Box Score LAKELAND, FL - Tyler Ross had the best game of his career and Florida Southern College men's basketball exploded for 70 second-half points in a 124-95 win over Palm Beach Atlantic on Saturday at Jenkins Field House. The Moccasins (3-6, 2-1 SSC) had three players score at least 20 points, and topped the Sailfish (5-3, 2-2) for the second-straight time.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Florida Southern looked as if it might be in trouble early as Palm Beach Atlantic built an early double-digit lead (15-5), which would eventually swell to 18 points (33-15) with just over 11 minutes to go in the first half.
• The Moccasins would begin to slowly chip away at the deficit, cutting PBA's lead to 10 points (39-29) with 9:05 on the clock. Florida Southern finished the half on a 25-12 run and took a 54-51 lead into the locker room. The Mocs shot 53.5 percent (23-of-43) in the first half, as Jeremiah Davis (15), Brett Hanson (13), and Jarel Spellman (11) all scored more than 10 points in the first half.
• The second half started with a bang as Florida Southern hit back-to-back threes to make it 60-51. The Mocs would hit 13 three-pointers in the second half and shot an incredible 63.4 percent (26-of-41) from the floor over the game's final 20 minutes.
• Florida Southern took its first 20-point lead when Tyler Ross connected from long range to make it 81-59 with 14:20 to go. Ross scored 25 of his game-high 32 points in the second half.
• The Mocs kept their foot on the pedal over the game's final 10 minutes, extending the lead to as many as 31 points (118-87) with 2:26 to go. Jake Rudolph's three with 39 seconds to go would give Florida Southern its final points as they rolled to victory.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
• Tyler Ross finished the game 12-of-14, missing a runner in the lane in the first half, and a layup in the second half. Ross was 4-of-4 from beyond the arc, and was a perfect 4-of-4 from the charity stripe. He also hauled in a game-high 12 rebounds.
• Jeremiah Davis finished with 22 points while Brett Hanson scored 21 and Michael Volovic added 15. Volovic also recorded his first career double-double by dishing out 10 assists.
• Jarel Spellman scored 15 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and recorded five blocks. He now has 110 career blocks, good for seventh in program history. Spellman needs just 53 more to break the school record of 162, currently held by Christophe Humbert.
• Florida Southern shot 58.3 percent (49-of-84) from the floor, including 15-of-30 from long range and 11-of-11 at the free-throw line. The Moccasins 124 points marked the 138th time in school history that the Mocs have scored 100 points. Florida Southern is 135-3 in those games. The 124 points are the fifth-highest total in school history.
UP NEXT
• Florida Southern will face Barry at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 10. The Moccasins are currently in the middle of a seven-game homestand to close out the calendar year.
