LAKELAND, Fla - The offensive juggernaut that is the Fire impressed this evening as Southeastern captured a 96-72 victory over the University of the Virgin Islands to improve to 2-0 this season.
Southeastern's play to begin the game was unmatched as the team opened with a 9-0 run which forced UVI to take an early timeout. The Fire proceeded to go on a 20-8 run, while not missing a shot during the span of six minutes.
Throughout the first half of play, the Fire managed a remarkable shooting percentage of 66.7% from the floor and 54.5% from beyond the arc.
Ryan Atkins dazzled with the ball in his hands all night collecting 13 of his 26 total points in the first half. The senior from Miami, Florida finished the contest shooting a commanding 81% from the floor and 50% from downtown.
Towards the end of the first half, the Buccaneers gained a bit of traction, bringing the contest within single digits, 51-43. The Fire felt as if their defense was a bit lackluster towards the end of the half, however, adjustments would be made coming out of the locker room.
"In our second game of the year, for our guys to come out in the second half and make those types of adjustments, it was pretty good," said head coach
R-Jay Barsh.
Southeastern generated a plethora of turnovers which led to 35 of the Fire's 96 points.
The Fire also saw notable contributions from Josiah Barsh, CJ Reese, Jeremy Oppenheimer, and Grant Bryant.
J. Barsh, the transfer from the College of Southern Idaho, took advantage of his trips to the foul line. The Buccaneers were plagued by foul committing 26 personal fouls. J. Barsh converted 10 of his 15 points via foul shots.
Both Reese and Oppenheimer are dynamic players that provide quality minutes on both sides of the ball. The tandem tallied 20 combined points, while Reese was the team's leading facilitator with six assists and four steals.
Up next for the Fire is a road contest on Saturday against Allen University in a hostile environment.
"Its their homecoming, the gym is going to be rocking, and it will be a high-octane atmosphere," expressed Barsh. "I'm excited for Saturday. We will get some rest, take care of business in the classroom, and just prepare to win."
