A Second Half Comeback by #20 Mocs to End 2024 With Win Over Chargers

LAKELAND, Fla. – The No. 20 Florida Southern College men's basketball team ended 2024 with a big 90-84 win against the University of New Haven on Sunday night's finale of the Mocs Christmas Classic inside Jenkins Field House. FSC finished with a 2-0 record, hosting Barry University, Lander University, and the University of New Haven this weekend.
 
The Moccasins (12-2, 3-1 SSC) had a big second-half comeback behind another career day by Peyton Gerald. The Chargers (6-6, 2-3 NE10) tied the game at the half and had a hot start to the second half, but Joe Moon IV iced the game with a big floater in the final seconds. This was the second meeting between the two teams after FSC beat UNH in the 2019 Thanksgiving Classic, 84-56.
 
"Great come-from-behind win," said head coach Mike Donnelly. "We always tell our guys that throughout a season, we have to be able to find different ways to twin. New Haven played really well and was tough to defend, but I was proud of how we guarded the last eight minutes to help us grind out a big win."
 
Florida Southern had another career day from Gerald with 24 points, making it back-to-back nights breaking his previous career high. The senior from Charlotte, N.C. went 10-of-12 from the field with a perfect 2-for-2 from beyond the arc. Alex Steen had 18 points and seven boards tonight with a 14-point night from both Dominick Denny and Jadin Booth. Booth had seven assists and Denny six to lead the team's passing. Amare Miller led the team in rebounding with eight in his 15 minutes.
 
Both teams were very efficient from the field, with Florida Southern shooting 56 percent, the best so far this season, over New Haven's 47 percent. An even battle in rebounding, though the Chargers had the upper hand from beyond the arc, with 10 made 3's to the Mocs' six. Relying heavily on the bench, New Haven had 55 of their 84 points from the bench. Maintaining the nation's best blocks per game category (8.6), FSC had seven in tonight's matchup.
 
New Haven had two 20+ point scorers, led by Seth Sharif-Brown with 28 points and Ugo Nwachukwu with 21 points. Nwachukwu was the team's leader in boards, with six, and was tied in assists with three. Tristian Jeffries was the final Charger with double-digit points, finishing with 11.
 
Florida Southern had a great start to the game and climbed to an eight-point lead in the first five minutes, 15-7. Gerald led most of the scoring in the first half with 16 points before New Haven cut into the Florida Southern lead with a back-and-forth battle for the game's final eight minutes. A buzzer-beater three from half-court by the Chargers tied the game to send both teams into halftime at 42 points.
 
An even game in the second half was short-lived as the Chargers opened with an eight-point lead hot start at the 14-minute mark, 62-54. FSC worked to cut into the deficit and had sparks, including a big three by Hugo Mattioli, but UNH led by as much as 10 at the third media timeout. FSC came out of that timeout with a steal and fastbreak three by Booth that eventually cut the UNH lead to one, 75-74.  Mocs took their first lead of the second half after a three by Booth with under three minutes left, 80-78. The Mocs kept that edge to win the game, 90-84.
 
The Mocs will open 2025 with a road contest against Lynn University on Saturday, Jan. 4, at 4 p.m. in Boca Raton. 
  Read Full Article