Box Score ST. PETERSBURG - Florida Southern got the best game of Seth Evans' career and another big point total from freshman Kevin Capers, but it was a huge overtime performance by Eckerd's Lance Kearse that turned the tide. While Evans and Capers combined for 53 points, Kearse scored Eckerd's first 10 points of overtime as the Tritons pulled out a 98-90 win.
Evans scored a career-high 28 points for Florida Southern (13-8, 6-6 Sunshine State Conference), going 8-for-15 from the floor, 6-for-9 from long range and 6-for-6 from the line. Capers added 25 points for his fifth 20-point game of the season and hit a jumper that put the Mocs up by six with 2:19 remaining in the second half. However, Eckerd (16-5, 9-3) out-scored Florida Southern 8-2 over the remainder of regulation to force the Mocs into overtime for the second week in a row.
The Tritons got there by scoring the final five points of the second half, which included a huge play by Wayne Sears. Capers had gone to the line with 1:21 remaining and the Mocs up 80-76, and even though he missed both free throws, the Mocs got the ball under the basket when Eckerd couldn't control the rebound. The in-bounds play went badly though, as the Mocs attempted to throw it into the backcourt, only to have Sears come up the ball instead and drive in for a layup that cut the gap to two.
The Moccasins weren't able to score on their next possession, but the Tritons did when Darrien Mack scored on another drive to the basket with 10.7 seconds remaining. Capers was just off the mark with a shot for Florida Southern with five seconds to play and a 3-point attempt by Sears from midcourt was no good as well, leaving the game tied at 80.
In the extra period, the Mocs immediately took the lead on a 3-pointer by Evans, but the Tritons scored almost as fast when Kearse tied the game on his first 3-pointer of the night. After the Mocs failed to score on their next possession, Kearse was fouled at the other end and made both free throws to make it an 85-83 game, and the Tritons never trailed after that.
Later when the Mocs pulled within two on a pair of Evans free throws, Kearse drove in another dagger with another 3-pointer, which was followed by a break-away dunk by Mack that made the score 92-85. The Tritons finished their scoring by going 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
Eckerd held the lead or was tied for the first 8½ minutes of the game, but the Mocs used an 8-0 run to take their first lead at the 11:13 mark on a 3-pointer by Evans. Eckerd got the lead back and held that one for a while too, but it was Evans again with 5:42 to play in the first half, who put the Mocs ahead with another 3-point field goal. This time the Moccasins held on to it all the way to halftime, and went to the locker room shooting 57 percent overall and 55 percent from 3-point range (5-for-9).
Florida Southern led by as many as nine in the second half (57-48 with 14:43 remaining), but a 10-0 run by Eckerd gave the Tritons a 64-61 lead with 9:32 to play. Neither team led by more than four after that until Capers' shot with 2:19 to play in the second half put the Moccasins ahead 78-72, a lead the Tritons would also erase.
Though Florida Southern had the two highest scorers in the game with Evans and Capers, Eckerd had five players in double figures, led by Kearse with 24. He scored 22 of those points after halftime, with 10 coming in overtime. Kearse was just 5-for-16 from the floor, but went 12-for-12 from the line, where Eckerd was 34-for-41 as a team.
Alex Bodney scored 19 points for Eckerd, and was 8-for-10 from the line. He also handed out seven assists and did not commit a turnover. Mack scored 18 points, going 7-for-8 at the charity stripe, and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.
In addition to Evans and Capers, the Moccasins also got 11 points apiece from Brett Bailey and Dominic Lane, with Lane making three-of-seven from behind the arc. As a team, Florida Southern was 10-for-18 from 3-point range.
Florida Southern also had five players foul out, including Bailey and Garrett Putman early in overtime.
Florida Southern will be on the road again Saturday in Miami Shores, where the Moccasins will take on Barry University at 4:00 p.m.
