Box Score LAKELAND - Terry Jenkins and A.J. Hawkins carried Florida Southern through a rough stretch early against Talladega, but by the end of game, the rest of their teammates had jumped on board too and the result was the Moccasins' highest point total of the season. With Jenkins scoring 29 points, and Hawkins scoring a career-high 20, the Moccasins defeated the Tornadoes 96-71 Saturday afternoon for their fourth straight win.
The Moccasins (7-3) never trailed, but they struggled to find their shooting touch early in the game, making just six of their first 18 shots. The Tornadoes (6-8) were never able to take advantage though, turning the ball over nine times in the first 10 minutes. At that point, the Mocs led just 19-18, with Jenkins and Hawkins scoring all but four of those points for Florida Southern.
With Florida Southern still leading by only one with nine minutes to play in the half, Damon Ellison scored six straight points to push the Mocs' lead to seven and Dominic Lane capped the 8-0 run with a jumper to put them ahead, 29-20. Talladega was within six a couple of minutes later, but Ellison hit another jumper and Rion Rayfield hit a 3-pointer for his only points of the half to give FSC its first double-digit lead at 37-26.
Jenkins and Hawkins then scored Florida Southern's final seven points of the half to give Florida Southern a 45-32 lead at the break. Jenkins had 17, along with four steals, and Hawkins had 12. That combination was nine-for-15 from the floor, while the rest of the team was 6-for-20.
Both players continued to score in the second half, but so did just about everyone else. After Talladega had cut the gap to 50-41, Terry Jenkins and Brandon Jenkins combined for 10 of the game's next 12 points, the Mocs were up by 17, and the Tornadoes never got closer than 13 the rest of the day. When Rayfield knocked down another 3-pointer with 6:50 remaining, the Moccasins went up by 22 (79-57), and Rayfield later hit another three with 4:46 to play that gave them a 20-point lead the rest of the way.
In the end, all five Florida Southern starters reached double figures, with the 29 by Terry Jenkins two short of his career-high set last year against Rollins. The 5th-year senior was nine-for-16 from the floor and seven-for-nine from the line with four 3-pointers. He also had three assists and four steals. Hawkins was eight-for-10 from the floor and four-for-six from the free throw line, and led the Moccasins with eight rebounds.
Rayfield finished with 13 points, and Brandon Jenkins and Ellison each scored 10.
Talladega got 20 points from Kerry Harvis, one of the nation's top scorers at the NAIA level coming into the game. That was just below his season average of 22.1, but almost all of those came after the Mocs began pulling away for the win. The junior guard was scoreless in the first half, taking only two shots. His first points came on a 3-pointer in the first minute of the second half, and he didn't score again until the 12:36 mark when he connected on another three. By that point, the Mocs' lead was up to 16.
Phil Wood had 11 points, five rebounds and six assists, while Jimmie Sutton and Montrelle Taylor each scored 10. Sutton also had nine rebounds.
Florida Southern will play its final game before Christmas break on Sunday when it hosts Tuskegee University, the defending SIAC Tournament champions, at 7:30 p.m.
