PREVIEW: 2019 SSC Tournament Men's Semifinal Matchups
Semifinal play will take place March 9th at Rick Case Arena at the Don Taft University Center in Fort Lauderdale
By: Brad Seitz | Sunshine State Conference Intern
MELBOURNE, Fla. - [PDF Bracket | Championship Central] - Sunshine State Conference Men's Basketball Tournament semifinal match-ups will tip off on Saturday, March 9th. All tournament semifinals and finals will be hosted by Nova Southeastern University at Rick Case Arena in the Don Taft University Center in Fort Lauderdale. All semifinal games will be streamed live on the Sunshine State Conference Digital Network.
Semifinal #1 | Location: Rick Case Arena - Fort Lauderdale | Time: 5:00 PM
No. 1 seed Nova Southeastern University (25-2, 18-2) vs. No. 5 seed Barry University (18-10, 12-8)
Nova Southeastern defeated No. 8 University of Tampa (95-82) on Wednesday evening in Fort Lauderdale. Five players scored in double figures for the Sharks as they moved one step closer to securing their first ever SSC tournament championship. NSU's Mark Matthews recorded a 24-point / 10-rebound and Dwayne Gibson scored 22 to pace the Sharks. (
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Barry advances after winning their quarterfinal matchup against No. 4 Eckerd College (72-68) in St. Petersburg. The Buccaneers came back from a five-point halftime deficit and outscored the Tritons 44-35 in the second half, thanks in large part to Tylan Birts' 17 points and seven rebound performance. (
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Matchup
This season, Nova Southeastern defeated Barry in Fort Lauderdale (103-93) on November 28th and again on January 30th (90-85) in Miami Shores. Last season, the Buccaneers swept the Sharks in the season series. Saturday’s matchup marks just the second between the programs in SSC tournament history. During the 2006 tournament, No. 7 Barry upset No. 2 Nova Southeastern (70-62) during the semifinals in Saint Leo.
Players to Watch
All-SSC First Team selections Mark Matthews and David Dennis led the Sharks to the regular season championship and into the semifinal matchup. The duo combines for 36 points per game in the conference's leading offense, which averages 99.1 points per game. Barry is led by All-SSC Second Team member Daniel Mortensen. The senior forward leads Barry with 13.2 points per game, 33 blocked shots, and 76 three-pointers made.
Semifinal #2 | Location: Rick Case Arena - Fort Lauderdale | Time: 7:30 PM
No. 2 seed Lynn University (23-5, 15-5) vs. No. 3 seed Florida Southern College (22-7, 14-6).
How They Got There:
Lynn defeated No. 7 Palm Beach Atlantic University (75-64) in Boca Raton on Wednesday evening. The Fighting Knights outscored the Sailfish by 14 in the second half and were paced by Michael Baez's 24 points and Jamal Palmer's 22 points. (
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Florida Southern battled to defeat No. 6 Saint Leo University (80-78) in Lakeland during the quarterfinals. With the game tied, Slinky Jones had a putback layup as time expired to give the Moccasins the buzzer-beating win. Jonathan Lawton had 24 points while Brett Hanson poured in 29 points for the Moccasins. (
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Matchup
Florida Southern won the first matchup between the programs this season in overtime (88-84) on January 5th in Lakeland. Lynn won the second game (99-98), which was an overtime thriller played in Boca Raton on February 16th. Last season, No. 3 Florida Southern defeated No. 6 Lynn (80-70) in the conference quarterfinals. The Moccasins also defeated the Fighting Knights in the last SSC semifinal between the programs (79-66) in 2015.
Players to Watch
Florida Southern is led by their duo of guards Jonathan Lawton and Brett Hanson. Lawton earned All-SSC First Team honors for the second consecutive season where he averaged 22.9 points and 3.6 assists per game, while Hanson secured All-SSC Second Team honors by averaging 18.0 points per game on shooting 50% from the field. Lynn's Mike Baez averaged 18.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game during the regular season leading to his All-SSC First Team selection. Senior guard Jamal Palmer is second on the team in scoring at 16.3 points per game and coming off a game where he tied his career high with 22 points in the quarterfinals.
Tournament Information:
The 2019 Sunshine State Conference Women's Basketball Championship semifinals will be Saturday, March 9th, finals tip off on Sunday, March 10th. Both men's and women's semifinals and finals will be held at the Rick Case Arena at the Don Taft University Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
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Please contact SSC Assistant Commissioner Robert Brennecke with any questions or media inquiries.