Box Score
LAKELAND â€" Florida Southern’s re-start after Christmas break wasn’t what head coach Holly Borchers had in mind, at least in the early stages of Sunday’s game against Maryville (MO). The ending was much more to her liking. After a slow start in their first game in 11 days, the Moccasins came back to beat the Saints 66-58 behind several key plays by senior Melanie Ducott, senior Tracy Fosterling's play on both ends of the court, and 16 points from junior Taylor Maldonado.
Maryville (5-4), which made the NCAA Tournament last year in its first season as a full-fledged Division II member, scored the first six points of the game on 3-pointers by Shelby Miller and Kate Childs, and led 14-6 after seven minutes.
The Moccasins (6-4) got themselves back in the game though with three straight baskets by Morgan Lamberg, Mariah Harris and Fosterling before Abby Duethman ended the mini-run with the Saints’ third 3-pointer of the game. That 5-point lead by the Saints didn’t last long though, and the Mocs would take their first lead at 20-19 when Fosterling hit two free throws with 6:22 to play in the first half.
The Saints continued to use their long-range shooting to either keep the score close or fend the Moccasins off, and it was another 3-pointer by Miller that gave them a 31-29 lead two minutes before halftime. After a Lamberg free throw cut the gap to one, a strange turn of events late in the first half swung the game in Florida Southern’s favor.
Maryville’s Rita Flynn had driven to the hoop for what appeared to be two points and a 33-30 lead for the Saints with 17 seconds left on the clock. Instead, it was an offensive foul, wiping out the basket. A technical foul against the Saints then put Maldonado on the line where the junior guard made one-of-two to tie the score at halftime, 31-31.
When Maryville head coach Chris Ellis protested after the teams had left the court, he was hit with a second technical foul and ejected, giving the Moccasins two more free throws to start the second half. Maldonado made both of them to give the Mocs a lead they would never relinquish, though never quite felt comfortable holding.
As the second half progressed, Ducott made her presence known more than once. The senior guard beat the shot clock with a 3-pointer not long after the half started, almost casually dropping it through the rim as the horn sounded. She later drove in for layup after a 3-pointer by Maryville’s Shelby Miller had trimmed the gap to three, and her steal and subsequent jumper with 7:36 to play gave the Mocs a 4-point lead. She then blocked a shot at the 5:50 mark when the Saints were again trying to make it a one-possession game. The Saints never got closer than five after that.
The last six minutes were dominated by the Moccasins’ defense. During that time, they held the Saints to just four points and one field goal, and held them scoreless for four minutes as they built a 63-54 lead. Ali Sanders hit the biggest shot for the Mocs, knocking down a 3-pointer with 4:09 to play before a basket by Fosterling put them up by nine.
The Saints remained alive with four points right after that, but Lamberg secured the win for Florida Southern by going 3-for-4 from the line in the final 50 seconds.
Maldonado’s 16 points led the Mocs as she went 5-for-10 from the floor and hit both of her 3-point attempts before leaving midway through the second half due to injury. She also had five rebounds and two assists. Fosterling and Kirstin McIntyre each scored 10 points, with Fosterling adding six rebounds, four blocks and two steals in a strong performance on both ends of the court. Ducott finished with nine points, going 4-for-5 from the floor.
The Mocs shot 45 percent from the floor as a team and were 4-for-7 from 3-point distance.
Maryville was led by Duethman, who scored 16 points and had three assists and five steals. Childs scored 13, and Miller scored 12. All of Miller’s points came on four 3-pointers, as the Saints were 7-for-22 from that distance. They were 5-for-11 in the first half, but only 2-for-11 in the second. The Mocs also held them to 28 percent shooting overall in the second half.
Florida Southern returns to Sunshine State Conference play on Saturday when it hosts Barry University at 5:30 p.m.
