LAKELAND, Fla - Not wanting his freshman season to end on Tuesday evening, Gabe Hernandez led the seventh-seeded Barry University men's basketball team in their opening-round game of the 2024 Sunshine State Conference Championship behind a career-high 36 points to power the Bucs past second-seeded Florida Southern 107-89.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: 7 Seed Barry 107, 2 Seed Florida Southern 89
Records: Barry (16-13, 8-12 SSC), Florida Southern (21-9, 15-5 SSC)
All-Time Series: Barry trails 28-59

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• 1H | Barry scored nine of the opening 11 points to quickly take a 9-2 lead with 17:46 remaining in the first half. Florida Southern responded behind six-straight points to get within one, responding to a 5-0 Barry run with 11-straight points to flip the advantage at 23-20 with 10:58 remaining in the half. The Mocs pushed their lead up to as many as seven before a 11-0 run by Barry created a 36-32 score in favor of the Bucs. FSC rallied to make it a one-possession game in the final minute behind four-straight points, with both sides making a basket before the break to create a 47-44 halftime score.
• 2H | Barry limited Florida Southern without a run of consecutive baskets for the initial 10 minutes of the second half before four-straight points for the Mocs made it 81-67 with 9:38 left to play. Barry kept the lead in double-digits for the duration of the contest.

NOTEWORTHY:

• It is the third time Barry has advanced to the SSC Semifinals as the seventh seed, defeating second-seeded Nova Southeastern in 2006 and second-seeded Tampa in 2000.
• Barry upset Florida Southern in the 2010 semifinals when the Mocs were the number one seed as well as in the 1992 quarterfinals when FSC was the third seed.
• Hernandez went 13-17 from the floor and 7-8 from the free throw line.
• Nick Anderson added 25 points on 10-15 shooting.
• James Montgomery chipped in a double-double behind 14 rebounds and 11 points.
• Barry converted on 39-64 from the field, good for a season-best .609 field goal percentage, 11-20 from three-point territory and 18-27 from the free throw line.
• Florida Southern went 30-75 from the field, 8-23 from three-point territory and 21-29 from the free throw line.
• Barry committed 13 turnovers, resulting in 18 points for the hosts. Florida Southern committed 16 turnovers, leading to 20 points for Barry.
• FSC held a 42-34 advantage in rebounds.
• Barry recorded 11 steals with two blocks while Florida Southern tallied nine steals and seven blocks.

ON THE HORIZON:
Barry awaits the winner of the Embry-Riddle vs Florida Tech matchup in the semifinals, set to take place on Thursday, Mar. 7.