCF Sports Network (link below).

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of a successful weekend on neutral grounds after they competed in the two-day Indian River State Veteran's Day Classic in Fort Pierce, where they defeated Daytona State 93-77 and Tallahassee 82-80 in overtime. In fact, the Manatees were the only team that completed a sweep in the classic.

Sophomore James "Pop" Weathers is leading the herd offensively. Weathers is averaging 21.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and five assists per game. At the IRS Veteran's Day Classic, he had a combined 39 points, 16 rebounds and 13 assists. Additionally, Weathers has 433 career points and needs 567 to reach 1,000 career points.

Classmate Clearance Cummings III and freshman Ametri Moss are both averaging 10.7 points per game. Additionally, Cummings III is averaging four rebounds and four assists per game, while Moss is averaging 1.3 steals per game. Cummings III had a combined 21 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, while Moss had 22 points, and three steals.

Freshmen Cobey Harraway and Jacari White have played as wildcard benefactors on the team. Harraway is averaging 15 points and 2.7 rebounds per game, while White is averaging 9.3 points and four rebounds per game. Harraway had a combined 37 points, which included a season-high 25 against Daytona State, while White had a combined 19 points and eight rebounds.

Scouting ASA Miami:

The Silver Storm, who are deemed as an "independent" in the FCSAA, opened their season in a split winning the first game against Time to Ball Prep by a score of 112-50 before losing to #14 Eastern Florida State by a score of 78-28.

Freshmen Isaiah Mays and Akene Agee lead the team with 14.5 points per game each. Mays is also averaging eight rebounds and 5.5 assists per game, while Agee averages 12.5 rebounds per game.

Series History:

The Manatees hold a 3-1 lead over ASA Miami. Last time both teams met was on September 14, 2019 where the Manatees won 107-101 at the Florida JUCO Shootout in Ocala.

The Silver Storm's lone win against the Manatees was on December 16, 2016 where they won 92-85.

SCF Sports Network: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/scf/

4th Herd Sweeps Veteran's Classic

Fort Pierce, Fla - The SCF basketball team (2-1) were able to pull away with their first two wins of the season as they defeated Daytona State College (1-2) 93-77 and Tallahassee CC (1-1) 82-80 in overtime in the IRSC Veteran's Day Classic at the Massey Campus Gymnasium, hosted by Indian River State. With the wins, the Manatees are now 1-5 against the Falcons and 1-5 against the Eagles.

"It feels great to get a clean sweep in a very good classic such as Veteran's Day Classic at Indian River," said head coach Tom Parks. "There were four really good teams and to be the only team to come out 2-0 says something about our program."

SCF vs Daytona:

"It's alway good to get your first win of the year," said Parks. "Obviously, we don't play an easy schedule, so anytime we get a win against a region opponent is great. It's great confidence for the guys as we progress in our non-conference schedule. I thought as a team, we played really well against Daytona. I thought there were no personal agendas and everyone stepped up and played their role.

The first half was a back-and-forth battle as both teams exchanged in lead changes. The Falcons were able to hold a five point lead, but last-second 3-pointer by freshman Ametri Moss cut the deficit to two points. The falcons still took the first half 47-45.

In the second half, the Manatees were down by as much as six to seven points, but then they started kicking it into high gear at the 3-point line and were able to push their lead to double digits before sealing the deal.

"We just picked up and maintained our pace," said Parks on the turning point. "We're just a firm believer that we can run harder than any team in the country. If we keep running that, then at one point the other team is going to run out of gas and that's what happened to Daytona."

In the end, five Manatees scored in double figures, but it was freshman Cobey Harraway that lead the way for the Manatees as he finished with a team-leading 25 points (11-for-15 FG, 2-for-6 3PT, 1-for-1 FT), three rebounds, one assist and three steals off the bench.

"Cobey did what we knew he was capable of doing," said Parks on Harraway. "He's a very good player at the wing and can make great plays on both ends of the floor. It was nice to see him score the ball to help with his confidence, even though he is an extremely confident young man and does not need any reassurance, but it was nice to see hime score some points." 

Moss followed behind Harraway with a season-high 18 points (6-for-10 FG, 4-for-6 3PT, 2-for-4 FT), five rebounds, one assist and one steal.

Sophomore James ‘Pop’ Weathers earned his first collegiate triple-double as he finished with 13 points (3-for-11 FG, 1-for-4 3PT, 6-for-8 FT), 10 rebounds and 10 assists while adding six steals. Classmate Javon Bell had 13 points (4-for-14 FG, 2-for-10 3PT, 3-for-4 FT), six rebounds, two blocks, two assists and three steals.

Freshman Jacari White rounded out the order with 12 points (4-for-9 FG, 3-for-6 3PT, 1-for-1 FT), three rebounds, two assists and four steals.

Sophomores Clearance Cummings III (four points, six assists, two rebounds, one block and one steal) and Kwo Agwa (six points, five rebounds, two assists and two blocks) and freshman Djordje Gobovic (four points, three rebounds and one assist) also contributed in the game.

SCF vs TCC:

The Manatees were off to a 10-0 start in the first three minutes of the first half, but soon things started to falter as turnovers played a big negative and soon the Eagles took the lead and eventually took the first half 38-31.

At the start of the second half, the Manatees began at a slow pace, but after a few adjustments to the defense, their offense soon exploded and communication went smoother to cut the deficit to single digits. With less than 20 seconds left in the second half, the Manatees were able to tie the game at 74 a piece thanks to a crucial layup by Harraway, which would send the game to overtime.

