LAKELAND - Florida Southern's perfect home-court record stayed intact Saturday night despite the best efforts of Palm Beach Atlantic to have it otherwise. The Sailfish wouldn't go away, but eventually the Moccasins pulled away, and came up with a 76-60 victory in their final non-conference game of the season.
Now 12-0 at Jenkins Field House, the 16th-ranked Moccasins got 19 points from Rion Rayfield and 13 from John Thompson, shot 64 percent from 3-point distance (nine-for-14), and out-scored the Sailfish 23-14 in the final 10 minutes to blow open what had been a close game. The win improved the Mocs'€™ record to 16-2, while the Sailfish fell to 2-17, but the outcome was in doubt for most of the night.
On more than one occasion it looked as if Florida Southern was taking charge of the game, but each time it happened in the first 30 minutes, Palm Beach Atlantic got a key basket or a defensive play to keep the Mocs in check. The first such instance came early when the Moccasins held a 13-6 lead before the Sailfish scored eight consecutive points. That included a second-chance 3-pointer by Chris Joseph that started their run, and another basket by Joseph that ended it with PBA ahead 14-13.
The Mocs later went on a 13-4 run of their own, keyed by two 3-pointers by Rayfield, and led by 10 with 7:45 remaining in the first half. Again PBA got back in the game, pulling to within five while holding the Mocs to just one field goal in the final five minutes of the half. That came from Preston Fredrick with just over two minutes to play, and it gave Florida Southern a 40-33 lead at the break.
Early in the second half the Moccasins got 3-pointers from Terry Jenkins and Cameron Wooten, a three-point play from Rayfield and a short jumper by Thompson to take a 51-38 lead. PBA came back from that by holding the Mocs without a field goal for more than five minutes while again cutting the deficit to seven points.
A 3-pointer by Rayfield at the 9:51 mark got Florida Southern going again, and the Sailfish never got closer than 10 the rest of the night. Rayfield and Jay Hubble closed out the game by going seven-for-eight from the free throw line in the final minute-and-a-half to prevent any type of rally by Palm Beach Atlantic.
Rayfield’s 19-point night included four 3-pointers in four attempts, and a perfect five-for-five at the free throw line. Thompson added six rebounds and two blocks to his 13-point effort, while Terry Jenkins and Brandon Jenkins each scored nine. The Mocs also got eight points and seven rebounds from Wooten off the bench.
Joseph led the Sailfish with 17 points and was the only PBA player in double figures.
While Florida Southern was nine-for-14 from 3-point range (its best percentage of the season), Palm Beach Atlantic was just two-for-14 and shot only 50 percent from the free throw line too (eight-for-16).
The Moccasins return to Sunshine State Conference play on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. when they go on the road to face Nova Southeastern.
