Box Score
 LAKELAND - In the first Sunshine State Conference contest of the 2014 calendar year and its first home SSC game of the 2013-14 season, Florida Southern fell to Barry University 63-58 at the Jenkins Field House. The loss brings to Mocs' losing streak to five on the 2013-14 season, and drops their overall record to 4-7 and 0-2 in the SSC.
In their 56th all-time meeting with the Buccaneers (7-3, 1-1), the Mocs struck first with a jumper by senior forward Morgan Lamberg (Mukwonago, Wis.) at 18:26. FSC would go up by as much as four in the first five minutes of the game, with a layup from freshman guard Morgan Siebka (Slippery Rock, Pa.) and a three-pointer from junior Cashala Thompson (Tucson, Ariz.).
The teams traded points for much of the opening minutes of the first half, with Barry tying the game at 10 with a pair of free throws at the 12:35 mark, before Florida Southern went on an 8-2 run with baskets from sophomore guard Ali Sanders (Sleepy Hollow, Ill.) and sophomore forward Mariah Harris (Gainesville, Fla.).
Barry took a one-point lead with 8:35 to go in the first half after scoring seven consecutive points, but Florida Southern answered right back with a layup by freshman forward Enjelica Reid (Johnson City, Tenn.) to take a 20-19 lead with 7:40 to go in the half.
FSC and Barry would continue to battle for the remainder of the half, with each team trading baskets for the remaining seven-plus minutes. Barry closed the first half on a six-point run, with all baskets being scored by guard Tyler Hardy, to go up 31-27 at halftime.
Sanders led all Mocs in scoring with six points off of two field goals, one three-pointer and one free throw, while Harris added five points to the team's scoring total along with three rebounds. The Mocs hit three of six three-point attempts in the half, while Barry only went 3-14 from beyond the arc. The back-and-forth first half featured nine lead changes and four tie-scores.
Barry increased their lead to six at the start of the second half with their a layup by forward Dankia Pisconeri before trading points with the Moccasins to keep their lead at three. The Buccaneers increased their lead to 12 - the largest of the game for either team - with a nine point run that concluded with a three-pointer from guard Colette Elude at the 15:25 mark to put the score at 44-32 in favor of the visiting team.
The score remained the same until a free throw by Harris at 13:28 keyed an 8-2 run that brought Florida Southern to within six points of the Buccaneers, but a three pointer with 8:37 to go in the game brought Barry's lead back to nine.
Barry again built a 12-point lead with six unanswered points late in the game, before two three-pointers from Thompson kick-started a 12-4 run that brought the Mocs to within three of the Buccaneers, courtesy of a three-pointer from junior guard Syerra Davis (Tolleson, Ariz.) with 33 seconds to go in the game. Davis made her Moccasin debut on Saturday after missing the first 10 games of the season due to injury.
However, it wasn't meant to be, as Barry iced the game with four consecutive free throws to give them a seven point lead late in the game. Thompson's third trey of the half brought the deficit down to five, but there was no time left for Florida Southern to pull off a miracle.
Thompson and Harris both led the Mocs with 12 points, with Thompson earning all her points from beyond the arc, while Siebka was second in scoring with seven. Harris and Reid each pulled down seven of the team's 35 rebounds, with Harris pulling down six defensive rebounds and Reid four. Sanders led the Mocs with four assists, while freshman forward Danielle Thomas (Conyers, Ga.) and Davis led with two of the team's seven steals.
Hardy led all players with 28 points and 14 rebounds, while forward Kaylia Richardson was next with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Barry outrebounded Florida Southern 56-35, with an astounding 22 offensive rebounds for the Buccaneers compared to just eight from the Mocs.
FSC committed less turnovers (10), blocked more shots (four) and stole the ball seven times in the loss. The Moccasins also scored 16 points off turnovers and scored 27 points from their bench, while Barry only scored eight points off turnovers and received only three points from their bench.
Florida Southern continues their conference schedule with a home game on Wednesday, Jan. 8, against Eckerd (6-4, 0-1 SSC). Eckerd opened SSC play on Saturday with a 69-50 home loss to fourth-ranked Nova Southeastern.
