CF Patriots 108, Central Georgia Tech 83 (MBB)

A debuting Patriot star led Central Florida to an impressive 108-83 men's basketball win over Central Georgia Tech on Saturday. 

Sophomore forward Luis Jacobo, making his first appearance in a CF uniform after transferring this fall from Division I Stetson, led the Patriots with 22 points and 9 assists. The effort led five double-figure scorers for the home team as Jeremiah Eason scored 19, Jordan Parks added 16, Jernell Hughes chipped in 11 and Eugene McCrory scored 10. 

The Patriots enter 2012 with a 12-5 record and a No. 7 state ranking. They have one non-conference game remaining, hosting SCF-Manatee on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., before welcoming Mid-Florida Conference archrival Santa Fe to Ocala on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. to open the defense of their MFC championship.

Gulf Coast 75, CF Lady Patriots 50 (WBB)

Central Florida took a 75-50 women's basketball loss at Panhandle power Gulf Coast on Saturday.

TiChina Mitchell scored 15 points to lead CF, while Quinnecia Twine and Briana Gibson added 9 apiece.

The Lady Patriots enter 2012 with an even 8-8 record and a No. 7 ranking in the FCSAA poll. Their non-conference schedule, arguably the most arduous in the state, concludes this week with visits to Indian River on Tuesday and Miami-Dade on Wednesday. CF opens Mid-Florida Conference play on Saturday, hosting archrival Santa Fe at 5:30 p.m.

2011 Patriots of the Year; The Top 5

As the year draws to a close, CFPatriots.com lists the top 20 current and former Patriot student-athletes of the 2011 calendar year. The rankings are based on the player's contributions in 2011 to CF and/or a four-year college or professional team at the next level.

Previously: #20 - #16; #15 -# 11; #10 - #6

The countdown concludes with the top 5 Patriots of 2011:

5. Markeshia Grant (WBB)

Among the most gifted playmakers in Lady Patriot history, Grant has grown into one of the SEC's most dynamic players in her senior year at South Carolina.

4. Kevin Foster (MBB)

Faced with the difficult task of replacing a CF legend, Foster carved his own legacy in leading CF to a conference championship, a trip to the state semifinals, an All-America nod and a scholarship to Fresno State.

3. Vanessa Benke (Volleyball)

No player embodied the explosive debut of CF volleyball like the program's first All-American, a humble Brazilian freshman who proved to be a fearsome, intimidating force when the season went live.

2. Ricardo Ratliffe (MBB)

CF's career leading men's basketball scorer has become a star at the highest level of NCAA competition, earning Big 12 Newcomer of the Year honors as a junior and lifting Missouri into the NCAA top 10 as a senior.

1. Marty Smith (Baseball)

A fixture of Patriot baseball for nearly three decades, starting with his time in the middle infield in the mid-1980s, Smith celebrated his 500th victory as Patriot head coach in March.

St. Petersburg 66, CF Lady Patriots 61, OT (WBB)

Central Florida took a tough 66-61 overtime loss at St. Petersburg on Wednesday in a battle of top-10 FCSAA women's basketball squads.

The loss to the fifth-ranked Lady Titans drops No. 7 CF to 8-7 overall entering its final game of 2011, a New Year's Eve visit to Gulf Coast.

Tallahassee 64, CF Lady Patriots 56 (WBB)

Central Florida took a tough women's basketball loss Friday, falling at Panhandle rival Tallahassee 64-56.

Quinnecia Twine scored 18 points and TiChina Mitchell added 13 for the Lady Patriots (8-6), who visit St. Petersburg on Wednesday.

2011 Patriots of the Year: #10 - #6

Quinnecia Twine served as catalyst of the Lady Patriots
throughout 2011, and checks in at No. 8 on the list of the year's
most accomplished Patriots.

As the year draws to a close, CFPatriots.com will list the top 20 current and former Patriot student-athletes of the 2011 calendar year. The rankings are based on the player's contributions in 2011 to CF and/or a four-year college or professional team at the next level.

