Box Score TAMPA - Florida Southern freshman forward Jarell Spellman made perhaps the shot of the season for the Moccasins as he drilled an 18-foot jump shot with 1.7 seconds left here Wednesday evening to help seal a 73-72 victory over Tampa in Sunshine State Conference action at the Martinez Athletics Center on the UT campus.
Spellman's shot, which came off a pass from senior guard Dylan Travis (Omaha, Neb.), helped the Mocs snap not only a two game losing skid, but also four game road losing skid in SSC play. FSC improved to 10-15 overall and 5-9 in the SSC with the win.
In addition, the victory also helps keep the Mocs alive to earn a spot in the SSC Tournament, which is scheduled to begin two weeks from tonight.
"What a huge shot for the young man," Moccasin head coach Mike Donnelly said following his team's 10th win of the season. "Not only was it a big shot for Jarell, but it was a great pass from Dylan in that situation."
Spellman's winning shot came 34 seconds after senior guard Dominique Williams (Haines City, Fla.) hit 1-of-2 free throws to pull the Mocs within a point at 72-71. On the ensuing Spartans possession, junior guard Michael Volovic (Carmel, Ind.) forced UT guard Matt Johnson to turn the ball over with 14 seconds left to set up the final game winning possession for the reigning national champion Moccasins.
On the game winning play, Travis drove the lane and as player guarding Spellman went to help on the drive, Travis spotted Spellman alone in the right corner just inside the three-point line and he passed the ball out to him and after a little hesistation, Spellman shot the ball and made the basket to give the Mocs a 73-72 lead.
"I didn't know that Dylan was going to pass the ball to me, but as my guy went to help on Travis' drive, I was able to receive the pass, spot up and make the shot," the 6-foot-10 Richmond, Va., native said about his game winning shot. "What an unbelievable feeling."
With that basket, Spellman finished with 10 points, added six rebounds and recorded five blocked shots in the victory.
He was one of four Mocs to finish in double figures in the win as Volovic led the way offensively with 22 points, including scoring 17 of them in the first half to help give the Mocs a 46-37 lead at the half.
In addition to Spellman and Volovic, Williams added 16 points and Travis, who missed the Mocs last two games due to injury, chipped in 15 points off the bench, including going a perfect 9-for-9 at the foul line.
"I am really proud of our guys. We came to play tonight and showed some life," said the first-year Moccasin coach. "Having Dylan back in the line-up obviously helps and gives a lot of confidence to everyone else on the floor."
The Mocs, who led 46-37 at the half, scored the opening basket of the second half to push its lead to 11 at 48-37. From that point, UT would begin its comeback as they used an 18-9 run capped by a lay-up by Bacon to take a 57-55 lead with 10:23 left in the game.
From that point, the teams would take turns scoring until UT used a 4-0 run to turn a 61-all tie into a 65-61 lead with 6:51 remaining. The Mocs, though, would score five straight points, including capping the run with a Spellman lay-up to take a 66-65 lead with 5:39 left.
Tampa, who fell to 9-15 overall and 4-9 in the SSC with the loss, appeared poised to earn the win using back-to-back baskets from Johnson and Pat Bacon to turn a 68-all game into a 72-68 lead with 1:23 remaining.
Following a lay-up by Bacon with 1:23 left, the Mocs would pull within two points following two free throws by sophomore forward Tyler Ross (St. John, Ind.) with 1:11 remaining. Ross' two free throws came after he missed four straight free throws earlier in the second half.
"Those two free throws by Tyler were huge, not only for our team, but for him after he had missed four straight at the line earlier in the second half," Donnelly said.
Bacon led the way for the Spartans with 20 points, while Johnson and Duke Shelton each had 13 points and Austin Rettig added 11 points before fouling out late in the game.
Shelton pulled down eight boards to pace the Spartans, while Ross had seven boards for the Mocs.
The Mocs, who shot 61 percent from the field and 60 percent from the 3-point line in the first half, trailed by six (10-4) in the early going, before using a 15-6 run capped by a trey from Williams with 11:22 remaining in the half to give the Mocs a 19-16 lead.
"I thought we played very well in the first half tonight. One of the better first halves we've played this season," Donnelly said.
After a free throw by Bacon dropped FSC's lead to 19-17, the Mocs responded with a 19-7 run to push out to a 36-26 lead. The Mocs run was keyed by seven points from Williams.
The Spartans, who have now dropped five straight games in the series against the Mocs, used buckets from Bacon and Marcel Robinson to move within six at 36-30. The Mocs, though, would score 10 of the next 14 points, including capping the run with back-to-back treys from Volovic to push out to a 46-34 lead with 1:34 remaining.
UT would go into the break at the half down nine at 46-37 following a trey from Freddy Ibrahim with 1:22 remaining in the opening half.
FSC finished the game shooting 45 percent from the field and 37 percent from the 3-point line. After shooting over 60 percent from both the field and downtown in the first half, the Mocs shot 24 percent from the field and 11 percent from the 3-point line after halftime.
The seven treys by the Mocs were the fewest in a game since hitting six earlier this season against Puerto Rico-Bayamon as the Mocs had hit eight or more treys in 19 consecutive games before connecting on just six against UT. FSC came into the game fourth in Division II in made treys per game as they were averaging 11.8 per game.
UT, who held a 42-35 edge on the boards, finished the game shooting 39 percent from the field and just 18 percent (3-for-17) from the 3-point line.
The Spartans were able to force the Mocs into 17 turnovers that led to 17 points. UT had just 10 turnovers on the night.
Perhaps the biggest key in the win for Florida Southern came at the free throw line as FSC finished the game shooting 82 percent (22-for-27) at the line, while UT shot just 65 percent (15-for-23) from the line.
The Mocs will look win a second consecutive game as they close out non-conference play with a 7:30 p.m. game on Saturday, Feb. 20 at Jenkins Field House against Embry-Riddle. The Mocs suffered a 112-91 loss to the Eagles in Daytona Beach on Jan. 6.
