LAKELAND - Honored before the game for recently setting the school's career record for 3-point field goals, Rion Rayfield showed on Tuesday night there’s more to his game than long range shooting. The junior guard scored 18 points, handed out a career-high 14 assists and added five steals to lead No. 2 ranked Florida Southern to a 92-83 win over St. Joseph's (IN) in the championship game of the Holiday Inn South/Ledger Tournament.
For the second year in a row, St. Joseph’s had a chance to beat the No. 2 ranked team in the country in Florida Southern’s holiday tournament, but unlike last year when the Pumas upset South Carolina-Aiken, this year's game got away from them. It was theirs for the taking, but players like Rayfield, John Thompson, Brandon Jenkins and a host of others made sure it wouldn’t happen, and sent Florida Southern into the New Year with an 11-0 record.
The Moccasins scored the first six points of the game, and led 13-2 before the Pumas made a shot; but they let a 15-point first-half lead slip away, and went into halftime down by four (52-48). Rayfield had scored just four points at that juncture in the game, but still had nine assists to help the Mocs keep pace with the Pumas.
St. Joseph's still led by five early in the second half when Rayfield started an 8-0 run by the Moccasins with a conventional three-point play that made the score 55-53. After missing a shot on their next possession, Rayfield made up for it with a quick steal after a St. Joe’s rebound, and immediately knocked down a 3-pointer from the left corner that gave FSC the lead. When the Pumas then missed a 3-point shot of their own, it was Rayfield who grabbed the rebound and started a fast break the other way that ended with a bucket by Thompson and the Mocs ahead 58-55.
Austin Peebles tied the game for St. Joseph’s after a timeout, but Rayfield answered again by assisting another basket by Thompson, and followed that by setting up a 3-pointer by Brandon Jenkins. He later came up with a steal and fast-break assist at the 12:22 mark that gave the Mocs a 67-59 lead, and drained a 3-pointer with 9:13 remaining that put the Mocs ahead by nine.
Florida Southern would take a 12-point lead on a jumper in the paint by A.J. Hawkins with 3:12 remaining, but the Pumas were able to cut it to seven and had the ball with just over a minute to play. That was as close as it got, however, as the Moccasins held on for their 11th straight victory.
Rayfield was named the MVP of the tournament, and was joined on the all-tournament team by Thompson and Brandon Jenkins, who each scored 19 points in Tuesday night’s win. Thompson went seven-for-12 from the floor and five-for-six from the line, while Jenkins did most of his damage from long range, connecting on five-of-six 3-point attempts. He also led the Mocs with seven rebounds.
Hawkins made his mark too, scoring 11 points, with five rebounds and three blocks. He had nine of those points in the second half, hitting key jump shots with 9:34 and 7:10 remaining, each of them coming after the Pumas had scored consecutive baskets to make it a two-possession game.
Preston Fredrick was a presence inside as well, coming off the bench for six points, six rebounds and two blocks. Both of those blocked shots came during the Mocs'€™ 7-0 run in the second half that gave them an 88-76 lead with 3:12 remaining in the game.
St. Joseph's was able to take its halftime lead on the strength of 55 percent shooting, but the Pumas were only 10-for-30 in the second half against a renewed effort by the Florida Southern defense. The Pumas made only three shots in the final seven minutes.
The second half also wasn’t as kind for St. Joe’s leading scorer, Dayvon Sloan. After putting up 16 points in the first 20 minutes, he had only seven in the final 20 minutes. His 23 total points still led all scorers in the game and helped him earn a spot on the all-tournament team along with the three Moccasins.
Also on that team from St. Joseph's was Mark Lake, who scored 13 points on Tuesday. Peebles matched him with 13 points of his own, while Marcus Jackson and Michael Horton each scored 10.
The final member of the all-tournament team was Antonio Kidd of Lake Erie, who helped the Storm win Tuesday’s consolation game over Missouri-St. Louis, 64-58.
Florida Southern returns to action on Saturday night when it hosts Florida Tech at 7:30 p.m., the Moccasins' second Sunshine State Conference game of the season.