The countdown continues with Nos. 10-6:

10. Slobodan Miljanic (MBB)

He arrived from Montenegro two years ago with a huge learning curve to navigate; he left for Lynn University this summer as the winningest player in CF men's basketball history.

9. Kelly Riddick (Softball)

Former CF ace wrapped up a brilliant career at Flagler College with her second all-Peach Belt Conference selection and the first postseason appearance in program history.

8. Quinnecia Twine (WBB)

Sharpshooting wing out of Atlanta became a star at the state tournament in March, and has continued that momentum early in her sophomore season with an FCSAA player of the week nod.

7. Breanna Fort (WBB)

Lady Patriot All-American capped a standout career at Clayton State in the best way possible: an NCAA Division II national championship.

6. Christine Pinder (Volleyball)

Team captain's ferocious kills fueled the first-year Patriots' meteoric rise into national contention and earned her a ticket back to the NCAA with Florida Gulf Coast University.

• Coming Monday: #5 - #1
• Previously: #20 - #16; #15 - #11

Patriots of the Year: #15 - #11

Freshman Jordyn Wright set the pace for the inaugural CF
volleyball season. She ranks at No. 11 on the list of 2011 Patriots.

As the year draws to a close, CFPatriots.com will list the top 20 current and former Patriot student-athletes of the 2011 calendar year. The rankings are based on the player's contributions in 2011 to CF and/or a four-year college or professional team at the next level.

The countdown continues with Nos. 15-11:

15. Mathiang Muo (MBB)

One memorable season at CF led to a spot at Division I Charleston Southern, and the versatile wing has responded by becoming one of the deadliest perimeter scorers in the Big South Conference.
Honorable mention: Former CF and George Mason power forward Darryl Monroe continued his pro career this year with a strong season in France.

14. Andrew Jones (Baseball)

Former Mid-Florida Conference Player of the Year added more hardware at Division II University of Tampa, earning all-Sunshine State Conference and all-South Region honors.
Honorable mention: CF alum Dane Derstine starred for SSC rival Lynn, hitting .283 as a senior.

13. Hunter Williams (MBB)

A true hometown hero, this former Ocala Forest High School star seized the starting point guard spot as a freshman and steadily guided the Patriots to a Mid-Florida Conference championship.
Honorable mention: Sophomore transfer Christian Martinez has teamed with Williams to give CF one of the best shooting backcourts in the state.

12. Nick Avila (Baseball)

Patriot alum was drafted by the Detroit Tigers at the end of his accomplished career at Nova Southeastern.
Honorable mention: Another former Patriot pitcher, Shawn Kale, led Lynn University in earned run average.

11. Jordyn Wright (Volleyball)

Freshman setter made all the right decisions in cultivating the considerable hitting talent around her, surpassing the monumental 1,000-assist mark in the process.
Honorable mention: Freshman Amber Wyborny was a model of consistency and the often-overlooked hero of the inaugural Patriot volleyball team.

• Previously: #20 - #16
• Coming Thursday: #10 - #6

2011 Patriots of the Year: #20 - #16

Outfielder Christian Coburn's remarkable freshman season
earns him the No. 16 spot among the year's top Patriots.

As the year draws to a close, CFPatriots.com will list the top 20 current and former Patriot student-athletes of the 2011 calendar year. The rankings are based on the player's contributions in 2011 to CF and/or a four-year college or professional team at the next level.

The countdown begins with Nos. 20-16:

20. Brian Buscher (Baseball)

Former CF star and Major League Baseball veteran joined the coaching staff at South Carolina and helped the Gamecocks to a second consecutive NCAA championship.
Honorable mention: After a standout career at Flagler College, Zach Bove signed on as an assistant coach at CF.

19. Jessica Lopez (Softball)

Tough and talented freshman catcher was a stabilizing presence behind the plate and one of the team's most consistent hitters.
Honorable mention: Outfielder Arika Fox joined Lopez as a freshman all-conference selection.

18. Justin Cecil (MBB)

Sharpshooting forward parlayed a strong sophomore year at CF into a deal at Division I Mercer; now a senior, he's grown into a respected leader and the Bears' deadliest deep threat.
Honorable mention: Cecil's former teammate Travis Johnson helped West Virginia Wesleyan to an NCAA Division II Tournament berth.