At the start of OT, rebounding and strong defense played a big factor for the Manatees as they were able to take advantage of miscommunications from the Eagles. Harraway would hit the final free-throw before the Eagles missed their scoring opportunity to get the win as the Manatees took the second game and the sweep.

"It felt great to beat Tallahassee, a team that we never beat," said Parks on defeating TCC. "We go into every game as if we're the ones that are supposed to win and play as if we are the underdogs, however our mentality is that we are the better team. It feels good to beat them and we weren't treating them different like any other opponent."

"We fought while we were down by 10 points in the second half and there was never one time where I felt like the guys felt defeated. I think they knew we were in a good position in the game and needed to keep our pace going."

Weathers, despite only scoring two points in the first half, would lead the team offensively as he finished with a season-high 26 points (7-for-15 FG, 12-for-15 FT), nine rebounds, three assists and three steals.

"Pop had a great game," said Parks on Weathers. "He knew he needed to take a little more of a scoring role and that's what he did when he scored 24 in the second half and OT. He was just unstoppable with his ability to get to the paint while making some big plays down the stretch and trusted his teammates to make big shots."

Harraway and Cummings III both finished with 13 points each. Harraway (4-for-8 FG, 2-for-4 3PT, 3-for-4 FT) added two rebounds, while Cummings III (4-for-7 FG, 5-for-8 FT) added seven rebounds.

"Cobey hit some huge shots for us in regulation and OT, which was a big help," said Parks on Harraway.

Gobovic rounded out the order as he finished with 11 points (4-for-7 FG, 1-for-2 3PT, 2-for-3 FT), five rebounds (three offensive), one assist and three blocks.

"Djordje had a solid game defensively," said Parks on Gobovic. "He's definitely a very intense player where he fits when we need him in order to beat a team like Tallahassee and he showed it tonight." 

White (seven points, five rebounds, one assist and four steals), Bell (five points, two rebounds, one assist, and one steal), Agwa (four points, two rebounds, one assist, two blocks and one steal) and Moss (four points, one rebound, one assist and a steal) also contributed in the win over TCC.

Notes:

Weathers 39 points put him at 433 and needs 567 to reach the milestone of 1,000 points in his career.

Other Southern Scores:

RV Indian River State (2-1) fell to Tallahassee CC (1-0) 89-82 in their hosted classic before defeating Daytona State 109-72. The Pioneers will face Florida State College at Jacksonville Tuesday, November 9.

Hillsborough (0-1) fell to Santa Fe College (2-0) 84-82 in their season opener this past Wednesday. The Hawks will take on Pasco-Hernando State (2-1) Wednesday, November 10.

#3 FSW (1-1) opened their season at home defeating Victory Rock Prep 146-51. It was the most points in the Buccaneers school history. They would then get upset by Santa Fe by a score of 83-81. They will face St. Pete (2-0) Tuesday, November 9.

Upcoming Southern Conference Games (11/9-11/13):

11/9:

#3 FSW vs SPC

RV Indian River State vs Florida State College at Jacksonville

11/10:

HCC vs Pasco-Hernando State

Miami Dade vs Miami Sports Academy

11/12:

MDC vs Santa Fe

HCC vs Pensacola State

#3 FSW vs TCC

RV Indian River State vs SPC

11/13:

MDC vs TCC

#3 FSW vs Florida State College at Jacksonville

RVIndian River State vs #11 Northwest Florida State

HCC vs Daytona State

Up Next:

The Manatees will return home as they welcome ASA Miami (0-1) to Hal Chasey Gymnasium Tuesday, November 9 at 7:30 pm.

4th Herd Readies for Road Trip

Bradenton, Fla - After opening their season at home, the SCF basketball team (0-1) will get their first taste of action on the road in neutral grounds as they travel to Fort Pierce to compete in the two-day Veterans Day Classic, hosted by fellow Southern Conference member RV Indian River State College . The Manatees will take on Daytona State (1-0) Friday night, November 5 at 5:30 pm before taking on Tallahassee CC (-) Saturday afternoon, November 6 at 2 pm. They will not face Indian River State College until January 8, 2022.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of a 98-84 loss over rival Polk State at home to open the season.

New Debuts:

The Manatees saw the debuts of seven newcomers: Djordje Gobovic, Cobey Harraway, Sam Faraday, Ametri Moss, Clearance Cummings III, Pierre-Gabriel Gouffran and Jacari White. Moss and Cummings III were in the starting lineup, while Gobovic, Harraway, Faraday, Gouffran and White played off the bench.

Moss had 10 points, four rebounds, two assists and steal, while Cummings III, a sophomore transfer from conference member Hillsborough (HCC) had 11 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Pop Goes 1,000:

For James "Pop" Weathers, he is looking to become the second person under the Parks era to reach 1,000 career points. Weathers has 394 so far after his 24 point game against Polk State and needs 606 to reach the milestone.

Scouting Daytona State:

The Falcons are lead by first-year head coach Joey Cantens, a former assistant coach for Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), are coming off opening their season at home with a 87-55 win over Mid-Florida Academy. They finished last season 7-12 overall with a 6-9 record in the Central Conference

Freshman Ky Stattmann lead the way offensively with 23 points, three rebounds and two steals, while sophomore Johan Crafoord, a transfer from Iona College, had 22 points and eight rebounds.

Scouting Tallahassee:

The Eagles finished last season 19-3 overall with a 13-3 record in the Panhandle Conference. They are lead by head coach Rick Cabrera, who enters his first year as head coach.

Primarily, the Eagles team is majorly freshmen and transfers, including four NCAA DI transfers.

Series History:

The Manatees are currently 0-5 against both teams.

