Box Score Coach Linc Darner elected to go with a smaller, quicker lineup against Barry Saturday night and it paid off with an 86-72 Sunshine State Conference win at Jenkins Field House.
The Moccasins started a lineup of guards Kevin Capers, Cameron Vines, Dominic Lane and Tyler Kelly to go with Brett Bailey. That group scored the first six points of the game and never trailed the entire contest, as the Moccasins improved to 9-5 overall, 3-3 in the SSC. Barry slipped to 8-8, 3-2 in the SSC.
After leading 38-25 at halftime, the Moccasins withstood a brief charge by the Buccaneers that saw them get as close as seven points at 41-34 with 16:38 remaining, but the Moccasins countered with a 6-0 run and Barry was never closer than nine points the rest of the game.
A scrambling, pressing defense forced Barry into 20 turnovers, while the Moccasins committed a season-low nine themselves.
Seth Evans came off the bench for the first time this season and wound up with a team-high 23 points that included four three-pointers and a 7-7 effort from the free throw line. Capers, who had come off the bench himself in the last three games, connected for 19 points and added three assists and four steals. Bailey just missed a double-double, finishing with 10 points and nine rebounds. Lane and Kelly each scored nine points and Vines tossed in eight.
Evan White led Barry with 19 points and Damien Dwaine added 11.
After a disapppointing 8-18 free throw effort in Wednesday night's loss at Saint Leo, the Moccasins regained their shooting touch against the Buccaneers, going 18-22 from the line. Each team connected on eight three-pointers.
Barry shot 48.1 percent from the field and the Moccasins shot 44.1 percent. FSC won the rebound battle 37-36.
The win gave the Moccasins a school-record 20 consecutive home SSC wins. They haven't lost an SSC home game since dropping a 70-69 decision to Lynn on Feb. 21, 2009. Lynn will be the Moccasins' next home opponent Saturday night at 7:30.
The Moccasins are on the road Wednesday for a 7:30 p.m. game at Tampa.
