WINTER PARK, Fla. - The Florida Southern College women's basketball team jumped right back into action after the Thanksgiving break without missing a beat, defeating Winston-Salem State University 67-58 in the Rollins Thanksgiving Classic.
Arielle Dabu and
Anna Denes led the way, each with 14 points, followed by
Marissa Jenike with 11 points.
Domenica Zamora put out a career-high of 10 assists, while
Sydney Gomes dished out five. On the defensive end,
Na'Haviya Paxton, Gomes, and Denes all came down with four boards on the night.
The Moccasins (4-0, 0-0 SSC) had to work back from an early 2-0 deficit, but quickly turned it around when Gomes found Denes to tie it up. The Rams (3-3, 0-0 CIAA) hit a free throw to get ahead by one, but Dabu sank a 3-pointer to make it 5-3 with 8:36 on the clock.
It was back-and-forth as
Domenica Zamora hit a shot beyond the arc and
Amari Jackson hit a two in the paint, as both helped give the Mocs a10-8 lead. FSC got down by nine, closing in on the first quarter mark, but a fastbreak layup from Paxton made it 22-15, in favor of the Rams, to end the first quarter.
Nothing was falling for either team until the 7:44 mark of the second quarter, until a turnover and steal by Denes led to a
Reagan White fastbreak to put the Mocs within five. Winston Salem scored at 5:31 to keep their seven-point lead. The Mocs continued to close the gap on the Rams lead, scoring from two free throws and a driving layup from
Bre'Asia Washington to make it 24-21 with 3:15 remaining in the first half. Denes tied the game for FSC with a made layup that sent her to the free throw line, hitting the shot to tie the game at 25-25 with just under two minutes remaining in the second.
It continued to go back and forth before taking the lead for the first time since early in the first, as Denes found Washington under the net. Washington scored on the layup and was sent to the line. Washington hit the free throw, taking FSC into halftime with a 30-27 advantage.
Deja vu for the start of the third quarter, with the Rams scoring first, followed by a 3-pointer, this time from Jenike. The Mocs increased their lead to a 37-29 score before the first media timeout as Jenike and Dabu both scored two.
Florida Southern found its momentum and went on a 10-7 run to make it 47-36 with 4:21 remaining in the third quarter. The third quarter belonged to the Mocs, continuing to make the shots fall as Jenike hit her fourth 3-pointer of the night and finished the quarter 56-43 after a Denes layup.
It was all defense for FSC until a turnover gave Gomes an opportunity for a jumper outside the paint for a 58-47 advantage and 7:50 remaining in regulation. Denes hit two layups, giving the Mocs a 15-point lead with 4:52 on the clock. The Rams continued to close the gap until the final buzzer, but ultimately FSC took down Winston-Salem 67-58 on day one of the Rollins Thanksgiving Classic.
The Mocs return to action tomorrow, Nov. 25 to close out the Rollins Thanksgiving Classic with a matchup against Belmont Abbey. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
