LAKELAND, Fla. – As hosts of the 2023 Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic, Florida Southern College men's basketball opened the season with a 79-62 win over Virginia Union inside the George W. Jenkins Field House.
The Moccasins saw eight of its 10 players that played in the contest score a point led by redshirt junior
Jadin Booth with 30 on 7-of-15 shooting from the field and a 5-of-10 mark from beyond the arc. Behind Booth, sophomore
Alex Steen posted 15 points and 13 rebounds, to start his sophomore season off with his second career double-double. Booth finished the night a perfect 11-for-11 from the free throw line.
Luke Anderson was second on the team with eight rebounds, finishing one ahead of
Akol Arop's seven.
Dominick Denny joined Booth and Steen in double-digits with 10 points, while Anderson finished with eight points,
Erickson Bans seven,
Joe Moon IV five, and Arop and
Trey Jones each with two.
Virginia Union had three players score in double-figures paced by Tahj Harding with 15 while Joshua Caine came off the bench to add 14 and Jonathan King pushed for 12.
The Panthers started the game off with the advantage, but the Mocs quickly erased a 14-6 deficit with nine straight points after great ball movement and unselfish basketball. Florida Southern saw Booth drain a three to make it 14-9 before a timeout and claimed a 15-14 lead.
The two teams played a tight first half before the Moccasins went into the half a 35-28 lead. Booth and Steen were pacing the team with 19 and 11 points, respectively. Steen nearly had his double-double completed with nine boards at the break.
Florida Southern pushed out to a 11-point lead early in the second half, 43-32, after a Booth three, and a bad pass from the Panthers' Jakobe Williams thanks to a steal from booth that led to a highlight-reel alley-oop with Steen. The Mocs would continue to push the tempo and extend their lead to 20, 60-40, at the 10:34 mark.
Virginia Union would cut the gap to just 10 points three times including a 10-0 run to make it 60-50, but it was the Mocs that eventually cruised to the season opening win by 17 points, 79-62, ending the game with two made free throws from Booth.
Florida Southern will have a tough battle Sunday night in the Mocs second game of the Small College Basketball at 5:45 p.m. against preseason No. 8 UNC Pembroke.
Get in the game and show your support for the Florida Southern College Athletics Department today!
Whether you're a passionate fan looking to secure your season tickets or a generous donor wanting to make a lasting impact, contact
Kris Doorey, Director of Athletics Development, at
kdoorey@flsouthern.edu or 863-680-4109. Join us in fueling the success of our student-athletes and becoming an integral part of their journey toward greatness.
