What's the opposite of a road warrior?
No, seriously. I don't know. A Road Pacifist?
Whatever it is, the Mocs are trying to avoid that label on Thursday night. Since the Mocs have not won a road game yet this year, they will be looking to avoid the bagel at Furman. Can they avoid being labelled the "Road Pacifist?" Mocs fans sure hope so.
The Paladins are a very good defensive team. That is their calling card. They struggle to score points. When there is a big situation in a game, they struggle to know who to turn to that can make the big shot.
Of course, the Mocs have had similar problems in recent weeks. They do not have an offensive player to turn to in time of trouble. That is the reason they have been struggling. They have really been struggling to make shots. They can't shoot the ball effectively recently. Ricky Taylor, Omar Wattad, and Keegan Bell have shot 11% from three point range recently. Ouch.
Brandon Sebirumbi has scored just thirteen points in the last two games, but he is the Paladins leading scorer at 10.8 points per game. He also leads the team in rebounding with 5.3 rebounds per game, and shoots nearly 52% from the floor.
Charlie Reddick is the Paladins best shooter. He is averaging 10.3 points per game, to go along with 4.7 rebounds per game, and 1.7 assists per game. He shoots about 38% from three point range. He will have to be the one the Mocs focus on from long range to shut down the Paladins outside game.
Richard Brown leads the team in assists with three per game. He is also third on the team in scoring with 8.5 points per game. He also shoots nearly 85% from the free throw line. He did not play in five out of six games earlier this year. He has averaged 7.4 points per game in the five games since he has been playing regularly again. He scored 16 in his first outing, and in the last four, he has averaged just 5.3 points per game.
Bryson Barnes has also been playing well since his return. He is averaging 6.7 points per game and 4.6 rebounds per game. The senior has been an important contributor.
The Paladins, as we know, don't shoot the ball well. They also do not rebound particularly well. The Mocs still are a good rebounding team. This should be an interesting game.
KEYS TO THE GAME
--Rebounding. With Z Mason possibly back from injury, the Mocs desperately need to dominate on the boards against the Paladins.
--Zlovaric vs.Sebirumbi. The two are very similar players. Which player wins the head-to-head match-up may well dictate who wins the game. Zlovaric has not played well on the road several times.
--Senior shooting. Wattad, Taylor, and Bell have been struggling. Will they snap out of it?
--Furman 58, Mocs 55. The Mocs just aren't shooting well enough. Furman wouldn't be able to keep up with a good offensive team, generally speaking. But the Mocs aren't shooting well enough to be able to win this game. Zlovaric hasn't played well on the road. Can Z Mason make a difference? Can Rico White or Dontay Hampton come off the bench and provide a shooting spark? There is a chance to win this game, but it is unlikely given that the Mocs are on their way to being a "Road Pacifist." Unless someone else can come up with a better nickname.....
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