Box Score
LAKELAND â€" Wednesday night against Saint Leo may have been a completely different game against a completely different opponent than the one Florida Southern played on Saturday, but the way the Moccasins started, it may just as well have been a continuation. Giving up just 18 points in the first half, and with balanced scoring throughout the game, Florida Southern jumped out to a large lead early and cruised to a 73-49 win over Saint Leo.
Florida Southern (17-4, 9-2 Sunshine State Conference) never trailed, and in fact was never seriously threatened. The Moccasins scored the first five points, led 16-3 seven minutes into the game when the Lions had made only one basket, and 23-9 before the Lions reached double digits with 7:30 to play in the first half. The lead was up to 20 by halftime (38-18), and never dipped below 18 in the second half.
Able to substitute liberally later in the game, the Moccasins got points from 12 different players, led by Chelsea Johnson, who scored 13 points and handed out four assists. Sofie Lundberg scored 12 points, and Emma Cannon added 12 points and 12 rebounds in only 21 minutes. The Mocs even held out second-leading scorer Michaela Hawley, who’d put up 19 points and 11 boards in the first meeting with Saint Leo in early January.
In reality though, the tone of the game was set early by the Moccasin defense. After allowing only 19 points in the second half of their come-from-behind win over Barry on Saturday, the Mocs gave up 18 in the first half against Saint Leo, helping them hold their fourth opponent of the season to less than 50 for the game. The Lions shot 35 percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes, made just one jump shot during that stretch, and didn’t even attempt a 3-pointer. They had just one 3-point try in the entire game.
But while Saint Leo struggled from the perimeter, the Moccasin guards did not. Johnson, Megan Dzikas, Tanja Speaker, and Taylor Maldonado hit shots from all over the court in the first half, and it was Speaker, Dzikas and Johnson who scored on three straight possessions to give Florida Southern an early 10-2 lead. Though not a guard, Lundberg later got into the act too, knocking down a 3-pointer that put the Mocs on top 21-9 at the 9:22 mark, a double-figure lead they’d hold the rest of the night.
Saint Leo had more success in the second half with four baskets in the first 3½ minutes, but the Moccasins never let them back in the game. Although Florida Southern was only 8-for-20 from the floor in the second half, that included a 5-for-10 effort from 3-point range. Considering the way things played out, it was fitting that all five were made by different players, the last one by Stephenie Pisacano, who provided the Mocs with their final margin, and helped them win by 20-plus for the 11th time this year.
The Lions were led by Lauren Lee, who scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Chelsea Williams had 12 points and five boards.
The Moccasins also found out afterwards, they were back in sole possession of first place in the conference standings. Florida Tech (19-4, 8-3) fell a game behind Florida Southern after losing at home to Nova Southeastern in overtime.
Florida Southern returns to action on Saturday when it travels to Boca Raton to take on Lynn University at 5:30 p.m.
