LAKELAND, Fla. — Florida Southern College women's basketball earned their first home win as the Mocs defeated Sunshine State Conference foe Palm Beach Atlantic 89-67 on Saturday night in the Streamline Sale Arena. The Mocs were once again led by
Whitney Jacob scoring a season-high of 27 points, going 10-13 from the field and 4-5 from behind the arc.
"I'm very pleased and happy with the girls," said head coach
Betsy Harris. "We have been talking a lot about just playing as a team and stopping all the individual stuff because we have a lot of people that can score but it looks a whole lot better when we are trying to score within the team. We got a whole lot better in the second and third quarters and we just have to keep being consistent in every game. Whitney has been doing a great job for us after having a lot of adjusting to do just because it is a different style of play but she is doing a great job and she's coachable."
Florida Southern improves to 3-4 overall and moves to 2-1 in the Sunshine State, while PBA falls to 2-5 on the year and 1-2 in the conference.
HOW IT HAPPENED
1st Quarter
- It was a slow start for FSC not seeing hits first basket until the 7:44 mark as Mackenzie Steele hit a layup followed by an and-one to make it 3-2 Mocs.
- A turnover for Florida Southern immediately after setting Steele up for a fastbreak layup putting the Mocs up early 5-2.
- Madlena Gerke helped keep the Mocs in the game with a free throw and layup to put the Mocs up by one and make it 8-7.
- The Sailfish went on a run to make it 13-8; before Jacob came into bringing the Mocs within three with a layup of her own.
- Jacob continued to camp out under the net waiting for a pass from Ashley Shell to make it a 14-12 deficit with under three left in the quarter.
- Julia Jenike tied it up with a jumper making it 14-all with 2:18 on the clock.
- Arielle Dabu is sent the free throw line on a foul and takes the led for the Mocs making both shots.
- PBA ties it back up with a jumper from just outside the paint; but Shell hits her first basket on a jumper to make it 18-18 until a late Sailfish goal gives them the lead at 20-18 to end the first quarter.
2nd Quarter
- Lefty, Marissa Jenike hits a jumper bringing the Mocs within two to start off the second quarter making it 22-20 after a minute of play.
- A long rally for the Mocs allowed FSC to take a 30-23 lead as freshmen, Gerke and Paula Real hit back-to-back baskets with Gerke hitting two shots beyond the arc and Real with two layups.
- Jacob went on the attack making a jumper in the paint to give the Mocs a nine-point lead.
- With Jacob on fire; she continued to go on the attack for FSC making another jumper to make it a 34-28 game.
- Julia Jenike was on fire for the Mocs going on a 7-0 run on her own giving FSC a 41-18 lead at the 2:41 mark.
- Sara Wohlgemuth made her debut hitting a layup and a free throw to make it a 16-point game with just under two minutes of action left in the half.
- The Sailfish offense went on a run being able to come within 11; butJenike connected with Maddy Morales for a fastbreak jumper to finish the half 46-33 in favor of the Mocs.
3rd Quarter
- It was a slow start for the Mocs to come off of the halftime as Jacob was fouled sending the Colorado native to line hitting both her shots; but the Sailfish were within six at 48-42.
- Jacob hit a long jumper behind the arc to make it a 51-42 deficit with an assist from Wohlgemuth.
- Julia Jenike is on the move for FSC hitting a fast break jumper just outside the paint to make it 53-44 with 4:31 on the clock.
- A technical from PBA, sends the Latvia native Gerke to the line hitting one shot to make it a 10-point lead for the Mocs.
- The 3-pointers continued to fall for Jacob, as the forward hit of the second one of the night to make it 57-45 with under four minutes
- FSC continued to make it rain threes, as freshman Dabu hit a three followed by a layup with assists from Gerke and Shell to make it a 62-45 game with 2:24 on the clock.
- Julia Jenike is sent to the line after hitting a jumper putting the Mocs up by 18-points after the Cincinnati, Ohio native made her free throw.
- Dabu battled to get a defensive rebound found Wohlgemuth for a fastbreak layup to put the Mocs up 20 and make it a 67-47 margin.
- Marissa Jenike hit her second three of the night on an assist from Shell bring Florida Southern up to a 23-point lead the biggest lead this year to end the third quarter.
4th Quarter
- Real set up Jacob under the net for their first basket of the fourth quarter to make it 72-48 in favor of the Moccasins with 7:27 remaining in regulation.
- Shortly, after at the 7:14 mark Real found Jacob again this time behind the arc as Jacob hit her third three.
- Real found Dabu on a step back as the freshman hit their eighth three of the night.
- Forward Jacob continued to make the baskets fall hitting a layup before making a 3-pointer from Shell to make it an 83-58 game with just under 5 minutes of play left.
- Gerke went on the attack making it a 25-point lead for the Mocs hitting a jumper followed by a Steele jumper from inside the paint to bring the score up to 87-62.
- Aubrey Burke hit a jumper thanks to an assist from Morales to bring the Mocs up by 23-points with a minute left to play.
- That was all the Mocs needed to find their first home victory as PBA fell to the Mocs 89-67.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Jacob continued to dominate for FSC with a new career-high of 26 points now leading the SSC in total points.
- Julia Jenike, Gerke, and Dabu each finished with scoring in double-digits as Jenike tallied 14, followed by Gerke with 13, and Dabu with 10 respectfully.
- The Moccasin bench totaled the most points with 61 of the 89 total points.
- Shell led FSC defensively as the redshirt junior finished with five rebounds four being on the defense.
- Shell also led the Mocs with assist dishing out six, followed by Gerke and Real with five as they totaled 27 assists as a team.
- The Mocs had a 28-11 points off turnovers taking advantage off the other teams mistakes.
- Florida Southern shot 56.5 percent from the field and 50 percent from the three a new team-best thus far.
UP NEXT
Florida Southern takes an entire week off from game action as they travel to Boca Raton on Saturday, December 11 to face Lynn University in another SSC match-up. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
