Moccasins Slip Past Oilers in Century Retail Christmas Classic Opener

LAKELAND, Fla. – In a captivating matchup at Streamline Sale Court inside the George W. Jenkins Field House, the Florida Southern College Moccasins secured a decisive 82-60 victory over the University of Findlay Oilers Saturday to open the Century Retail Christmas Classic.
 
"Great defensive effort tonight, especially in the second half," Head Coach Mike Donnelly stated post game. "I thought we did a good job for the most part challenging shots both on the perimeter and at the rim against a prolific three-point shooting team. We need to clean some things up offensively, but I'm proud of the guys. That is a big win for us."
 
Luke Anderson led Florida Southern (8-3) with a stellar performance, contributing 23 points, five rebounds, and two assist while Dominick Denny displayed versatility with 21 points, five assists, three rebounds, making a significant impact on both ends of the court.
 
Akol Arop helped propel the momentum in the second half with 11 of his 15 game points coming down the stretch. Arop added eight boards to finish behind Alex Steen who had a game-high 11 rebounds. Steen added seven points and two assists to his stat line.
 
Findlay (3-6) saw Mason Brandt and Khalil Luster pace the team in points with 12 and 11, respectively while Will Ajancic and Nathan Bruns led the team in rebounding with nine and seven, respectively.
 
The first half set the tone for a closely contested game, with Florida Southern holding a narrow 40-39 lead at halftime. The Mocs jumped out to a quick eight-point lead, 10-2, in the first four minutes but the Oilers climbed back to within two, 10-8, in a mere two minutes with back-to-back three's.
 
Florida Southern would push to a nine-point lead, its largest of the first half, multiple times, 17-8, 19-10, and 22-13, before Findlay again worked to close the gap to just three points, 22-19 on nine straight points. The Oilers would go on to claim their first lead, 30-29, on a Jagger Landers three but would quickly flip back to a tie on a free throw by Dominick Denny.
 
Over the final four minutes of the first half, the lead would exchange hands seven times before the 40-39 halftime score in favor of Florida Southern.
 
After leading by one at the break, the Moccasins turned up the heat in the second half, outscoring Findlay 42-21 to seal the impressive win. Florida Southern's victory showcased their offensive prowess, defensive tenacity, and ability to capitalize on crucial opportunities. The Mocs went on for the 82-60 final, the largest lead of the game (22), thanks to a spinning turnaround jumper from Riley Buccino serving as the game's final points.
 
The Moccasins will look to build on this success as they continue play at the Century Retail Christmas Classic Sunday evening against Clayton State, who fell in game one Saturday 107-96 to the Barry Buccaneers. Tip for the Bucs and Oilers is set for 5 p.m. while tip for the Mocs and Lakers is 7:30 p.m. Read Full Article