Box Score
CLEVELAND, Miss. - Ninth-ranked Florida Southern concluded play here Sunday afternoon in the "Down in the Delta" Challenge hosted by Delta State by posting a hard-fought 81-71 victory over Arkansas-Monticello at Walter Sillers Coliseum on the DSU campus.
The win improved FSC to 2-0 on the season, while UAM fell to 1-1 on the year.
FSC held on for the win despite allowing the Boll Weevils to shoot 51 percent from the field, including 52 percent shooting in the second half. FSC shot 46 percent from the field, but was just 6-for-22 (27 percent) from the 3-point line in the win.
Junior forward Stephen Battle (Waldorf, Md.) led the way for the Mocs as he tallied 15 points, while senior guard Dominic Lane (St. Petersburg, Fla.) tallied 14 points and five boards and junior guard Kevin Capers (Winter Haven, Fla.) added 13 points, including scoring seven of FSC's final 13 points in the contest. The fourth Moc in double figures was senior forward Lamar McKnight (Cleveland, Ohio) as he had 12 points in the win.
The Boll Weevils, who are from the Great American Conference, jumped out to a 9-4 lead in the opening four minutes of the game, before FSC used a 16-9 run over the next seven minutes to take a 20-18 lead following a 23-foot 3-pointer from Lane with 9:16 left in the half. Lane's trey capped 7-3 scoring spree by the Mocs.
"I liked how our team responded after the start of the game as we got some guys in foul trouble and trailed early in the game," Moccasins head coach Linc Darner said. "I thought their 1-3-1 zone slowed us down on offense, but I thought we got going and did a better job against it as the first half progressed."
After Brandon Wilson scored on a lay-up to push UAM within 22-20, the Mocs hit three consecutive treys to take a 31-24 lead with 5:51 left in the half. UAM, though, would answer by closing the half on a 9-5 run to drop the Mocs lead at the half to 36-33.
One night after hitting nine treys in its season opener against Delta State, the Mocs hit six 3-pointers in the first half to build its 10 point lead. FSC finished with just six treys for the game as they were 0-for-7 from long distance in the second half.ÂÂ
UAM opened the second half on an 8-5 run to pull within 41-40 just a little over two minutes into the second half. The Mocs, though, would answer by using a 10-2 run over the next six-plus minutes to take a 51-42 lead. The run was capped by two consecutive baskets by Battle.
The Boll Weevils would once again mount a comeback as they used a 17-11 run to pull within 62-59 following a 3-pointer by Sharif Hudson with 5:58 left in the game. Hudson's trey capped a 7-0 run by UAM.ÂÂ
Following Hudson's basket, the Mocs used a 12-4 run over the next three minutes to push its lead to 74-63 following a basket by Capers with 3:04 remaining in the game. The lead would grow to 75-63 after a free throw by Capers with 2:18 left, before Hudson scored five straight points for UAM to pull within 75-68 with 1:31 left.
"I thought we were able to get some steals in the second half and speed the game up a little and then we were also able to hit some key shots down the stretch," said Darner, who is now 158-66 as the Mocs coach.
That would be as close as UAM would get as Capers pushed FSC's lead back to nine points at 77-68 following a lay-up with 1:17 remaining. Battle and Lane would each score baskets in the final minute to push the margin back to 13 points. Brandon Sims completed the scoring with a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Sims led the way for UAM with 32 points as he was 12-for-19 from the field and 7-for-12 from the free throw line. Hudson and Wilson each added 11 points. Hudson and Wilson also combined for 14 rebounds as Hudson had eight and Wilson picked up six boards in the loss.
Redshirt senior forward Garrett Putman (Washington, D.C.) led the Mocs effort on the boards as he had seven and added eight points, while junior guard Tyler Kelly (Pickerington, Ohio) added eight points and four assists in the victory.
The Mocs finished with a 37-33 edge on the boards and forced UAM into 13 turnovers that led to 15 points. FSC committed 10 turnovers, but had just three in the second half.
Both teams combined to shoot 57 free throws in the contest as both teams combined for 47 fouls. UAM had three players foul out in the game as they were whistled for 27 fouls, while FSC committed 20 fouls.
FSC was 21-for-28 (75 percent) at the line, including 17-for-24 in the second half, while UAM was 15-for-29 (51.7 percent), including going 9-for-18 at the line in the first half.
The Mocs will return to action this coming Friday, Nov. 15 as they open the home portion of its schedule with a 7:30 p.m. contest against Warner University at Jenkins Field House.
