MORROW, Ga. – Florida Southern College men's basketball looked to control the entire game at Clayton State but it came down to the final shot Tuesday night inside the The Loch and Mason Barfield Court. The Moccasins held a 60-46 halftime lead before getting out of Morrow, Ga. with a 100-98 win.
"We are happy to get out of here with a big road win," Head Coach Mike Donnely commented. "We knew this game would be a huge challenge for us. We were playing lights out for the majority of the game, but then Clayton State played unbelievable."
Clayton State (0-3) pushed the tempo and brought the game to one possession, 95-93 with 1:48 to play. Redshirt sophomore
Jadin Booth went 1-for-2 from the free throw line to make it a three-point game but the Lakers' Kobie Johnson hit a three to make it a 96 tied game.
A pair of free throws and a jumper from redshirt senior
E.J. Dambreville pushed it to four points with 17-ticks left. Christian Chambers made a fastbreak jumper to bring it to within two, 100-98. The Mocs missed the front end of a one-and-one attempt giving the Lakers a chance with five seconds to play. Brian Coffey II tried to be the hero and missed the three as the buzzer sounded with the final, 100-98.
Donnelly added, "I'm proud of the guys for hanging on and making enough plays down the stretch to get the win."
Southern (3-0) saw
E.J. Dambreville lead the way with a career-high 29 points on a hot night of shooting from the field. The Dorchester, Mass. native went 12-for-15 from the field including a 2-for-3 mark from downtown and a perfect 3-for-3 night at the free throw line. Dambreville, the redshirt senior, hauled in seven rebounds, two assists and one steal.
Four others joined Dambreville in double-figures with redshirt sophomore
Jadin Booth with 21 on 6-for-10 shooting from downtown. Redshirt sophomore
Luke Anderson finished with 16 points and six rebounds while junior
Connor Raines had 14 and redshirt sophomore
Wes Bongiorni chipped in 12 points.
As a team, the Moccasins shot 55.6-percent from the field with a 50-percent night from beyond the arc.
Clayton State shot 54.4-percent from the field and 60.9-percent from three to close the gap with the Mocs Tuesday night.
Up Next
Florida Southern (3-0) returns home Saturday for the first Sunshine State Conference matchup of the year. Tip is set for 7:30 p.m.