4th Herd Falls in Season Opener

Bradenton, Fla- The SCF basketball team (0-1) officially opened their season at home at Hal Chasey Gymnasium. Unfortunately, the Manatees fell in their home opener to Polk State (1-0) losing by a score of 98-84. With the loss, the Manatees are now 14-19 against the Eagles.

The first half saw the Eaglees open the doors with a 3-pointer until sophomore Kwo Agwa hit the first points for the Manatees with a 3-pointer of his own before the Eagles took a 10-0 run before Parks called time-out. The Eagles would take the first half 45-31.

Side Note: Head Coach Tom Parks was not able to comment.

In the second half, the Manatees started to mount a comeback as they eventually took their first lead, but costly miscommunication for them ended up with them losing steam as the Eagles sealed the deal for the win.

In the end, it was sophomore James "Pop" Weathers that lead the Manatees offensively as he finished with 24 points (10-for-19 FG, 6-for-6 FT), two rebounds, one assist and one steal. Classmate Clearance Cumming III followed with 11 points (2-for-6 FG, 6-for-13 FT), five rebounds, five assists, one block and one steal, while freshman Ametri Moss rounded out the order with 10 points (5-for-6 FG), four rebounds, two assists and one steal.

Freshmen Jacari White and Cobey Harraway each had nine points. White (2-for-12 FG, 1-for-5 3PT, 2-for-3 FT) added four rebounds (three offensive) and two assists, while Harraway (1-for-4 FG, 6-for-7 FT) added two rebounds and one assist.

Agwa and sophomore Javon Bell finished with eight points each. Agwa (3-for-7 FG, 2-for-4 3PT) added five rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal, while Bell (2-for-4 FG, 2-for-4 3PT, 2-for-2 FT) added two rebounds and a steal.

Freshmen Djordje Gobovic (three points, one rebound and one assist) and Pierre-Gabriel Gouffran (two points) also contributed for the Manatees.

Redshirt sophomore Tommie Lewis lead the Eagles with 24 points, five rebounds and five assists off the bench, while sophomore Freddie Word and Eric Butler had 19 points. Butler was 5-for-6 at the 3-point line.

Sophomore Keenon Cole rounded out the order for the Eagle with a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Notes:

This was the debuts of Cummings III, Moss, White, Carraway, Gobovic, Gouffran and freshman Sam Faraday. Cummings joined the team after transferring from Hillsborough Community College (HCC).

The 24 points for Weathers put him at 394. He needs 606 to reach 1,000 career points and the second under the Parks Era.

Up Next:

The Manatees will get their first taste of action on the road as they head to Fort Pierce to compete in the two-day Veteran's Day Classic (November 5-6), hosted by conference member Indian River State. They will face Daytona State (1-0) at 5:30 pm and Tallahassee CC at a time to be announced.

4th Herd Opens Season at Home

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF basketball team has put the 2020-21 season aside and is now set their sites for the 2021-22 year. The Manatees will open their season at home as they welcome former conference rival Polk State to Hal Chasey Gymnasium Tuesday night, November 2 at 7 pm.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees, who were dubbed as "4th Herd" this season, are coming off of finishing a shortened season at 11-8 overall with a 7-5 record in the Southern Conference. They would make it to the first round of the FCSAA State Tournament before falling to then #3 Florida Southwestern.

The Manatees are lead by head coach Tom Parks. Parks, who became head coach in 2018, enter his fourth season as head coach and co-athletic coordinator. Parks has put together a record of 50-35 record overall in three seasons with a 18-18 record in conference play (11-13 in the Suncoast Conference).

Parks is joined by assistant coaches Travis Nesby (2nd year), Lem Andrews (13th year) and newly appointed assistant coach Chris Reeves (1st year). Additionally, Parks added Wesley Simeus and Fredrick Stewart as his student managers for the team.

Conference Shakeup:

Last Season, the Manatees entered into the Southern Conference after the Suncoast Conference was defunct after the 2019-20 season. The following conference are listed below:

Southern:

SCF

#3 FSW

Hillsborough

Miami Dade

RV Indian River State

Panhandle:

#13 Chipola

Gulf Coast State

#11 Northwest Florida State

Pensacola State

Tallahassee

Central:

Daytona State

Florida State College at Jacksonville

#14 Eastern Florida State

Polk State

Santa Fe

St. Pete

ASA Miami will be ruled as an independent team and not join any conferences, while Pasco-Hernando State and Florida Gateway remain in the NJCAA DII.

Side Note: FSW, Chipola, Eastern Florida State, Northwest Florida and Indian River State are ranked or receiving votes in the NJCAA Top 20 Preseason Poll.

Player Lookout:

Key returners for the Manatees include James "Pop" Weathers, Kwo Agwa and Javon Bell.

Weathers, a guard from Baton Rouge, finished last season with 19.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. In fact, he was ranked in the top 25 in the nation in scoring (t-25th) and top 50 in assists (t-36th). Additionally, he was named a member of the All-Southern Conference First Team.

Weathers can be on pace to becoming the second player under the Parks era to reach 1,000 career points and the third to reach 1,000 points in the program's history (1st: James Life; 2nd: D'Moi Hodge). He has 370 points so far and needs 630 to reach the milestone.

Agwa, a wing from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, finished last season with 11.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game while being named a member of the All-Southern Conference Second Team.

Bell, a guard from Lakeland, Florida, finished with 8.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while joining Agwa on the All-Southern Conference Second Team.

Parks has added 10 new members to his roster, which include sophomore transfer Clearance Cummings III and freshmen Djordje Gobovic, Ametri Moss and Sam Faraday.

