Four Score In Double-Figures as Florida Southern Defeats Lynn Saturday Afternoon

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Southern men's basketball traveled to the de Hoernle Sports and Cultural Center Saturday afternoon and defeated the Lynn Fighting Knights 87-79. The win handed the Moccasins the season series sweep of the Fighting Knights and the program's ninth straight win over Lynn. 
 
"Really proud of our effort today," head coach Mike Donnelly stated. "Thought we defended and rebounded well in the second half. Even though we had a rough three-point shooting night, we did a good job making big shots down the stretch."
 
Akol Arop continues to step up big for Florida Southern (19-7, 13-4 SSC), where the graduate student tallied another double-double on 21 points and 11 rebounds. He added three blocks and had two steals on the night. Luke Anderson nearly notched a double-double with 16 points and nine boards.
 
Dominick Denny added 20 points to finish second on the team in scoring whilst Joe Moon IV was close behind with 18. Denny capped the night with a team-high six assists as Moon hauled in seven boards to finish third on the team.
 
For the Mocs, the team gathered 43 rebounds on the night behind Arop's 11 and Anderson's nine. Making just three triples all night, Florida Southern found its answer inside the arc converting 34 field goals for a combined game total of 37-for-72.
 
Lynn's (14-8, 9-7 SSC) Tradavis Thompson played the full 40 minutes and had a game-high 24 points, edging his teammate out for the title of 23 points from Nordin Kapic. Ben Gahlert and Brad McCabe chipped in 15 and 11, respectively. The Fighting Knights grabbed 34 rebounds on the night paced by Gahlert's 11.
 
Akol Arop opened the game's scoring with a free throw before picking up a steal and slamming it home for the first three points of the game on the first Fighting Knights possession. The Mocs would hold the slight edge to the 16:34 mark when the Fighting Knights were able to rally and tie it at nine apiece.
 
Lynn pushed out to a 10-point lead, 27-17, before Florida Southern's offense and defensive pressure picked up and rallied with a 13-3 run to tie it at 30 capped off by a Connor Raines three-pointer. The Fighting Knights would push to a four-point lead, but another quick run pushed the Moccasins in front, where they would remain for the first half, 43-42.
 
Three threes and three free throws pushed Lynn ahead by nine, 54-45, out of the break. A five-minute scoring drought by the Fighting Knights allowed the Mocs to close and tie the game at 54, and take a lead, 55-54, on Dominick Denny free throws.
 
The two teams would trade the lead bit a late run and another scoring drought allowed Florida Southern to get ahead by 12, 81-69, with 3:04 to play. Converting made buckets and forcing free throws allowed Lynn to cut the gap and get within four points, 81-77 and against 83-79, with 20 ticks left.
 
After a pair of Denny free throws, 86-79, Lynn's Ben Gahlert drove to the rim but was met by Akol who had a massive key block to keep the Fighting Knights off the scoreboard. A missed three and one missed free throw would close Lynn's final chances at scoring while Moon scored the game's final two points on a pair of free throws with five seconds remaining bringing the game to its final score, 87-79.
 
The Moccasins return home for the first of its two last home games on Feb. 21, welcoming in Florida Tech ( ) for a 7:30 p.m. tip inside the George W. Jenkins Field House.   
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