Box Score TAMPA - The Moccasins scored the first five points of the game and never looked back, leading from start to finish in an 85-60 Sunshine State Conference road win at Tampa here Wednesday night.
Holding to Tampa to 18.5 percent shooting from the field in the first half, the 11th-ranked Moccasins built a 37-25 halftime lead and the Spartans never got any closer in the second half. The Moccasins had their biggest lead of 33 points at 78-45 with 4:44 left in the game.
The win boosts the Moccasins' record to 23-3 overall, 12-3 in the SSC, while Tampa drops to 10-15, 4-12 in the SSC. With one league game remaining Saturday, the Moccasins still have a chance to catch first-place Rollins. The Tars beat Florida Tech 72-63 Wednesday night to improve to 13-2 in the SSC and finish the regular season at home Saturday against third-place Eckerd. An Eckerd victory and a Moccasin win over Nova Southeastern would give FSC and Rollins identical conference records of 13-3, with the Moccasins earning the top seed in the SSC Tournament by virtue of having two wins over Eckerd. The Moccasins already are assured of playing a home game Wednesday night in the first round of the SSC Tournament.
John Thompson led the Moccasin scoring against Tampa with 16 points, as all 15 Moccasin players in uniform played in the game. A.J. Hawkins and Brandon Jenkins each scored 12 points and Rion Rayfield tossed in 10. Jenkins hit both of his three-point attempts to give him 197 for his career and move him into second place on the career 3-FGM list, behind Rayfield who has 263. Jenkins also moved up to 24th on the Moccasins' career scoring list with 1,072 points.
The Moccasins had a season-high 56 rebounds in the game, out-rebounding the Spartans 56-32.
Tampa's Rashad Callaway, the SSC's leading scorer with a 21.8 average, managed just one field goal and a total of four points in the game. No one scored in double figures for the Spartans. Callum Townsend led the Spartans with eight points before being ejected from the game with 12:31 remaining after picking up his second technical foul.
Saturday's regular season finale at Jenkins Field House against Nova Southeastern will get underway at approximately 7:30 p.m. The Moccasins will recognize their lone senior, Thompson, prior to the game. SLRN (Sports Line Radio Network) will carry the game live on the internet.
