LAKELAND, Fla. - The Florida Southern College women's basketball team opened up the 2024-25 season with a close call against the University of Alabama in Huntsville as they battled back from a 26-point deficit to win the season opener in the Gulf South Conference / Sunshine State Conference Crossover 74-70 in Jenkins Field House on Friday afternoon.
The Moccasins (1-0) were led by
Lily Randgaard, who posted 20 points, going 7-for-13.
Bre'Asia Washington finished with 12 points, followed by
Sydney Gomes and
Catalina Ion, who each scored 10 points to round out the double-digit scoring. The Chargers (0-1) had five in double figures, with Millie Brown leading with 17 points. Lili Wilken and Mia Hollingsworth contributed 11 apiece, followed by Haley Nichols and Alexis Woods with 10.
Florida Southern opened up the season slowly after getting out to a 5-2 lead with a game-opening 3-pointer from
Arriyana Bracero and a Randgaard jumper. UAH would answer with a layup to make it 5-4 before both teams went on a scoring drought into the 5:33 mark. The Chargers took a lead scoring a three and a layup to take a 9-4 lead starting the six leading changes into the second quarter of action where UAH led with a 22-19 margin.
In the second quarter the Mocs could not find the momentum as the Chargers got out to a 19-point lead that would send the teams to the locker for the halftime break. To open the third quarter
Anna Denes hit a fastbreak jumper that cut the deficit down to 17, but a 6-0 run increased UAH's lead back up to 23. With just under six minutes in the third quarter, the Mocs started to make a dent in the Chargers' lead ending with an 11-0 run to cut the lead down to 15 as the clock ran out with a 61-46 score heading into the final quarter.
FSC started the fourth as Gomes made both free throws and Ion hit a fastbreak jumper trying to cut the game down to a single-digit lead for the Chargers. At the 6:15 mark, Washington hit a fastbreak layup that would bring the Mocs within nine with still a lot of game left to play. The lead stayed with the Chargers as the teams swapped scoring possessions but a 9-0 run for Bracero and Randgaard put the Chargers lead down to just four as the Mocs continued to comeback.
With less than a minute remaining, Gomes broke away for a layup to take a 71-70 lead for the first time since the first quarter. A UAH technical gave the Mocs an advantage, sending Rangaard to the line sinking both shots to increase the Mocs lead to three. Another foul sent Gomes to the line where she went 1-for-2, ending the game with a 74-70 come-from-behind win to open the season.
Florida Southern returns to action tomorrow afternoon with the final game of the crossover as they face RV Lee University. Tipoff is scheduled for 12 p.m.
