ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Florida Southern College men's basketball team rebounded from yesterday's loss with a statement first win of the season in a dominating 91-56 win over Delta State on Saturday afternoon in the last game of the SSC/GSC Challenge at McArthur Center on the campus of Eckerd College.
Florida Southern (1-1) took the lead early and did not let up with an improved 50 points in the paint for the game. Delta State (1-1) was unable to edge out the Mocs in rebounds, as Florida Southern was +8 in the category.
E.J. Dambreville had his first double-double of the season off 18 points and 13 rebounds in the game.
"The game plan was simple…and it was all about trying to wear them [Delta State] down," said head coach
Mike Donnelly. "It was good to see the guys adjust and have a good effort as we started to click and play well."
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST HALF
- Down 4-0 early, the Mocs responded with back-to-back points, including an emphatic dunk by Xavier Rhodes
- Florida Southern had a 13-0 run, with the whole court getting involved with a 3-pointer by Tarik Mckelphin, fast break score Dambreville, jumper by Babatunde Ajike, second chance score by DeAndre Campbell and layup by Jadin Booth for a 19-9 lead with under 10 minutes left the game
- A 6-0 run by the Statesman was interrupted by a feed to Dambreville from Booth.
- With 6:35 left on the clock, the Mocs maintained the lead 25-21 during media timeout
- Jack Casale had a steal at the baseline for a quick score for a 27-23 lead with five minutes left
- Dambreville nailed a 3-pointer for a 32-29 lead before great defense led to a Delta State turnover and timeout with 2:43 on the clock
- The Mocs had foul trouble late in the first half, but kept the lead into halftime 36-31
SECOND HALF
- Fresh off a great first half, the Mocs kept the fast break intensity with a layup by Luke Anderson and Casale for a 42-35 score two minutes into the game
- Shots by Mckelphin and Dambreville sent Delta State for a timeout (47-36)
- A steal by Mckelphin and fouled dunk attempt took him to the line, where he made both free throws for a 12-point lead with 14:37 left. Mckelphin took another dunk opportunity, which he nailed, after Anderson snatched a defensive rebound and 16-point lead for the Mocs on an 11-0 run
- At the midway point of the half, Florida Southern grew a 20-point lead, continuing the fast break play
- Dambreville hit a 3-pointer for a 72-46 lead with six minutes left in the game and 26-point lead
- At the last media timeout, the Mocs led 78-51 after a boost in the 3-point game by Jacob Schner, Booth, and Dambreville
- A 34-point lead with under two minutes left was propelled by a continued 3-point game and fast break points
- The Mocs maintained the pressure to finish strong in a 91-56 rout of the Statesmen
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Florida Southern is now 9-3 all-time against Delta State, including 3-3 in neutral site games against the Statesmen
- Dambreville earned a double-double after shooting 8-12 for 18 points from the field and added 13 rebounds
- Mckelphin built off a great game yesterday with a team-high 19 points
- The Mocs had four players in double digit points (Mckelphin, Rhodes, Casale, and Dambreville)
- Rhodes led the Mocs in assists with six to add to his 12 points
- After dominating the glass in the first half, the Mocs continued the pressure with fast break points, while adding a 61.5% from 3-point land in the second half.
- Shooting 54.4% from the field and improving their percentage from the line with 31 fast break points for the usual Moccasin up-tempo offense as the Mocs earned their first victory of the 2021-22 campaign
UP NEXT
- The Moccasins compete in their first conference game of the season on the road against Barry University next Saturday, set for a 4:00 PM tipoff.
