LAKELAND, Fla.— Atop the Sun Conference standings with a game in hand, the Southeastern men's basketball team has the opportunity to control its own destiny for the remainder of the regular season. This week the Fire host Keiser on Thursday and head to Miami for a weekend matchup at Johnson & Wales.
GAME INFO:
#11 Southeastern (17-4, 10-1 TSC) vs Keiser University (10-11, 6-5 TSC)
Date: Thursday January 24, 2019
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: The Furnace- Lakeland, Fla.
Following a game in which the Fire had their winning streak snapped with a major result at Warner, Southeastern (17-4, 10-1 TSC) responded with a gritty 84-80 performance against Webber to get back to its winning ways.
Free throw shooting was once again the story for the Fire, who attempted the third-most free throws in a game this season (37) to capture just a four-point triumph. The team is shooting foul shots at 79.3 percent for the year, which ranks sixth in the NAIA. These shots from the charity stripe have played a crucial part in the team's success thus far, as SEU has gone 10-2 in games decided by single digits this year, a massive improvement on the 9-9 record in such games a year ago.
Over the last three games, sophomore
Isaiah Moody has been the biggest offensive threat for Southeastern. The Kissimmee, Fla. native has averaged a team-high 20.7 points over the stretch, while shooting a cool 61.1 percent (22-36 FG) from the field. Moody has collected at least 20 points in four of the past seven contests.
Keiser comes into the Furnace on a bit of a hot streak after winning five of their last six matchups and four of five in conference play. This success can be attributed to the strict defense played by the Seahawks. Although KU scores the least amount of points in the Sun Conference (66.4 ppg), the squad makes up for it by allowing the fewest points among TSC teams (67.3 ppg).
Post play will be key for the Keiser, who relies heavily on production from forward Andrija Matic. Matic, a senior from Belgrade, Serbia, leads the team by averaging a double-double (17.1 points and 10.0 rebounds). The big man ranks 11
th in the country in offensive rebounding (3.5 per game) and has scored more than ten points in 14 consecutive games.
Earlier this season, the Fire went on the road and defeated the Seahawks 62-61 to capture their fifth victory in the 22-game series. Southeastern has won three of the last four contests between the two schools.
GAME INFO:
#11 Southeastern (17-4, 10-1 TSC) at Johnson & Wales University (2-16, 2-9 TSC)
Date: Saturday January 26, 2019
Time: 4:00 p.m.
Location: North Miami, Fla.
Despite their 2-16 overall record, the Wildcats have captured two of their last three competitions, each versus league rivals. Both victories, including a 16-point thrashing of Webber, have taken place in North Miami, where SEU will travel on Saturday.
Johnson & Wales, who averages over ten three-pointers per competition, depends on volume shooting from deep. JWU ranks 14
th in the nation in three-point makes per game (10.7), while the team has eclipsed that mark in its two wins. En route to a 95-79 triumph over Webber, the Wildcats made a season-high 15 shots from behind the arc.
The Fire and the Wildcats have met 20 times since SEU joined the Sun Conference in 2009. Southeastern holds a 12-8 advantage in the series, while only winning three of nine matchups when traveling to Johnson & Wales. In November, the Fire collected a 73-64 victory in the Furnace.
Be sure to follow @SEUFireMBB on Twitter for updates on Southeastern men's basketball.
