Box Score LAKELAND - It's a good bet Brett Bailey's first career start for Florida Southern won't be his last; and whether Linc Darner's lineup changes remain in effect remains to be seen, but if nothing else, they helped the Moccasins earn a hard-fought Sunshine State Conference win.
With Bailey scoring a career-high 17 points to lead the way, and Brandon Jenkins also scoring 17 points, Florida Southern was able to hold on for a 76-70 win over Eckerd, Wednesday night at Jenkins Field House.
The Moccasins (11-4, 3-1) had been going with essentially a four-guard starting lineup since late November, and used that to reel off seven straight wins before a 77-55 loss at Barry on Saturday. When the Mocs took the court Wednesday night against a much bigger Eckerd squad, Darner elected to use a bigger lineup himself, giving Bailey and swingman Cameron Wooten their first starts of the season.
After Terry Jenkins hit a 3-pointer to open the scoring, Bailey made the Moccasins' next two baskets to give them a 7-0 lead, as the Mocs held the Tritons (11-4, 2-3) scoreless for the first 4:15 of the game. When Eckerd eventually cut the gap to two points, Wooten knocked down a 3-pointer to put the Mocs up by five again. When Eckerd's Woody Taylor scored on the following trip down the court to again make it a one-possession game, the Mocs answered this time with an 8-0 run, capped by a long 3-pointer by Rion Rayfield.
A bucket by Eckerd's Alex Bodney at the 5:32 mark made the score 26-19, and that turned out to be the Tritons' final points of the first half. Using another 8-0 run, the Moccasins were able to take a 34-19 lead into the locker room, with Bailey and Terry Jenkins each scoring eight first-half points, and the Tritons shooting just 21 percent from the floor.
Bailey helped the Mocs keep their double-digit lead in the early stages of the second half before Eckerd mounted a comeback. After Bailey's put-back gave the Mocs a 49-39 lead with 12:45 remaining, the Tritons got a 3-pointer from John Harper, and steal from Bodney that led to a break-away dunk by Lance Kearse. Bodney then scored another Eckerd basket, and a free throw by Adio Faucher completed an 8-0 run by the Tritons that got them back within two points with still more than 10 minutes to play.
It was still a one-possession game when Bailey scored another second-chance bucket to prevent Eckerd from tying the score. His two free throws at the 7:31 mark would give Florida Southern a 7-point lead, and Rayfield followed with a 3-pointer that made the score 61-51.
The leas remained at nine points or greater until the final minute when Bodney hit a 3-pointer for the Tritons with 27 seconds remaining, and Walade Wade followed with a layup after the Mocs missed two free throws. That gave Eckerd a glimmer of hope, but Brandon Jenkins and Wooten each made two free throws in the closing seconds to clinch the game.
Kearse hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer for Eckerd to provide the final margin of 76-70.
Bailey's 17 points came on seven-of-10 field goal shooting, and 3-for-4 free throw shooting. He added four rebounds and two blocked shots. Jenkins scored most of his points at the line, where he went 8-for-9. He also led the Mocs with nine rebounds and five assists.
Rayfield scored 14 points, Terry Jenkins scored 11, and Wooten added nine points and eight rebounds.
Eckerd's leading scorer also totaled 17 points, with Kearse going 4-for-9 from the floor with one 3-pointer, and 8-for-10 from the line. Woody Taylor scored 11 points and added four steals, and both John Harper and Wayne Sears scored 10.
Eckerd did most of its damage in the second half, scoring 51 points and shooting 56 percent, after scoring just 19 points and shooting 21 percent in the first half.
Florida Southern will be at home again Saturday night when it hosts Lynn University at 7:30 p.m.
A free live video webcast of Saturday's game will be available at http://fsc.nmtvsports.com/
Live stats for Saturday's game will be at http://www.flsouthern.edu/athletics/mens/livestats/xlive.htm