17. Jesse Mesa (Baseball)

Former CF infielder rounded out a nice career at Division I College of Charleston, hitting .275 with 18 RBI in his senior season with the Cougars.
Honorable mention: Mesa's CF middle-infield partner Luis Penate hit .300 while starting all 52 games as a senior at Nova Southeastern.

16. Christian Coburn (Baseball)

Gifted outfielder was a revelation as a freshman, leading the Patriots with a .343 batting average and 19 extra-base hits. A solid stint in the Florida College Summer League and a strong fall season suggest more to come.
Honorable mention: Catcher Josh Whitchurch hit. 316 for the Patriots in his own standout freshman campaign.

• Coming Wednesday: #15 - #11

Former CF Tennis Star Thomas to Play at St. John's

Terri Thomas, a standout player on Central Florida's retired women's tennis program, will continue her collegiate career at St. John's University.

Named Marion County Player of the Year at Ocala's Forest High School, Thomas spent her freshman season with the Patriots and transferred to state power Hillsborough after the CF program folded at the end of the 2009-10 season.

St. John's is a Division I program and a member of the Big East Conference. The Red Storm finished 11-10 in the spring 2011 season.

CF Patriots 89, Hillsborough 67 (MBB)

Central Florida finished off a perfect Florida Colleges Shootout performance Sunday with an 89-67 win over Hillsborough.

The Patriot offense ran crisply from the opening tip, producing 4 easy layups for the team's first 8 points. A mid-half run peaked with consecutive alley-oops converted by CF's sophomore point guard-center duo, Hunter Williams and Alhaji Fullah, putting the home team up 7 with 6:33 to play. The lead ballooned to 20 on freshman Jordan Parks' 3-pointer with under 3 minutes to play before the break.

Christian Martinez scored 16 points to lead a well-balanced CF effort. Eugene McCrory added 15 points and 7 boards off the bench, Fullah produced a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double and Will Saunders scored 14 to give the Patriots four double-figure scorers.

The victory concludes a grueling fall schedule for CF, which went 3-1 in 4 home games this week against worthy FCSAA opponents. The Patriots edged Polk on Monday, lost to Pensacola on Friday and opened the Shootout with a solid win over Miami-Dade.

The Patriots (11-5) now begin a hard-won holiday break; their next game is New Year's Eve, when they host Central Georgia Tech.

CF Patriots 70, Miami-Dade 60 (MBB)

Host Central Florida celebrated the start of the men's basketball Florida Colleges Shootout with a gritty 70-60 win over Miami-Dade.

Continuing a recent trend of hotly-contested games against in-state rivals, the Patriots on Saturday encountered a fierce Miami-Dade squad that muscled its way to an 11-point first-half lead. The home team recovered with a late first-half rally to trim the deficit to 2, and inched ahead soon after halftime.

But the Sharks continued to circle closely, finally relenting after a string of Christian Martinez free throws gave CF an 8-point lead with 3 minutes to play. More free throws down the stretch sealed the win as the Patriots recovered from their grueling loss to Pensacola the night before.

Martinez scored a game-high 24 points, including a 13-for-15 performance from the free-throw line. Hunter Williams added 18, Will Saunders scored 11 and Alhaji Fullah chipped in 10 to join Martinez in double figures. Freshman forward Jeremiah Eason led all players with 11 rebounds.

The two-day Florida Colleges Shootout concludes Sunday with a five-game slate starting at noon. The Patriots (10-5) take on Hillsborough starting at 8 p.m. to round out the annual event.

CF Lady Patriots 80, Faith Baptist 47 (WBB)

Central Florida dismissed another overmatched women's basketball opponent Saturday, handling NCCAA program Faith Baptist 80-47 in day two of its visit to Brevard's weekend invitational.

Double figure scorers for the Lady Patriots included Briana Gibson (20 points), TiChina Mitchell (14), Nikarre Sesler (12) and Taylor Broadnax (11).

CF (8-5) visits Tallahassee on Friday.

