LAKELAND, Fla. – The Florida Southern College men's basketball team concluded the Century Retail Christmas Classic with a 97-75 win over the Clayton State University Lakers Sunday night at Streamline Sale Court inside the George W. Jenkins Field House. The Moccasins finished with a 2-0 record in the classic, tying Barry who defeated Findlay earlier in the day 84-69.
"Great win heading into Christmas Break," Head Coach
Mike Donnelly said. "I was pleased with our performance on both ends of the floor. We knew tonight would be a challenging game. Clayton State is a talented team, and we knew they would play with great urgency tonight. I thought our intensity, energy, and focus were once again at a high level."
Redshirt sophomore
Erickson Bans etched his name into the program's history with a remarkable feat of 31 consecutive free throws this season, breaking Seth Evans (2012-13) and redshirt junior
Jadin Booth's (2021-present) mark of 30 straight.
When speaking on Bans' consecutive free throw record, Donnelly stated, "Congratulations to Erickson for breaking the school's consecutive free throw record. Super impressive achievement!"
Bans, who showcased his skill and composure at the free-throw line, finished the game with 14 points off the bench for the Mocs in 21 minutes of action. The sharp-shooting guard went a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe, setting a new program record for consecutive free throws moving to 31-for-31 this season. His precision and clutch performance were instrumental in maintaining the Moccasins' lead and securing the victory.
Florida Southern (9-3) dominated both halves, outscoring Clayton State (3-6) 54-35 in the first half and 43-40 in the second. The team exhibited a balanced offensive attack, with five players scoring in double-figures.
Alex Steen led the scoring for the Moccasins with a career-high 28 points, showcasing his efficiency with a 10-of-14 shooting performance. Steen completed his double-double with 11 rebounds, nine defensively.
Luke Anderson joined Steen with 20-plus points with 22 on 10-of-15 shooting, adding nine rebounds to his count. Bans' 14 was just ahead of
Akol Arop's 13 and
Dominick Denny's 12 points, rounding out the double-digit scorers.
The game started as a tightly contested game where the two teams traded points and the lead, but it was Florida Southern that claimed an early five-point lead, thanks to four straight points from
Alex Steen, 12-7 with 13:55 to play. From there, the Moccasins charged out to a lead, which they would not relinquish through the half (54-35) and the entirety of the second half.
Florida Southern captured its largest lead at the 9:02 mark in the second half of 31 points, which happened to be the highlight of the night,
Erickson Bans' free throws. Bans got fouled shooting a three and stepped to the line already 1-for-1 on the night at 28 consecutive made free throws. He made his first attempt of the three, to make it a 29-point spread and 29
th in a row; then his second for a 30-point spread and 30
th in a row; concluding his trip with three straight and his 31
st free throw and a 31-point spread (81-50).
The Moccasins would cruise for the final nine minutes and head to the holiday break with a 22-point win, 97-75.
Florida Southern will return to the hardwood after the holiday break on December 30, as the Moccasins host Palm Beach Atlantic at 6:00 p.m. inside the Jenkins Field House.
