Box Score
LAKELAND â€" An early double-digit lead may have gotten away from the Moccasins by halftime, but it was their defense in the second half that erased a double-digit deficit and pushed Florida Southern back into first place in the Sunshine State Conference standings. Holding the Buccaneers to just 19 points in the second half, and getting clutch plays from Megan Dzikas and Tanja Speaker, Florida Southern was able to pull out a 60-50 win over Barry.
The Moccasins (16-4, 8-2) jumped out to an 11-2 lead in the first seven minutes, had that up to 18-7 with just under 10 minutes remaining in the first half. The Buccaneers (9-12, 2-9) were just three-for-14 from the floor at that point, but led by Yvonne Houston, they began a turn-around that had them out in front by the end of the first half.
The Bucs out-scored the Mocs 10-4 over the next four minutes before the Mocs got a 3-pointer from Dzikas and a jumper from Chelsea Johnson to push the lead back to 10. Johnson’s basket with 4:09 remaining proved to be the final points of the half for Florida Southern, as Barry closed it out with a 14-0 run. Houston scored the first seven of those points, giving her 10 straight during the Buccaneer rally. Kisa Duncan then gave Barry its first lead of the game on a jumper in the paint 1:07 before halftime, and the Bucs would take a 31-27 lead into the locker room.
With Houston hitting two 3-pointers in the first 3½ minutes of the second half, Barry had its lead up to 39-29, and it was still an eight-point lead when Glaucia Lehn scored on a layup with 15:15 remaining. The Buccaneers would score just nine points the rest of the night, however, while the Mocs would nearly double their own score.
It was Dzikas and Speaker who sparked the comeback. With the Mocs trailing by seven, Dzikas dropped in a 3-pointer to cut the gap to four, and lined up another 3-point attempt on their next possession that would have made it a one-point game. The shot went off the rim and Barry’s Nadia Tijani grabbed the rebound, only to have Speaker strip her of the ball near the baseline and quickly fed Michaela Hawley for a layup that left the Buccaneers stunned.
After a time-out, Barry got a basket from Amanda Frontino to make the score 43-39, but the Moccasins took control of the game after that with a 15-1 run, turning what had been a 10-point lead by Barry into a 10-point lead by Florida Southern. Dzikas and Hawley combined for 13 of those 15 points, and it was a 3-pointer by Dzikas with 9:44 to play that put Florida Southern ahead to stay.
Dzikas finished with 15 points, all of them coming on 3-point field goals. She scored 12 in the second half, but wasn’t the Mocs’ leading scorer. That honor went to Emma Cannon, who had 17 points and 10 rebounds despite being in foul trouble for most of the second half. Hawley also scored in double figures with 14 points.
Speaker paced Florida Southern with a career-high 13 rebounds, helping the Mocs control the glass with a 46-31 edge over the Buccaneers. She also handed out five assists.
The Moccasins held the Buccaneers to just 24 percent shooting in the second half while shooting 46 percent themselves. The disparity was even more glaring in the final 15 minutes, when the Bucs were just 3-for-20 from the floor, with two of those baskets coming in the final minute when the Mocs were already ahead by 14.
Houston led Barry with 22 points, but was the only Buccaneer with more than nine.
With the win, Florida Southern tied Florida Tech for first place in the SSC standings. The Panthers were off on Saturday night, leaving both teams 8-2 in the conference, and both teams with a win against each other.
The Moccasins will be at home again Wednesday night when they host Saint Leo at 5:30 p.m.
