Box Score
Michaela Hawley grabbed two key rebounds and sank a pair of free throws in the final minute to enable the 23rd-ranked Moccasins to escape Tampa’s Bob Martinez Center with a 56-51 Sunshine State Conference win over the Spartans Wednesday night.
With FSC leading 54-51, Hawley pulled down the rebound after a missed Tampa shot with 47 seconds left, then grabbed another one on a missed FSC shot with 16 seconds left to allow the Moccasins to maintain possession. She sank two free throws with six seconds left to the put the game on ice.
Hawley finished the game with 14 points and matched her career rebounding high with 16 to record her fourth double-double of the season and the 18th of her career. She actually notched a double-double in the second half with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Her 16 rebounds moved her into 10th place on FSC's career rebounding list with 642. She is sixth in career scoring with 1,524 points. She is just the fifth player in Moccasin history to be ranked in the top ten in both career scoring and career rebounding, joining Tarra Blackwell (1995-98), Lucresia West (2002-05), Kim Disbro (1984-87) and Keisha Richardson (1993-96).
The Moccasins (13-3, 5-2 SSC) had to overcome a sluggish first half in which they shot only 27.5 percent from the field and made just two of 10 three-point attempts. That allowed the Spartans (7-9, 1-6 SSC) to lead the entire first half. Tampa’s biggest lead was at 28-15 with 4:58 left, but the Moccasins scored the final nine points of the half and held the Spartans scoreless to trim the margin to 28-24 at halftime.
Tampa’s Moriah Hodge put Tampa up 51-50 with 3:08 left in the game, but those were the Spartans’ last points. Two free throws by Hawley, who played the entire 40 minutes, put FSC up for good at 52-51 with 2:55 remaining.
Also in double figures for the Moccasins were Morgan Lamberg with 14 points, while Tracy Fosterling added 10 points off the bench. Megan Dzikas did not score in the game but delivered a game-high six assists that moved her to number two on the Moccasins' career assist list with 445. Kelly Charron (1992-95) is the FSC career leader with 604.
Jaleesa Harmon led Tampa with 19 points, Hodge scored 11 and Sarah Wickham added 10.
Although the Moccasins shot just 32.9 percent for the game, they out-rebounded Tampa 43-33 and committed just nine turnovers to Tampa’s 20.
The Moccasins play Lynn Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at Jenkins Field House.
