Men's Basketball | 12/4/2017 10:17:00 PM
Box Score WINTER PARK, Fla. - Southeastern made the short, one hour, road trip to take on Rollins College in a friendly exhibition matchup in Winter Park, Florida. The lead was cut to three as Southeastern had the ball for the final possession of the contest. Southeastern launched the game tying shot but it did not fall, allowing the Tars to solidify a 94-91 victory.
The Fire held the lead for just north of seven minutes of play thanks in part to dynamite shooting from downtown. During the opening five minutes of play the Fire were a perfect 4-4 from beyond the arc to take an early 12-9 lead. For the game, the Fire shot 48% from 3-pt territory.
Behind the unfathomable 22-point performance by Ryan Atkins in the first half, the Fire always found themselves within striking distance.
After setting a season high 34-points against Keiser University this past Saturday, Atkins followed that offensive clinic with a 36-point game this evening. The native of Miami was an automatic 13-16 from the floor including 8-10 from three-point land.
Rollins made adjustments in the second half, closing out on Atkins at the perimeter. In doing so, space freed up for CJ Reese and Jeremy Oppenheimer who both tallied 11 points. Reese, was one assist shy of a double-double, distributing the basketball efficiently in the lane.
The play of the Fire's bench was surely a highlight in tonight's game. Bench players combined for 26 points. Ismael Celestin made his presence felt in the paint collecting 12 points.
Although Rollins had slight height advantages in a couple different positions, the Fire's speed and agility allowed Southeastern to tally 38 points in the paint.
Tonight's contest proved that the Fire's depth and shot making ability to compete with high-caliber teams at any level.
The Fire will be back on the hardwood on Wednesday night for the highly anticipated Silent Night Game. Tip off set for 7 p.m.
#FantheFire
