Box Score LAKELAND - Entering the 2015-16 season, Florida Southern had played 2,158 men's basketball games without recording a triple-double, but now the reigning National Champion Moccasins have recorded two triple-doubles in a span of nine games this season as freshman Jarel Spellman scored 10 points, pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds and blocked a school record 12 shots in Florida Southern's 91-77 non-conference victory here Wednesday night over Palm Beach Atlantic at Jenkins Field House.
Spellman's triple-double came nine games after senior guard Dylan Travis (Omaha, Neb.) recorded the school's first-ever triple-double in the Moccasins' 128-84 home win on Dec. 20 against Miles. In the win over Miles, Travis recorded 11 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
"We needed this win tonight in the worst way and we played well for the most part," Moccasin head coach Mike Donnelly said following his team's fifth non-conference win of the season. "Jarel had a lot to with tonight's win. He played really well, especially on the defensive end of the floor."
Spellman's play helped the Mocs snap a four-game losing streak and avoid its first five-game losing streak since the 2006-07 season and improve its record to 9-13 on the season. PBA fell to 11-9 on the year.
"This was a huge win for us and hopefully it will boost our confidence going forward," said Donnelly. "We still have a lot of things to correct and get better at, but I thought we guarded well tonight and did a good executing our game plan for the most part."
Spellman, who was held without a point, but had eight rebounds and four blocks in the first half, scored all 10 of his points after halftime and also added five rebounds and eight blocks in the second half.
Spellman's 12 blocks bettered the old school record of nine set by Rashaad Singleton at Southern Indiana on Nov. 29, 2008. In addition, the 12 blocks are the second most recorded in a game by a Division II player this season as West Alabama's Dakari Mayo blocked 14 shots against West Georgia on Jan. 16.
"I am happy for him, he has been working hard all season," Donnelly stated.
In addition to Spellman's triple-double, four other Mocs scored in double figures as Travis finished with a game high 28 points and added nine assists and four steals, while senior guard Dominique Williams (Haines City, Fla.) added 21 points and nine rebounds. Junior guard Michael Volovic (Carmel, Ind.) chipped in 18 points and junior guard Sheldon Zablotny (Erie, Pa.) had 11 points off the bench in the win.
"I thought this one of our better overall performances of the year on both sides of the ball," the Mocs coach added.
Wednesday's win, which improved the Mocs to 24-4 all-time against the Sailfish, including improving to 14-0 in Lakeland all-time against the Sailfish. The victory also helped the Mocs extract some revenge on PBA as the Sailfish earned a 99-96 overtime win in West Palm Beach earlier this season.
Along with Spellman's shot blocking prowess on Wednesday, the Moccasin defense held Palm Beach Atlantic to 33 percent shooting from the field and 33 percent shooting from the 3-point line. In the second half, the Mocs limited the Sailfish to 28 percent shooting from the floor and 11 percent shooting from long distance. FSC also blocked a school record 15 shots for the game. The 15 blocks bettered the old record of 13 blocks set against Barry on Jan. 31, 2001.
'We played well in the first half and then in the second half when they made their run, we stayed together and we guarded," said Donnelly, who is now 204-165 in his 13th season as a collegiate head coach. "It was the first time this season we've held an opponent under 30 percent shooting in a half."
Florida Southern entered the game allowing its foes to shoot 47 percent from the field and 37 percent from the 3-point line on the season and also score an average of 88.7 points per game, which is 295th in Division II. PBA was held to 77 points on the night, including just 33 after halftime.
After turning its 46-44 lead into a 53-44 advantage just three minutes into the second half, the Mocs would watch the Sailfish use an 8-5 run to pull within 58-51 with 13:23 left in the game.
That run by the Sailfish seemed to ignite the Mocs as they responded with a 17-5 run to turn a 7-point lead into a 19 point advantage at 75-56 with 8:49 remaining in the game. The run was keyed by a combined 12 points from Williams (7 points) and Travis (5 points) and capped by a Volovic trey.
PBA, though, wouldn't go away with a fight as they answered the Mocs run with a 12-5 spurt capped by a lay-up from Bakari Warthen with 5:18 left to pull the Sailfish within 12 at 80-68.
That would be as close as the Sailfish would get as the Mocs outscored PBA, 11-9 over the final four minutes of the game, including hitting 9-of-12 free throws during that stretch to hold off the Sailfish.
Warthen led the way for the Sailfish as he finished with 16 points, but was just 7-for-20 from the field in the loss. In additon to Warthen, Malek Barber added 11 points and Shavanno Cooper picked up 16 boards on the night to help the Sailfish to a 54-44 edge on the glass, including picking 23 offensive boards on the night.
In the first half, the Mocs rode the hot shooting Travis and Volovic as those two combined to score 28 of the Mocs 46 first half points.
The Mocs jumped out to a 15-5 lead just six minutes into Wednesday's game, but the Sailfish came storming back as they used a 23-6 run over a span of six minutes to turn a 10-point deficit into a seven point lead at 28-21.
Eight straight points by the Mocs, including five consecutive points from Williams, helped FSC retake the lead at 29-28. PBA, though, would score five straight points to once again take the lead at 33-29 with 6:40 left in the opening half.
The Mocs would respond with a 17-8 run to push out to a 46-41 lead following a trey on a fast break from Travis with 30 seconds left in the half. The Sailfish, though, would stop the Mocs run with a 3-pointer from Dakota Zinser right before the buzzer sounded to drop the Mocs halftime lead to two points.
While the Mocs defense held PBA to under 35 percent shooting from the field for the game, FSC finished the game shooting 42 percent from the field and 44 percent from the 3-point line in the victory. FSC, who entered the game fifth in Division II in made treys on the season, added 17 more to that total in Wednesday's win as they were 17-for-38 from long distance on the night.
The Mocs forced PBA into 15 turnovers that led to 20 points and dished out 23 assists on 28 made baskets.
FSC will now look to win two games in a row as they return to Sunshine State Conference play on Saturday, Feb. 6 with a 4 p.m. game in Melbourne against Florida Tech. Florida Tech, who earned a 99-93 win in Lakeland earlier this season, fell to 11-11 overall and 3-8 in the SSC following its 79-77 road loss Wednesday at Nova Southeastern.
"We have two days now to get ready for Florida Tech. It's a huge game for both teams," Donnelly said when asked about Saturday's game at Florida Tech. "I know the season hasn't gone the way we want it to go, but we have nine wins and were fighting for our playoff lives and positioning and so is Florida Tech, so in our own little bubble, it's a huge game on Saturday."
