MIAMI SHORES, Fla. – Barry's No. 25-ranked men's basketball team did something it had never done before. It claimed an outright Sunshine State Conference regular season title by beating Florida Southern Wednesday night.
"It was just a wonderful night all around that we could share with a really big turnout of our students as well," Bucs' fourth-year coach
Butch Estes said. "It's so much fun when the Health & Sports Center's packed."
Barry shared the conference title last year, but this year -- on a night senior leader
Adrian Gonzalez went off for 33 points on 13 of 17 shooting, including a career-best 5-for-5 from three-point range -- the title belongs all to the Bucs.
"It means a lot," said Gonzalez, who has been a part of two SSC title teams and three NCAA Tournament teams. "This is something me and (
Arie Williams) have worked for all four years, and to finally clinch that is a great feeling."
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Barry 98, Florida Southern 88
Records: Barry 20-5, 13-5 SSC; Florida Southern 11-16, 8-9 SSC
All-Time Series: Barry trails, 49-20
SUMMARY:
- Adrian Gonzalez scored at least 30 points for the fifth time this season. He had 15 in the first half, including a layup with 9:39 to play that gave the Bucs a five-point lead.
- Elvar Fridriksson had 18 of his 27 points in the first half, including a transition bucket in the paint at the 6:22 mark that put Barry on top, 40-33. Fridriksson had seven of his 10 assists before the intermission.
- The Moccasins cut what was a nine-point second half deficit after Marko Tomic's triple at the 16:23 mark down to five with 12:03 to play when Brett Hanson scored. But after a 45-minute delay for an injury stoppage, Fridriksson converted a three-point play following a jumper by Gonzalez to extend the Bucs' lead back to 10.
- Sawyer Glick's 3-pointer on an assist from Arie Williams at the 7:36 mark gave Barry its largest lead at 17, but the Mocs pulled within eight on Jeremiah Davis' basket in the paint with 4:08 on the clock. Gonzalez canned a triple on the Bucs' next possession, and then buried another one with 1:32 remaining to give Barry a 14-point lead to put it out of reach.
NOTEWORTHY:
- Gonzalez moved within 10 baskets of 600 in his career. He would become the third player in school history to reach that milestone.
- Williams hit two triples to pass Juan Ferrales for third place on the school's single-season list. He has 84 this season.
- Barry had 20 assists, marking the 16th time the Bucs have reached that number this season. The Buccaneers lead the country in assists per game.
- Fridriksson recorded at least 10 assists for the eighth time this year.
- Senior guard Josh Irving recorded a steal in his first career start.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
"To finally get it outright, and make history for our school is big for us," senior guard Arie Williams said. "The journey still (has a ways) to go, but it's a great accomplishment."
ON THE HORIZON:
Barry will finish the regular season at Embry-Riddle 7 p.m. Saturday in Daytona Beach. The Bucs host the SSC Tournament quarterfinals 7 p.m. next Wednesday in the Health & Sports Center.
