Men's Basketball | 2/17/2017 1:00:00 PM
LAKELAND, Fla. - On a day that the seniors will be honored, the Fire men's basketball team will play one last game inside the Furnace. It has been a roller-coaster type year, but more so than ever, the Fire wish to capture one last win to close out the season on a high note.
Game 29: Southeastern University (13-15, The Sun Conference 4-11) vs. Keiser University (21-7, The Sun Conference 8-6)
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The Seniors: Two men will be honored before the game on Saturday for their hard work, dedication during their tenure as members of the Fire. Both Josue Celestin and Deshawn Wilcox have played key roles during their time at Southeastern.
Celestin, a native of Fort Myers, Florida, contributed key minutes off of the bench this season for Southeastern. The 6-8 forward understood that his job when he came into the game was to dominate the glass and he did just that. Celestin collected 162 total rebounds this season, 59 of which were offensive. His career high in points also came earlier in the season when he scored 25 points against West Virginia Tech.
Wilcox, was one of the cornerstones for the Fire all season long. As a freshman, Wilcox was apart of the 2013-14 team that made it all the way to the NAIA Fab Four. His experience along with his talent was a major asset for the Fire all season long. In his senior season, the Raleigh, North Carolina native led the team in steals with 33 and averaged 7.8 points per game.
The Catalysts: In his 18 games of work this season, CJ Reese has been nothing short of exhilarating. The College Park, Georgia native is averaging 22.8 points per game and is shooting 52% from the floor. Reese also leads the team in assists with 87.
In his inaugural season, Jeremy Oppenheimer has had a solid contribution. The 6-2 guard averages 13.9 points per game and has collected 128 rebounds. As the young man gains collegiate experience, he will turn out to be a solid player down the road.
Both Jalen McCallum and Wesley Johnson are two other players that have added a lot of value to the Fire roster. In the triple overtime loss to Florida Memorial McCallum scored an impressive 30 points, 15 of which came from beyond the arc.
Johnson is another player that has had major contributions on all facets. The junior transfer collected 156 rebounds, shot 55.9% from the floor, and averaged 12.4 points. Johnson also claimed 42 victims by way of blocks which is good for 21st in all of Division II NAIA Basketball.
The Seahawks: Keiser University has punched their ticket to the Sun Conference Tournament to be hosted by Florida Memorial University. A team headed by the iconic Rollie Massimino is currently riding a four game winning streak and will face St. Thomas before their contest against the Fire.
The starting five for the Seahawks are all averaging over 10 points with Deion McClenton leading the way. In three games, McClenton has scored 62 points with 30 coming in the win over Ave Maria. The junior from Columbus, Georgia leads the team in both blocks and rebounding with 31 and 298 respectively.
Stanley Whittaker is the team's leading facilitator totaling 190 assists which is good for 3rd in all of Division II NAIA Basketball. Whittaker is also averaging 13.4 points per game is his shooting 42.5% from the floor.
As a collective group, the Seahawks are a well oiled machine. They have outscored their opponents 2,249-1,881 and have outrebounded their opponents 1,110-926.
Closing Thoughts: While the Fire are out of playoff contention, one more win against a solid Keiser team would end the season on a high note. This team has dealt with adversity all season long and, with this being said, the Fire aim to fight for glory one last time inside the Furnace.