Scouting Polk State:

The Eagles are coming off of finishing last season 10-11 overall with a 9-9 record in the Central Conference. They are lead by head coach Brandon Giles, who enters his second season as head coach.

Key returners for the Eagles include Tommie Lewis and Tyrese Powers. Lewis averaged 14.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game, while Powers averaged 8.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game

The Eagles also added three transfers on their team.

Series History:

The Manatees are currently 14-18 against the Eagles. In the last nine games of the series, the Manatees won six of them, which includes the two games in the Suncoast Conference Championship finals (2019 and 2020).

The Eagles last win over the Manatees was on February 8, 2020.

How to Keep Up:

The game will air on the SCF Sports Network and fans can keep up with both teams on Twitter:

Side Note: I will try to do a livestream of my own, but it's to be determined

SCF: @SCF_Basketball

Polk State: @PolkStateHoops

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

Sophomore Duo Claims First Round at ITA Cup

Rome, Ga - After their strong outing in the ITA Regionals in Tampa, sophomores Carlotta "Carly" Gascon Martinez and Kia Carvalho-Landell got off to a strong start to represent the SCF tennis team as they opened up the first round of doubles at the ITA Cup at the Rome Tennis Center in Rome, Georgia.

Gascon Martinez and Carvahlo-Landell claimed a three-set win as they defeated the #4 duo of sophomore Isid Hernandez and freshman Ntokozo Zungu of Cowley College in Kansas by a score of 2-6, 6-4, 10-8 in the quarterfinals of East Bracket.

As a result, Gascon Martinez and Carvahlo-Landell will face the #1 seed duo of sophomore Destinee Martins and Lauren Anzalotta from Tyler Junior College. Martins and Anzalotta defeated the unseeded duo of sophomore Seraphina Vossen and freshman Abigail Proktor of West Valley College in California (CCCAA) with a 6-0 pair decision.

Up Next:

Gascon Martinez and Carvahlo-Landell will look to try and defeat Martins and Anzalotta in the semifinals. The winning duo will face either the #2 seed of sophomores Valeriia Cherfus and Naomi McKenzie of St. Pete College and the #3 seed of freshmen Patricia Apisah and Abigail Wild of Tyler JC in the finals of the ITA Cup East Bracket.

SCF Sets Sights @ Polk State

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF volleyball team (2-10, 2-12 Suncoast) look to stay alive for a chance in the tournament as they travel to Winter Haven to take on Polk State (7-8, 6-6 Suncoast) Thursday night, October 14 at 6 pm at the Winter Haven Health Center.

The Manatees lost to Polk State earlier in the season at home by a score of 3-0.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of a 3-0 loss at home to #6 Miami Dade and are currently in last place in the Suncoast.

Record Change:

One of the matches the Manatees played at home was a 3-0 loss to Indian River State, however, the match was overturned and rewarded to the Manatees as the Pioneers had an ineligible player play in the match.

Side Note: This is the not first time the Manatees encountered a loss and then had it overturn in their favor as they were in the same situation with St. Pete College in 2019 after they played the entire season with an ineligible player that put their record at 0-16.

Playoffs Chance Alive?:

While their record is not in high hopes, the Manatees do have a small chance of making it to the state tournament, but the situation is as noted:

The Manatees can clinch the #6 seed if they win their remaining four matches and Santa Fe defeats #18 Daytona State.

As it sits tournament-wise, #1 FSW (18-2, 13-0 Suncoast) and #6 Miami Dade (12-3, 11-3 Suncoast) are the #1 and #2 seeds in the tournament and it is more than likely that the Buccaneers will win the Suncoast Conference Regular Season Championship due to their high conference record.

#18 Daytona State (10-5, 9-4 Suncoast) and #17 Hillsborough (10-5, 7-5 Suncoast) are more than likely going to secure a spot in the state tournament as well.

Polk State is more likely to secure the #5 seed in the tournament.

The #6 seed comes down to four teams: SCF, Eastern Florida State, Indian River State and Santa Fe.

Power Offense:

Freshman Anllel Caballero Fernandez and sophomore Jazmin Spencer continue leading the offense for the Manatees. Caballero Fernandez leads the team with 126 kills, 66 digs and 27 blocks (seven solo), while Spencer is second with 115 kills, 14 aces and 79 digs. Against MDC, Caballero Fernandez lead the way with 10 kills, two aces and a block, while Spencer had four kills, two aces and four digs.

Freshman Lana Sandanom has also played a big role on offense as she is third on the team with 55 kills and 22 digs, despite not playing in the match against MDC.

Defensively, sophomores Adelene Jideofor and Giulia Rodrigues lead the way. Jideofor, who was named last week FCSAA Defensive Player of the Week, leads the team with 42 blocks (13 solo) to go along with 48 kills (fourth on the team), while Rodrigues leads with 146 digs. Jideofor had five kills and one block against MDC, while Rodrigues had 11 digs and two aces.

Scouting Polk State:

The Eagles are on a three-game winning streak after winning their recent match against Santa Fe College. On the streak, the Eagles earned an upset win over #17 Hillsborough 

Sophomores Maria Munoz and Morgan Madasz lead the offense with 71 and 66 kills respectively. Madasz also has 26 blocks in her name, while Munoz ha

Freshman Valentina Bahamon leads with 30 blocks, while sophomore Elly McInerney has 156 assists and sophomore Vanieliz Henriquez has 130 digs.

Series History:

The Manatees are 9-12 against the Eagles.

