Box Score TAMPA, Fla. - The Florida Southern women's basketball team is off to its best start since the 2011-12 season after defeating Flagler College, 62-49, at the University of Tampa's Spartan Challenge Tournament on Saturday.
The Moccasins improved to 2-0 on the young season, and after starts of 0-2 and 0-3 in the past two seasons, it appears first-year head coach Betsy Harris has started her career at FSC off on the right foot.
"The girls are excited to start the season so well, but they also know we still have a long ways to go," Harris said.
In Friday's 75-67 win over Georgia College, ranked the second-best team in the Peach Belt Conference in the 2014-15 PBC Preseason Coaches' Poll, it was an outstanding shooting effort that helped the Mocs pull away from the Bobcats late.
FSC, however, didn't come out with the same touch against the Saints. The Mocs were only 2-for-16 from three-point range, and after shooting 44.4 percent from the field in the first half, they only sunk 23.1 percent of their shots in the second.
While they Mocs were not hitting the shots they did on Friday, they made up for it with defense and free throws.
"They (the Saints) pressed Tampa the whole game yesterday and we knew they would have tired legs," Harris said. "Our team did a good job deflecting passes and putting pressure on them in the half court."
It was a physical game with the two teams combining for 50 fouls. Therefore, the Mocs had plenty of opportunities from the charity stripe. In the season opener, they were only 9-for-17 from the line, but on Saturday they went 23-for-28.
In fact, of Florida Southern's 27 second-half points, 14 came off of free throws. The Mocs only made six field goals in the final 20 minutes, but junior guard Sydni Payne (Conyers, Ga.), freshman guard Jensen Blassage (Cherry Valley, Ill.), senior guard Syerra Davis (Tolleson, Ariz.) and sophomore forward Gianna Vastola (Sarasota, Fla.) were each perfect on their second-half foul shots. Both Payne and Vastola were 6-for-6 in the game, Davis was 5-for-6.
According to Harris, a high volume of foul shots were needed to make up for her team's shooting woes.
"We seemed more relaxed and more confident when we stepped to the line," she said.
FSC never trailed after the game was tied for 1:28, but the Saints never tapped out completely.
The Mocs built their largest lead in the second half. Already leading 35-24 at the break, they went on a 7-2 run to open the second half. Only 26 seconds in, Payne nailed a 3-pointer. Approximately three minutes later, she hit her first two free throws to put the Mocs up by 16, 42-28.
Payne led all Mocs with 13 points.
The Mocs held a 16-point advantage on three other occasions before the Saints battled back. Flagler managed to whittle FSC's once looming lead to single digits.
Trailing 50-36 late in the game, Flagler's sophomore guard Kat Ortolani scored, stole the ball on the ensuing inbound play, and scored again, all within 10 seconds. Junior guard DeAsha Campbell then provided a steal on the next possession and scored both foul shots as Blassage fouled out.
A minute later, a Campbell layup cut the deficit to six, 52-46, with just over two minutes remaining.
From there, Davis and Payne put the game out of reach. Davis sandwiched four free throws around a layup and two free throws from Payne.
Vastola earned the first double-double of the season with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Sophomore forward Christin Strawbridge (Lakeland, Fla.) pulled down nine rebounds, scored eight points and recorded a trio of steals.
The Mocs will travel to Georgia for a pair of games this week. On Thursday, Nov. 20, they take on Valdosta State in Valdosta, Ga., at 7 p.m. On Saturday, Nov. 22 at 1 p.m., FSC takes on Georgia Southwestern in Americus, Ga.