Florida Colleges Shootout Arrives at CF

Central Florida welcomes nine state rivals to Ocala this weekend for the 2011 Florida Colleges Men's Basketball Shootout.

The annual event features two full days of games across two sites, the other being Santa Fe College in Gainesville. Dozens of four-year college scouts and coaches make the trip to Florida each winter, making the Shootout one of the premier items on the NCAA recruiting calendar.

The Shootout is set for Saturday, Dec. 11 and Sunday, Dec. 12. Each day's five-game schedule begins at noon and concludes with host CF's game at approximately 8 p.m. Admission to each day's full slate of games is $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and children and free for CF students and staff.

The FCSAA No. 7 Patriots (9-4) will face Miami-Dade and Hillsborough on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. The weekend will test the mettle of the rapidly improving Patriots, who kick off the weekend with a home game against Pensacola on Friday.

Here is the full schedule:

Saturday, Dec. 10

Noon: Daytona v. Hillsborough

2:00pm: Pasco-Hernando v. Indian River

4:00pm: Tallahassee v. SCF-Manatee

6:00pm: Gulf Coast v. Brevard

8:00pm: Central Florida v. Miami-Dade

Sunday, December 11

Noon: SCF-Manatee v. Pasco-Hernando

2:00pm: Tallahassee v. Brevard

4:00pm: Miami-Dade v. Gulf Coast

6:00pm: Indian River v. Daytona

8:00pm: Central Florida v. Hillsborough

Pensacola 77, CF Patriots 66 (MBB)

Central Florida played its second down-to-the-wire men's basketball game of the week on Friday, and this time came up a few points short.

FCSAA No. 5 Pensacola defeated No. 7 CF 77-66, withstanding the Patriots' hot start and second-half rally to escape Ocala with the victory. The intense, physical game was similar in style and tone to Monday's visit from Polk State, which the Patriots won 72-68.

CF (9-5) sped to an early lead as freshman swingman Will Saunders scored the game's first 8 points. But a hard-nosed Pirates squad quickly erased the Patriot lead and built one of their own, taking an advantage at halftime. A methodical CF rally trimmed the lead to 55-50 with 12 minutes to play.

After the teams traded baskets, sharpshooting freshman Christian Martinez knocked down a transition 3-pointer with just over 3 minutes to play that finally brought CF to within one possession of a tie, 69-66. The home team would get no closer than that margin.

Martinez scored 13, Eugene McCrory added 12 and Jeremiah Eason chipped in 10 for CF.

The Patriots' grueling weekend schedule is just getting started. The two-day, 10-game Florida Colleges Shootout is set for Saturday and Sunday at CF, with the home team taking the prime-time 8 p.m. time slot each night to face Miami-Dade and Hillsborough, respectively.

CF Lady Patriots 101, North Central Missouri 57 (WBB)

Central Florida posted the most lopsided win of its women's basketball season Friday with a 101-57 rout of North Central Missouri at Melbourne.

Playing in an invitational event at Brevard College, the Lady Patriots put four players in double figures in cruising to the win. Reigning FCSAA Player of the Week Quinnecia Twine led with 26 points, Taylor Broadnax added 19, Nikarre Sesler chipped in 16 and TiChina Mitchell scored 14 in a balanced CF effort.

The Lady Patriots (7-5) play another game at Brevard on Saturday.

CF to Host Basketball Camp Patriot

Patriots men's basketball coach Tim Ryan will host Camp Patriot this holiday break at College of Central Florida. The camp runs Dec. 19-22 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily and is open to boys and girls ages 8-18. Cost is $100 for the full week, $35 per day or $20 for a half day. Extended day options are also available. Please see the below registration form for further details, or contact Coach Ryan at 352-427-7435 for more information.

 

New Installment of Ratliffe Watch at Rock M Nation

The Missouri sports website Rock M Nation continues its comprehensive coverage of former Central Florida hoops star Ricardo Ratliffe's senior season. Read the latest installment here.