SCF VB Looks for Revenge @EFSC

 Bradenton, Fla - The SCF volleyball team (1-11, 1-9 Suncoast) head back on the road for Suncoast Conference play as they travel to take on Eastern Florida State (4-11, 2-9 Suncoast) at the Titan Field House in Melbourne Saturday afternoon, October 9 at 3 pm.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of getting their first win of the season after shutting out Santa Fe 3-0 at home. In fact, it was not only their first win of the season, but it was their first home win and conference win of the season.

Block Party:

Sophomore Adelene Jideofor was the talk of the win against Santa Fe as she had four kills, two aces and five blocks (one solo) in the game. Recently, Jideofor was named the FCSAA Defensive Player of the Week after her defensive performance of 14 total blocks (two solo) in the last three matches before the win. Currently, the Nigerian native leads the team with 34 blocks (12 solo) while adding 39 kills.

Classmate Kaysha Kahai-Enos and freshman Anllel Caballero Fernandez have also played a strong blocking side on the court. Kahai-Enos is third on the team in blocks (14, four solo) while adding 16 kills, while Caballero Fernandez leads the team with 109 kills, 22 blocks (seven solo; second on the team) and 64 digs. Against Santa Fe, Caballero Fernandez lead the way with 13 kills and two blocks, while Kahai-Enos had one kill and two blocks.

Power to France:

Sophomore Lison Stoffel and freshman Lana Sandanom have been showing their contribution on their ends of the court. Stoffel has 78 assists and 50 digs in her name, while Sandanom has 52 kills. In the win against Santa Fe, Stoffel had a double-double of 13 assists and 11 digs and Sandanom had seven kills.

A Little Jazzy:

Sophomore Jazmin Spencer has been playing a more defensive role while maintaining her offensive side. Spencer has 99 kills, 11 aces and 69 digs in her name. Against Santa Fe, she had seven kills and a tied career-high 12 digs.

Scouting EFSC:

The Titans are currently on a five-game losing streak after falling to Polk State by a score of 3-0. They have also had tough losses from the streak against #5 Miami Dade, #19 Daytona State, #14 Hillsborough and RV Monroe College.

Sophomore Giselle Giraud leads the Titans offensively with 190 kills and 125 digs, while freshman Fabiola Rivera follows with 80 kills and 103 digs.

Defensively, sophomore Desiree Cruz leads the team with 38 blocks (three solo) and 71 kills (fourth on the team), while freshman Yuleidy Torres lead with 221 digs.

Series History:

The Manatees played the Titans earlier in the season at home where they fell 3-1. Currently, they are 6-3 overall against the Titans.

SCF VB Gets First Dub of Season: French Edition (SCF VB obtient le premier doublage de la saison : édition française)

Bradenton, Floride - Enfin, l'équipe de volley-ball SCF (1-11, 1-9 Suncoast) a remporté sa première victoire de la saison en blanchissant Santa Fe (2-12, 1-9 Suncoast) 3-0 (25- 22, 25-19, 25-20) au gymnase Hal Chasey. Avec cette victoire, les Lamantins sont désormais 4-4 contre les Lady Saints.

"Ce soir, nous avons vu qui nous sommes vraiment," a déclaré l'entraîneur-chef Lynn Burnett. "Nous avons eu un aperçu de qui nous sommes vraiment au moment de la conférence, lorsque nous emmenions les meilleures équipes du pays et les meilleures années 20, donc cela a été un processus délicat et difficile de trouver la bonne chimie, le bon mélange, au bon moment et au bon endroit et qu'ils mettent tout ce qu'ils ont appris dans la pratique et l'apportent au tribunal, tout en ayant confiance en eux pour l'apporter au tribunal et c'est ce que nous avons vu ce soir."

"Ce match était-il parfait ? Non. Y a-t-il place à amélioration ? Absolument oui. Dans l'ensemble, c'était la base et la pièce dont nous avions besoin."

"Je me sentais comme à ce match, en équipe, nous nous sommes tous réunis," a déclaré Adelene Jideofor, étudiante en deuxième année. "Nous avons été disciplinés et nous avons exécuté quand nous en avions besoin. Quand nous sommes entrés, nous n'avons pas commencé le set down, nous sommes arrivés forts et avons joué le jeu que nous savions tous jouer et l'équipe qui a battu FSW, et leur a pris un set, est revenu et a battu cette équipe (Santa Fe) et nous allons faire aux États cette année."

"Ce match a été incroyable pour nous d'obtenir une victoire 3-0," a déclaré la deuxième année Lison Stoffel. "Nous étions prêts pour eux par rapport aux dernières semaines. Nous avons travaillé très dur sur les liens et la chimie de notre équipe et je pense que nous avons trouvé la bonne chose à faire sur le terrain. C'était tellement incroyable avec tant d'énergie."

"Je suis très fière de nous," a déclaré la étudiante en deuxième année Giulia Rodrigues. "Pour moi, j'ai l'impression que nous avons bien mérité cette victoire et je sais que pour moi, j'en avais vraiment besoin en tant que joueur, mentalement et physiquement. Je suis très fier que nous ayons pu obtenir cette victoire, terminer jusqu'au bout et pousser jusqu'au bout point par point au lieu d'attendre de jouer le rattrapage. Nous nous sommes battus jusqu'à la fin et je suis content que nous ayons eu un doublage aujourd'hui."

Avant le match, l'heure de début était initialement supposée être à 18h, mais Santa Fe était en retard en raison de l'arrêt de l'I-75 suite à un accident, le match a donc été repoussé à 18h15.

