Box Score LAKELAND, FL - Jarel Spellman scored a career-high 22 points and Florida Southern College men's basketball turned in its best shooting performance in over three years in a 98-90 win over Florida Tech on Wednesday at Jenkins Field House.
The Moccasins (6-10, 4-4 SSC) snapped a two game losing streak to the Panthers (10-6, 3-4) and moved into fifth place in the Sunshine State Conference with the win.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Florida Southern looked as if it might be in for a rough night when Florida Tech raced out to a 7-0 lead in the first two minutes of the game, and led by 10 points (23-13) with 13:57 to go in the first half.
• The Mocs would chip away to cut the deficit to two points (24-22) thank to a 9-1 run, but the Panthers reeled off six in a row to make it 30-22 with just under 10 minutes on the clock.
• Florida Southern would use an 11-2 run over the next five minutes, capped off by Michael Volovic's jumped with 5:38 on the clock, to take its first lead of the game (33-32). FIT would regain the lead briefly, but the Moccasins took a 46-40 lead into the locker room.
• In the second half, the Mocs used a 9-0 run midway through to turn a 58-54 edge into a commanding 67-54 lead with10:33 to go.
• The Moccasins extended their lead to as many as 17 points (75-58) in the final 10 minutes of play, and Florida Tech never really threatened again as the Mocs picked up their second-straight SSC victory.
• Florida Southern shot a blistering 60.3 percent (38-of-63) from the floor, including 9-of-10 from beyond the arc, and connected on 13-of-18 free-throw attempts. Florida Tech shot 41.4 percent (29-of-70) and was just 9-of-27 from long range.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
• Florida Southern improved to 63-24 all-time against Florida Tech, including 35-10 at home. The Moccasins also moved to 887-330 all-time at home, including 698-187 at Jenkins Field House.
• FSC's field-goal percentage of 60.3 percent was its best shooting performance since connecting on 65.5 percent (38-of-58) in a 106-90 win over Tuskegee on Dec. 22, 2013.
• Spellman led the Mocs in scoring while connecting on 9-of-14 shots form the field. He also tallied two blocks to push his career total to 132, and needs just 31 more to set the school record for career blocks.
• Volovic scored 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including 5-of-7 from long range. He has scored 20 or more points six times this season, and has hit five or more three-pointers on five different occasions.
• Jeremiah Davis added 18 points while Brett Hanson scored 14 and Jack Rauch added 12. Rauch also pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds and had three blocks.
• Each team pulled down 37 rebounds, but the Mocs finished with a 40-32 scoring edge in the paint, and outscored the Pnanthers 10-0 on the fast break.
• The Moccasins recorded 23 assists on 38 made shots for an assist percentage of 60.5 percent. FSC has recorded at least 20 assists in each of its last two games.
UP NEXT
• Florida Southern faces Eckerd at home at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. The Tritons are currently tied for second in the Sunshine State Conference. The Mocs travel to Embry-Riddle on Jan. 18, and are off on Saturday, Jan. 21.