CF's Twine Named FCSAA Player of the Week

Central Florida sophomore guard Quinnecia Twine is the FCSAA Women's Basketball Player of the Week for the week ending Dec. 4. From the FCSAA press release:

Twine, a sophomore from Atlanta, Ga., averaged 24.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.7 steals in three games. Twine led Central Florida to a 2-1 week with wins coming against defending Southern Conference Champion Indian River State and last week’s No. 5 team in the FCSAA Women’s Basketball Coaches Poll, St. Petersburg. Twine blistered the nets for 30 points against Indian River State on November 28, thanks in large part to hitting 8-of-11 three-point attempts. In games at the Florida College’s Women’s Basketball Shootout, she scored 16 points against Chipola and 27 points (7-of-10 three-pointers) against St. Petersburg. For the week, Twine shot 43.7 percent (21-of-48) from the floor, 58.0 percent (18-of-31) on three-pointers and 68.4 percent (13-of-19) from the free throw line.

CF Patriots 72, Polk State 68 (MBB)

Central Florida survived a home-court men's basketball scare from visiting Polk State on Monday, finally emerging with a hard-fought 72-68 victory.

The Patriots got all they could handle down the stretch from a relentless Eagles team.

Hunter Williams embarked on a fearless drive to the basket, converted a tough layup while being fouled and converted the free throw to break a 62-62 tie with 3:14 to play. Polk immediately tied it up again with a 3-pointer, then Jernell Hughes hit a free throw to inch the Patriots ahead by a point.

Freshman Jordan Parks responded with a timely end-to-end sequence. He broke up a Polk possession with a steal, then drew a foul on a 3-point attempt and knocked down all 3 free throws, putting CF up 69-65 with under 2 minutes to play.

Polk closed the gap back to a single point with 25 seconds to play. Williams hit a pair of clutch free throws to restore the 3-point lead, and an open Polk look at a potential tying 3-pointer rimmed out to keep the Patriots ahead.

Christian Martinez led the Patriots with 29 points.

After having a 7-game win streak snapped Saturday in Marianna, the Patriots (9-4) began a new one heading into the busiest weekend of its season. CF welcomes Pensacola to town on Friday at 7:30 p.m., the night before hosting the two-day, 10-team Florida Colleges Shootout on Saturday and Sunday.

CF Lady Patriots 71, St. Petersburg 68 (WBB)

Another brilliant shooting exhibition by Central Florida sophomore Quinnecia Twine fueled a thrilling 71-68 women's basketball win over visiting St. Petersburg on Saturday.

Just days after hitting 8 three-pointers in a win over Indian River, Twine turned in a 27-point performance to help CF pull off an upset of the state's fifth-ranked team. The Atlanta native made 7 of 10 three-pointers and 6 of 8 free-throw attempts while adding 3 rebounds, 5 steals and 2 assists.

Freshman TiChina Mitchell delivered one of the finest efforts of her young collegiate career with a 21-point, 11-rebound double-double.

CF (6-5) erased a 10-point first-half deficit to tie the game at halftime, and shot 50 percent from the field in the second half to earn the narrow victory.

The game wrapped up the two-day, eight-game Florida Colleges Shootout, and represented the Lady Patriots' final home appearance of the calendar year. They'll take to their home court again Jan. 7 as rival Santa Fe visits to open Mid-Florida Conference play.

Chipola 80, CF Patriots 60 (MBB)

Central Florida wrapped up its men's basketball road trip Saturday with an 80-60 loss at Chipola.

The Patriots (8-4) snapped a 7-game winning streak with the loss, their first setback since Nov. 9.

CF hosts Polk on Monday at 7:30 p.m.

CF Patriots 86, Gulf Coast 79 (MBB)

Central Florida picked up a solid non-conference road win Friday with an 86-79 defeat of Gulf Coast at Marianna.

Christian Martinez led four double-figure CF scorers with 21 points. Hunter Williams added 19, Brian Pace had 11 and Jeremiah Eason scored 10.

The FCSAA No. 9 Patriots (8-3) have now won 7 consecutive games, with their last loss coming Nov. 9. The team is 5-1 against FCSAA opponents.

CF continues its two-day visit to Marianna on Saturday with a game against host Chipola; the Patriots return to Ocala to host Polk on Monday at 7:30 p.m.