Dans le premier set, les lamantins ont commencé avec une avance de 6-4 avant que le set ne soit à égalité à 11 chacun. Après quelques ajustements, les Lamantins ont enchaîné 3-0 avant de remporter le premier set.

Dans le deuxième set, alors qu'il était à égalité à quatre chacun, les Lamantins ont ensuite enchaîné 5-0 avant de prendre une avance de 13-7 et finalement le set d'un as de Stoffel.

Dans le troisième et dernier set, les Lamantins ont connu un départ lent en étant menés 9-4, mais après une course de 7-1, les Lamantins ont égalé à 10 chacun avant que les Lady Saints n'appellent un temps mort. Après que les Lady Saints aient pris une avance de 16-12, les lamantins ont continué à se battre et ont finalement pris le set pour sceller la victoire.

C'est la recrue Anllel Caballero Fernandez qui a mené l'offensive des lamantins alors qu'elle a terminé avec 13 attaques marquantes, cinq récupérations et quatre blocs. Sa camarade de classe Lana Sandanom a suivi avec huit attaques décisives et trois récupérations.

La sophomore Jazmin Spencer, bien qu'elle soit à trois attaques décisives de moins qu'un double-double, a connu l'un de ses meilleurs matchs défensifs alors qu'elle a terminé avec un sommet en carrière de 13 récupérations pour accompagner sept attaques décisives, deux as et deux blocs.

Stoffel a remporté son premier double-double avec les lamantins alors qu'elle a terminé avec 15 passes décisives et 12 récupérations pour accompagner deux as, tandis que la étudiante en deuxième année Kaylee Forman était à deux récupérations d'un double-double alors qu'elle a terminé avec 11 passes décisives, huit récupérations et un as.

"Je pense que j'ai bien fait là-bas," a dit Stoffel à propos de son jeu. "J'ai fait quelques erreurs avec mes mains, mais dans l'ensemble, je suis assez content de mon jeu."

"Lison a trouvé ses frappeurs incroyablement bien," a déclaré Burnett sur Stoffel.

Défensivement, avec les 13 récupérations de Spencer et les quatre blocs de Fernandez, ce sont Jideofor et Rodrigues qui ont ouvert la voie. Jideofor avait cinq blocs (un solo) à faire avec quatre attaques décisives, une passe décisive, deux as et quatre récupérations.

"J'avais l'impression d'avoir fait mon travail et j'ai senti que c'était encourageant de garder mon équipe sous contrôle et de s'assurer que nous faisions notre travail ensemble dans son ensemble," a déclaré Jideofor à propos de son match.

Pendant ce temps, Rodrigues, qui était à deux passes d'un double-double, a récolté 15 récupérations, huit passes et un as.

"Nous avons joué avec quelques systèmes défensifs différents et nous avons continué à la pousser à devenir une leader vraiment forte sur le terrain et ce soir, c'est sorti," a déclaré Burnett à propos de Rodrigues. "Celui que nous avions besoin d'avoir enfin gélifié et tout le monde était là où ils devaient être, donc je suis super fier de Giulia pour ses efforts ce soir."

Les étudiants de deuxième année Kaysha Kahai-Enos (un kill et deux blocs), Jennifer Rivera (un dig) et Faith Blaise (trois kills et un dig) et la recrue Shelby McGee (cinq dig) ont également contribué au match.

Remarques:

Pour Stoffel, c'était sa première victoire collégiale dans sa carrière après avoir été transférée de l'Independence Community College où ils sont allés 0-21.

Pour Jideofor, elle a récemment été nommée Joueuse défensive de la semaine FCSAA.

"C'est une bénédiction," a déclaré Jideofor lors de la distinction. "

"Gagner le joueur défensif de la semaine est un exploit extrêmement rare pour un contreur central alors que ce sont généralement les spécialistes défensifs, mais l'énergie, le leadership, la ténacité et le courage d'Adelene la mettent au défi à chaque jeu," a déclaré Burnett sur Jideo pour avoir remporté le FCSAA DPOW. "Elle est vraiment un monstre défensif quand elle est au filet. Elle ne descend pas s'il y a une erreur, elle y retourne et va à nouveau après. Vous pouvez recevoir quelques appels de violation, mais elle ne recule pas au lieu de cela, elle reste agressive. Elle l'a mérité cette semaine et les universités devraient l'examiner pour cela. Elle change la donne. "

Suivant:

Les lamantins sont de retour sur la route alors qu'ils se rendent à Melbourne pour affronter l'est de la Floride (4-11, 2-9 Suncoast) le samedi après-midi 9 octobre à 15 heures.

SCF VB Gets First Dub of Season: Spanish Edition (SCF VB Obtiene el Primer Doblaje de la Temporada: Edición en Español)

Bradenton, Fla - Por fin, el equipo de voleibol de SCF (1-11, 1-9 Suncoast) aseguró su primera victoria de la temporada al blanquear a Santa Fe (2-12, 1-9 Suncoast) 3-0 (25- 22, 25-19, 25-20) en Hal Chasey Gymnasium. Con la victoria, los manatíes ahora están 4-4 contra las Lady Saints.

"Esta noche, vimos quiénes somos realmente,"dijo el entrenador en jefe Lynn Burnett. “Vimos destellos de quiénes somos realmente en los momentos de la conferencia, cuando llevaríamos a los mejores equipos de la nación y a los 20, por lo que ha sido un proceso delicado y desafiante para encontrar la química correcta, la combinación correcta, el momento y el lugar correctos y ellos toman todo lo que han aprendido en la práctica y lo llevan a la cancha, mientras tienen confianza en sí mismos para llevarlo a la cancha y eso es lo que vimos esta noche.”

