Box Score LAKELAND, FL - Four players scored in double figures, but Florida Southern College men's basketball was unable to hang on to a late lead as it fell to Molloy, 86-83, on Sunday at Jenkins Field House. The Moccasins (2-6) held a one-point edge (81-80) with just over a minute to play, but the Lions (2-4) hit a pair of three-pointers in the final minute to steal the win.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Florida Southern grabbed an early 11-point lead (18-7) thanks to a hot-shooting first half that saw the Mocs connect on 53.1 percent of their shots (17-of-32), including 4-of-6 from long range. Charlie Marquardt would single-handedly keep Molloy in the game as he scored 21 of his 27 points in the first half.
• The Moccasins led by 10 with 12:22 remaining in the opening period, but the Lions chipped away at the lead and trimmed the deficit to just four points in the final minute of the first half as Florida Southern took a 47-43 lead into the locker room.
• Florida Southern, which shot extremely well in the first half, went largely cold over the final 20 minutes, connecting on just 33.3 percent (11-of-33) from the floor. The Moccasins did shut down Marquardt in the second half, holding him to just six points in the final 20 minutes, but Jaylen Morris stepped up for the Lions and scored 22 of his game-high 28 points in the second half to rally Molloy to the win.
• Molloy grabbed its first lead of the game when Curtis Jenkins hit a layup with 15:55 left to play to make it 53-52. The team would trade jabs over the next two minutes before the Lions went on a 7-0 run to take a 67-61 lead with 10:32 on the clock.
• Florida Southern would battle back to take the lead three times over the final 10 minutes, and would tie the contest at 83-83 when Michael Volovic hit a fadeaway jumper with 39 seconds remaining. However, the Lions responded by drilling a three on their next possession, and three-point attempts from Volovic and Tyler Ross in the closing seconds fell just short as Molloy grabbed their second win of the year.
• The Moccasins finished the game shooting 43.1 percent (28-of-65) from the floor, 47.1 percent (8-of-17) from three, and 70.4 percent (19-of-27) at the free-throw line. Molloy finished at 40.5 percent (30-of-74) from the field, 47.1 percent (8-of-17) from long range, and 90.0 percent (18-of-20) at the charity stripe.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
• Florida Southern fell to 1-1 all-time against Molloy. The Moccasins also fell to 884-327 at home, including 695-184 at Jenkins Field House since the building opened in 1965.
• Michael Volovic led the Mocs with 22 points on 7-of-16 from the floor and added four assists. Volovic has scored at least 20 points in three-straight games, and four games overall this year.
• Jack Rauch finished with his third-straight double double by pouring in 17 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Tyler Ross had his second-straight double-double with 15 points and 11 boards. Jeremiah Davis scored 15 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out a team-best five assists.
• The Moccasins outrebounded the Lions by a 47-39 tally, and outscored Molloy 30-28 in the paint. The teams were even in bench scoring (17-17) and points off turnovers (11-11), while the Lions finished with a 19-14 edge in second-chance buckets, and the Mocs otuscored Molloy 6-2 on the fast break.
• The game saw seven ties and 11 lead changes. Florida Southern led for a total of 25:55, while Molloy led for a total of 10:55. The contest was tied for 3:10.
UP NEXT
• Florida Southern returns to action at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 4 when Palm Beach Atlantic visits Jenkins Field House. The game is the third of seven-straight home contests. The Mocs will also host Barry (Dec. 10), Miles (Dec. 16), Auburn-Montgomery (Dec. 17) and Tampa (Dec. 30) to close out the calendar year.