Chipola 66, CF Lady Patriots 61 (WBB)

Central Florida gave the state's fourth-ranked women's basketball team a major scare Friday before falling to Chipola 66-61.

Wrapping up day one of the two-day, eight-game Florida Colleges Shootout at CF, the Lady Patriots jumped to a 16-9 early lead and entered halftime with a one-point advantage. The Lady Indians surged ahead soon after halftime, but the home team hung tough, slasing an 8-point deficit with 2 minutes to play in half behind consecutive 3-pointers from Quinnecia Twine and Taylor Broadnax. That four-point margin was as close as CF would pull in the waning minutes.

Twine posted a game-high 16 points, while Briana Gibson had 12 points and 9 rebounds and TiChina Mitchell chipped in 10 points and 7 boards.

The Shootout continues with another four games Saturday starting at 1 pm. The Lady Patriots (5-5) wrap up the event with a 7 p.m. tip against St. Petersburg.

CF Alums Muo, Cecil Key Conference-Opening Wins

Former Central Florida sharpshooters Justin Cecil and Mathiang Muo played headlining roles in their team's victorious conference openers on Thursday.

Cecil, a sophomore CF star in 2009-10, continued his resurgent senior season with a game-high 22 points to lead Mercer to a 79-72 win over Lipscomb in the Bears' Atlantic Sun opener.  The 6-8 forward is averaging a team-high 12.1 points per game and has hit a remarkable 20 of his 37 three-point field-goal attempts.

Muo, a Patriot standout last season, scored 21 points, including 4 three-pointers, in Charleston Southern's 83-78 triumph over Radford in its Big South Conference opener. The Buccaneers junior is averaging 11.7 points per game and shooting an even 50 percent on 32 attempts from 3-point range.

KC Star: Ratliffe is Mizzou's Man in the Middle

Mike DeArmond of the Kansas City Star spotlights CF Patriots career leading scorer Ricardo Ratliffe and his resurgence as the low-post centerpiece of the 13th-ranked Missouri Tigers. Click here to read the whole story.

CF's Benke Earns All-America Volleyball Honors

Central Florida freshman hitter Vanessa Benke has been named an NJCAA All-American.

The Brazilian native and centerpiece of the inaugural Patriots volleyball team earned second-team honors, making her one of three Florida student-athletes among the 24 recognized on the two teams. Click here for the full list.

The news is yet another badge of honor earned in the Patriots' magnificent debut season, which saw CF blossom into a national power and earn a seventh-place finish at the NJCAA Tournament.

Benke adds the All-American honor to an impressive list of postseason individual awards. She is also the reigning Mid-Florida Conference Player of the Year and a first-team FCSAA all-state selection.

CF Hosts Florida Colleges Shootout This Weekend

Central Florida welcomes seven FCSAA rivals to Ocala this weekend for the 2011 Florida Colleges Women's Basketball Shootout.

The annual event attracts a number of four-year college scouts and coaches to survey the collected talent, while also giving participating teams the opportunity to measure themselves against teams from across the state. This year's field includes four teams currently ranked in the FCSAA Top 10.

The Shootout is set for Friday, Dec. 2 and Saturday, Dec. 3. Each day's four-game schedule begins at 1 p.m. and concludes with host CF's game at approximately 7 p.m. Admission to each day's full slate of games is $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and children and free for CF students and staff.

The Lady Patriots (5-4) will face Panhandle rival Chipola on Friday and St. Petersburg on Saturday.

CF will host the 10-team men's Shootout next weekend, Dec. 10 and 11.

Here is the full schedule:

Friday

Brevard v. FSC-Jacksonville, 1 pm

#5 St. Petersburg v. #3 Northwest Florida, 3 pm

Miami-Dade v. #6 Tallahassee, 5 pm

Central Florida v. #4 Chipola, 7 pm

Saturday

#6 Tallahassee v. Brevard, 1 pm

#3 Northwest Florida v. Miami-Dade, 3 pm

FSC-Jacksonville v. #4 Chipola, 5 pm

Central Florida v. St. Petersburg