"¿Fue perfecta esta combinación? No. ¿Hay margen de mejora? Absolutamente sí. En general, esta fue la base y la pieza que necesitábamos."

“Sentí que en este juego, como equipo, todos nos unimos,” dijo la estudiante de segundo año Adelene Jideofor. “Fuimos disciplinados y ejecutamos cuando lo necesitábamos. Cuando entramos, no comenzamos el set, entramos fuertes y jugamos el juego que todos sabíamos jugar y el equipo que venció a FSW, y tomó un set de ellos, regresó y venció a este equipo (Santa Fe) y vamos a viajar a los estados este año.”

“Estoy muy orgulloso de nosotros,” dijo la estudiante de segundo año Giulia Rodrigues. “Para mí, siento que nos merecíamos esta victoria y sé que para mí, realmente lo necesitaba como jugador, mental y físicamente. Estoy muy orgulloso de que pudiéramos obtener esta victoria, terminar y empujar hasta el final punto por punto en lugar de esperar hasta ponernos al día. Luchamos hasta el final y me alegro de haber recibido un doblaje hoy."

Antes del partido, originalmente se suponía que la hora de inicio sería a las 6 pm, pero Santa Fe se retrasó debido a que la I-75 se cerró debido a un accidente, por lo que el partido se retrasó a las 6:15 pm.

En el primer set, los Manatíes comenzaron con una ventaja de 6-4 antes de que el set estuviera empatado a 11 cada uno. Después de algunos ajustes, los Manatees hicieron una racha de 3-0 antes de llevarse el primer set.

En el segundo set, mientras estaba empatado a cuatro cada uno, los Manatíes luego hicieron una carrera de 5-0 antes de tomar una ventaja de 13-7 y finalmente el set de un as de Stoffel.

En el tercer y último set, los Manatíes tuvieron un comienzo lento al estar abajo 9-4, pero después de una carrera de 7-1, los Manatíes empataron a 10 cada uno antes de que las Lady Saints pidieran un tiempo muerto. Después de que las Lady Saints tomaran una ventaja de 16-12, los manatíes continuaron luchando y finalmente tomaron el set para sellar la victoria.

Fue la estudiante de primer año Anllel Caballero Fernández quien lideró la ofensiva de los manatíes, ya que terminó con 13 remates, cinco ataques y cuatro bloqueos. Su compañera de clase Lana Sandanom siguió con ocho muertes y tres excavaciones.

La estudiante de segundo año Jazmin Spencer, a pesar de estar a tres asesinatos menos de un doble-doble, tuvo uno de sus mejores juegos defensivos ya que terminó con 13 ataques, el máximo de su carrera, junto con siete asesinatos, dos ases y dos bloqueos.

Stoffel ganó su primer doble-doble con los Manatíes, ya que terminó con 15 asistencias y 12 ataques para acompañar dos ases, mientras que la estudiante de segundo año Kaylee Forman estuvo a dos dígitos de un doble-doble ya que terminó con 11 asistencias, ocho ataques y un as.

"Creo que lo hice bastante bien," dijo Stoffel sobre su juego. "Cometí un par de errores con mis manos, pero en general estoy bastante contento con mi juego."

"Lison encontró a sus bateadores increíblemente bien," dijo Burnett sobre Stoffel.

Defensivamente, junto con las 13 excavaciones de Spencer y los cuatro bloqueos de Fernández, fueron Jideofor y Rodrigues los que abrieron el camino. Jideofor tenía cinco bloqueos (uno en solitario) para completar cuatro asesinatos, una asistencia, dos ases y cuatro ataques.

"Sentí que hice mi trabajo y sentí que era alentador mantener a mi equipo bajo control y asegurarme de que estábamos haciendo nuestro trabajo juntos como un todo," dijo Jideofor sobre su juego.

Mientras tanto, Rodrigues, que estuvo a dos asistencias de un doble-doble, tuvo 15 ataques, ocho asistencias y un as.

"Jugamos con algunos sistemas defensivos diferentes y continuamos presionándola para que sea una líder realmente fuerte en la cancha y esta noche salió," dijo Burnett sobre Rodrigues. "La que necesitábamos para finalmente cuajar y todos estaban donde tenían que estar, así que estoy muy orgulloso de Giulia por su esfuerzo esta noche."

Los estudiantes de segundo año Kaysha Kahai-Enos (una matanza y dos bloqueos), Jennifer Rivera (una excavación) y Faith Blaise (tres muertes y una excavación) y la estudiante de primer año Shelby McGee (cinco excavaciones) también contribuyeron en el juego.

Notas:

Para Stoffel, fue su primera victoria universitaria en su carrera después de transferirse del Independence Community College, donde terminaron 0-21.

Para Jideofor, recientemente fue nombrada Jugadora Defensiva de la Semana de la FCSAA.

"Es una bendición," dijo Jideofor sobre el galardón. "Definitivamente recé para obtener esto y dije que algún día obtendría esto y estoy muy agradecido de ganarme ese elogio."

"Ganar el jugador defensivo de la semana es una hazaña extremadamente rara para un bloqueador central cuando generalmente son los especialistas defensivos, pero la energía, el liderazgo, la tenacidad y el coraje de Adelene desafían cada jugada," dijo Burnett sobre Jideofor ganar FCSAA DPOW. "Ella realmente es un monstruo defensivo cuando está en la red. No se baja si hay un error, regresa allí y lo persigue de nuevo. Es posible que reciba un par de llamadas de infracción, pero ella no retrocede. apagada, en cambio, se mantiene agresiva. Se lo ganó esta semana y las universidades deberían estar mirándola por eso. Ella cambia las reglas del juego."

