High octane defense, efficient perimeter shooting, and a desire for the game of basketball is what you will get when the Georgia College men’s team hits the floor this Wednesday night against the Georgia Southwestern Hurricanes.
The Bobcats have been brilliant all season long, coming into the match with an impressive 9-2 mark and 2-0 in the Peach Belt Conference (tied for first in the PBC West Division with Montevallo. Augusta State leads the PBC East at 5-0 and #1 in the nation.) GCSU also brings home a three-game winning streak on the line.
The Bobcats are off back-to-back conference wins at Lander University just after the New Year and most recently at Clayton State this past Saturday.
GCSU hit 52 percent from behind the arc in the game at 13-for-25, nine of those coming in the first stanza of play. At the end of the first period, the Bobcat’s point production from three-point land was at 80 percent!
Also playing stellar defense, GCSU allowed Clayton to shoot just 33 percent from the floor (16-for-49)! Combine that with great outside shooting and it equals a good night for head coach Terry Sellers and the men!
Now the task ahead is Georgia Southwestern and the Hurricanes (Americus, Ga.) at 4-8 and 0-2 in the Peach Belt West.
The ‘Canes have dropped their past three games, scoring above 50 points in just one of those. Ga. SW has been outscored by 60 points in the first period, but in the second half, has kept opponents close, being outscored by only 11 points. Therefore, it is imperative to put these guys away early.
The Hurricanes are paced by senior forward Chris Rawls (16.3 pts, 7.7 reb). Also in the mix is sophomore point guard Evan Mobley (13.4 pts, 3.7 reb, 3.9 assts) and the big senior guard Marcus Scott (12 pts, 4.2 reb). Mobley is cast into the starters’ role at times, but primarily comes off the pine to contribute.
The problem for the Hurricanes, you ask? It’s simple: rebounding the pumpkin! The team is racking up just 32 boards per game (16 per half), last in the conference in that category. The Hurricanes are also in single figures in assists (9), steals (7), and blocks per game (1.7), the latter of the two showing defensive weakness and recognition.
These are the kind of teams Georgia College thrives upon. The Bobcats will once again employ the up-tempo ‘Vegas Zone’ that Terry Sellers has implemented over the past years. Sellers has drilled into the minds of his players that not playing defense is not an option. The team has responded with great effort, poise, and a want to win over the past years, all while completing the task as a TEAM.
Look for the matchup of Rawls (Ga. SW) against junior forward Ryan Aquino of GCSU. Aquino hasn’t had much success offensively this year, but his defensive presence down low has been terrific in conference play (7 reb).
Senior leader Graham Martin (16.6 pts, 4.5 reb) will look to get in double figures yet again for the twelfth straight game. Martin has been in double digits in every outing this year!
Along with Martin, junior Jake Rios will be the second option for offense for the Bobcats. Rios, finding himself in the starters’ role and sixth man at times this season, scored a career high 39 points last month against Carver Bible College. Rios is known for his spot-up three-point shooting, but has recently added a dribble jumper of late to his repertoire.
Down low, along with Aquino, the Bobcats will look to pressure Rawls with senior forward Rob Thomas and junior Reece Wiedeman.
The defensive matchup of the evening will focus on senior point guard Ty Rowland (9.7 pts, 6.09 asst) (GCSU) keying in on Scott. If both Rowland and Aquino can effectively limit the production of Scott and Rawls, GCSU will be successful when the horn sounds. If not, look for a shootout!
What am I looking for? Some of the same things as the women’s game.
Overall bench play has been a strength Sellers has had for years. Junior guard Andre Mikell (5 pts) has single-handedly provided a burst of energy for this team when it needed it most. In the one-point victory at Newberry College in December, Mikell put up a new career high of 17 points, and has had back-to-back double digit performances in conference play, each time out with 11 pts.
Also, look for GCSU to run in transition. Gaining quick buckets inside or out can jump start the team who might have a hard time gearing up against an ill-matched opponent like Ga SW.
The Hurricanes turn the ball over frequently, right at 18.7 times per game. I’d be willing to bet that number will be higher as the swarming defense of GCSU creates havoc and confusion for the Hurricanes.
See you at the ‘Center Wednesday night at 7:20 on Peach Belt TV!
(http://www.pennatlantic.com/ … sign up for a free account for video broadcast!)
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