Moccasins Dismantle the Panthers in SSC Bout

LAKELAND, Fla. – Florida Southern College men's basketball dismantled the Florida Tech Panthers Wednesday night, 81-53, behind great defensive play inside the George W. Jenkins Field House. The win moved the season series to an even split (1-1) after each team won on their respective home courts, and handed the Moccasins their first 20-win season since the 2019-20 29-2 campaign.  
 
"Great effort all the way around tonight," head coach Mike Donnelly commented. "We knew tonight was a big game. Florida Tech is a good team and beat us the first time we played in Melbourne. I am very happy with our level of focus, intensity, and energy tonight, especially at the defensive end."
 
Florida Southern (20-7, 14-4 SSC), who made an appearance in the first NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Regional Rankings, hauled in 57 rebounds on the night while holding Florida Tech (15-9, 8-9 SSC) to 0.00-percent from three-point range (0-17). 
 
Of the 57 boards, the Mocs tallied 25 offensive and 32 defensive where three players each recorded double-digit rebounding performances. Trey Jones came off the bench for 19 minutes of work and tallied his first career double-double with 12 points, and 13 rebounds while also adding three blocks and two assists to his stat line.
 
The Mocs production power, Luke Anderson, dropped a double-double with 30 points and 12 rebounds ahead of Akol Arop's 10 rebounds and seven points. Dominick Denny rounded out the double-digit scorers with 13 points and added six assists on the night.
 
Florida Southern filled the stat sheet with all 11 players recording a stat in the win. Joe Moon IV, Riley Buccino, Donovan Smith, and Connor Raines joined in the scoring while Sam Walters, Luke Reilly, and Conor O'Connell all grabbed a rebound to jump into the official stats.
 
The Panthers saw David McCullough lead the way in scoring with 14 points. Florida Tech registered 34 rebounds led by Niall Harris with five before the main core of the Panthers sat the bench for the final 12 minutes.
 
The Moccasins opened the game on a quick run as Luke Anderson drained a three to start the scoring and followed up with a pair of free throws, 5-0. Akol Arop's layup at the 16:05 mark pushed the game to nine points before the Panthers battled back to cut it to just one, 21-20, with 8:25 to play.
 
Florida Tech took a quick lead, 22-21, on an Elias Martin layup at the 7:49 mark but it was short-lived as Florida Southern closed the first half outscoring the Panthers 22-6 for a 44-27 halftime lead.
 
The firepower never slowed as out of the halftime break, Florida Southern blew the game open and pushed to a 25-point lead, 52-27 (18:32), before eventually pushing to the largest lead of the game of 34 points with 5:56 left, capped off by a Trey Jones tip-put back (77-43).
 
Florida Southern eventually coasted to the final horn leading by more than 20 points in the final five minutes and on for the 28-point victory, 81-53.
 
The Moccasins will make its last road trip of the regular season on Feb. 24 with Florida Southern traveling to No. 2 Nova Southeastern (21-2, 15-2 SSC) for a 4 p.m. tip in Fort Lauderdale. The season series is in favor of the Mocs as Florida Southern defeated then-no. 1 Nova Southeastern 93-82 on Jan. 3 in Jenkins Field House.
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