Hasta la próxima:

Los manatíes están de vuelta en la carretera mientras viajan a Melbourne para enfrentarse al este de Florida State (4-11, 2-9 Suncoast) el sábado por la tarde, 9 de octubre a las 3 pm

SCF VB Gets First Dub of Season

Bradenton, Fla - At long last, the SCF volleyball team (1-11, 1-9 Suncoast) secured their first win of the season as they shutout Santa Fe (2-12, 1-9 Suncoast) 3-0 (25-22, 25-19, 25-20) at Hal Chasey Gymnasium. With the win, the Manatees are now 4-4 against the Lady Saints.

“Tonight, we saw who we really are,” said head coach Lynn Burnett. “We saw glimpses of who we really are at the times of conference, when we would take the top teams in the nation and to the high 20s, so it has been a delicate, challenging process of finding the right chemistry, the right mix, the right time and right place and them taking everything they have learned in practice and bringing it to the court, while having confidence in themselves to bring it to the court and that's what we saw tonight.”

"Was this match perfect? No. Is there room for improvement? Absolutely yes. Overall, this was the foundation and piece that we needed for."

“I felt like this game, as a team, we all came together,” said sophomore Adelene Jideofor. “We were disciplined and we executed when we needed to. When we came in, we didn't start the set down, we came in strong and played the game we all knew how to play and the team that beat FSW, and took a set from them, came back and beat this team (Santa Fe) and we're going to make to states this year.”

“This match was amazing for us to get a 3-0 win,” said redshirt freshman Lison Stoffel. “We were ready for them compared to the last few weeks. We worked really hard on our team bonding and chemistry and I think we found the right thing to do on the court. It was just so amazing with so much energy.”

“I'm very proud of us,” said sophomore Giulia Rodrigues. “For me, I feel like we well deserved this win and I know that for myself, I really needed this as a player, mentally and physically. I'm very proud that we could get this win, finished through and pushed to end point-by-point instead of waiting until playing catch-up. We fought to the end and I'm glad we got a dub today.”

Prior to the match, the start time was originally suppose to be at 6 pm, but Santa Fe was running late due to I-75 being shutdown from an accident, so the match was pushed to 6:15 pm.

In the first set, the Manatees started with a 6-4 lead before the set was tied at 11 apiece. After a few adjustments, the Manatees went on a 3-0 run before taking the first set.

In the second set, while it was tied at four apiece, the Manatees then went on a 5-0 run before taking a 13-7 lead and eventually the set from a Stoffel ace.

In the third and final set, the Manatees got off to a slow start by being down 9-4, but after a 7-1 run, the Manatees tied it at 10 apiece before the Lady Saints called a timeout. After the Lady Saints took a 16-12 lead, the Manatees continued to fight and eventually took the set to seal the win.

It was freshman Anllel Caballero Fernandez that lead the Manatees offense as she finished with 13 kills, four digs and two blocks. Classmate Lana Sandanom and sophomore Jazmin Spencer followed with seven kills each. Sandanom added three digs, while Jazmin Spencer, despite being three kills shy of a double-double, had one of her best defensive games as she added a career-high 12 digs, two aces and two blocks.

Stoffel earned her first double-double with the Manatees as she finished with 13 assists and 11 digs to go along with two aces, while sophomore Kaylee Forman was two digs shy of a double-double as she finished with 11 assists, eight digs and an ace.

"I think I did pretty good out there," said Stoffel on her game. "I did make a couple of mistakes with my hands, but overall I'm pretty happy with my game."

"Lison found her hitters incredibly well," said Burnett on Stoffel.

Defensively, along with Spencer's 12 digs, it was Jideofor and Rodrigues that lead the way. Jideofor had five blocks (one solo) to go with four kills, one assist, two aces and two digs.

"I felt like I did my job and I felt like it was encouraging to keep my team in check and to make sure we were doing our job together as a whole," said Jideofor on her game.

Meanwhile, Rodrigues, who was one dig and three assists shy of a double-double, had nine digs, seven assists and one ace.

"We played with a few different defensive systems and we continued to push her to be a really strong leader on the court and tonight it came out," said Burnett on Rodrigues. "The one that we needed to have finally gelled and everybody was where they needed to be, so I'm super proud of Giulia for her effort tonight."

Sophomores Kaysha Kahai-Enos (one kill and two blocks), Jennifer Rivera (one ace) and Faith Blaise (three kills and one block) and freshman Shelby McGee (two digs) also contributed in the game.

Notes:

For Stoffel, it was her first collegiate win in her career after transferring from Independence Community College where they went 0-21.

For Jideofor, she was recently named the FCSAA Defensive Player of the Week.

"It's a blessing," said Jideofor on the accolade. "I definitely prayed that I would get this and said that one day I would get this and I am so grateful to earn that accolade."

"Winning defensive player of the week is an extremely rare feat for a middle blocker when it's usually the defensive specialists, but Adelene's energy, leadership, tenacity and grit challenges her every play," said Burnett on Jideofor winning FCSAA DPOW. "She truly is a defensive monster when she's at the net. She does not get down if there's a mistake, she goes right back in there and goes after it again. You may get a couple of violation calls, but she doesn't back off, instead she stays aggressive. She earned it this week and universities should be looking at her for that. She's a game-changer."

Up Next:

The Manatees are back on the road as they travel to Melbourne to take on Eastern Florida State (4-11, 2-9 Suncoast) Saturday afternoon, October 9 at 3 pm