MIAMI SHORES, Fla.—Just another few seconds could have made all the difference. The Barry Buccaneers host the Florida Tech Panthers on Wednesday night, looking to avenge a 52-48 loss in Melbourne, Fla., on Jan. 20.
It was a sloppy game when the Bucs (15-6, 7-4 Sunshine State Conference) met the Panthers (15-6, 9-3 SSC) in January, and though the Panthers led throughout, the Bucs closed to within a basket at 50-48 with 0:11 seconds left to play. Barry, who leads the conference shooting better than 40 percent from three-point range, connected on just 5-of-18 (27.8 percent) against the Panthers. The Bucs actually out-shot Florida Tech (34.8 to 28.6 percent) and committed fewer turnovers (15 to 16). But FIT dominated the boards, grabbing 45 rebounds to just 27 for the Bucs. They had 21 offensive boards, leading to 15 second-chance points. Barry had but six offensive rebounds and three second-chance points.
The Panthers hold a 39-28 edge in the overall series, including 19-12 in Miami Shores. The teams have split the last six meetings 3-3.
A host of seniors, including Amra Elezovic, Jackie Perez and Ines Kerin, lead the Bucs. Elezovic is tops on the squad with 16.2 points and 6.1 rebounds per game and shoots 91.0 percent from the line. She is second in the league in scoring, seventh in rebounding and leads the league in free throw percentage. Elezovic is sixth nationally in free throw shooting.
Guards Kerin and Perez chip in 12.3 and 11.0 points per game respectively. They rank first and second in three-point percentage at 47.3 and 42.9 percent. Perez leads the conference in made three-pointers (2.7) and is climbing up the all-time conference career list, currently sitting in seventh place. Kerin is third in made threes (2.5). Perez is second on the team with 3.4 assists per game, while Kerin adds 2.8.
Fellow senior Irene Sanchez is third on the team in rebounding (5.5) and leads in assists (3.4) while averaging 9.8 points per game. Kim Flournoy, another senior, chips in 4.4 points and 5.5 rebounds to go along with 1.8 steals per game. Flournoy, who earned her second SSC Defensive Player of the Week award this week, is fourth in the SSC in steals, just one steal ahead of Kerin.
Shequana Harris, who missed the January game, leads the Panthers at 15.2 points per game. She leads the conference with 2.5 steals per game. Kailyn Ebb and Tiesha Flagler average 6.1 and 5.9 rebounds per game, but the leader is Julie McCarthy at 6.2. The Panthers are the top rebounding team in the SSC at +7.4 per game. Flagler, who chips in 10.4 points per game as well, leads the team in assists at 3.1. DeLise Williams clocks in 10.3 points per game.
