ST. PETERSBURG, FL - Jeremiah Davis hit a late three-pointer that nearly completed a 14-point comeback, but Florida Southern College men's basketball fell by a 73-70 final in Friday's season opener against Delta State. The game, which was played at the McArthur Center at Eckerd College, was the seventh all-time meeting between the Moccasins (0-1) and the Statesmen (1-0).

HOW IT HAPPENED
• The first half was highly competitive as neither team was able to gain a significant edge until the closing stages of the opening period. Delta State scored the first two points on a pair of free throws and led until the 13:49 mark, when Josh Brown's three-pointer put the Mocs up 5-4.
• Florida Southern led by as much as four points (21-17) when Brett Hanson hit a layup with 6:46 to go in the half, but the Mocs would hit a long soring drought over the next three minutes that allowed the Statesmen to regain the lead and take a 32-24 advantage into halftime.
• Delta State carried the momentum into the second half, building a 14-point lead (41-27) with 17:08 to play. Despite trailing by 13 (52-39) with just over 11 minutes to go, the Mocs would battle back with a 17-5 run to cut the deficit to just one point (57-56).
• Late free-throws by the Statesmen gave Delta State a 72-67 lead with eight seconds to play, but Jeremiah Davis drilled a three with five seconds left to make it 72-70. After the Statesmen converted just one of two free-throws on the ensuing possession, the Mocs nearly tied it at the buzzer, but Michael Volovic's three-pointer bounced off the front of the rim.
• Florida Southern shot 42.2 percent (27-of-64) from the floor, but was just 5-of-25 from long range and 11-of-19 from the free-throw line. The Mocs grabbed 41 rebounds while the Statesmen finished with 41.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
• Florida Southern fell to 4-3 all-time against Delta State. It was the second-straight win in the series for the Statesmen. The Mocs have played Delta State each of the past four seasons. Delta State holds a 3-1 edge in neutral site games.
• Brett Hanson came up big in his collegiate debut, finishing with team highs in points (18) and rebounds (10). Hanson finished 8-of-12 from the floor and also dished out three assists.
• Jeremiah Davis (15) and LaBrian Shiflet (14) also scored in double figures in their Moccasin debuts. First-year players combined for 54 of Florida Southern's 70 points.
• Jarel Spellman fell just shy of a double-double with seven points and eight rebounds. Spellman also added two blocks and was 3-of-6 from the floor.
• The Moccasins shot just 31.0 percent (9-of-29) in the first half, but shot a solid 51.4 percent (18-of-35) in the second half.

UP NEXT
• Florida Southern returns to action on Saturday when it faces West Alabama at 1 p.m. at the McArthur Center. The Mocs open their Sunshine State Conference schedule next week when they host Saint Leo at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 16.