LAKELAND, Fla. – Catalina Ion and
Gianna Vos led Florida Southern College women's basketball to a 76-69 victory on Wednesday night, both having career highs in the win against Rollins College.
 The Moccasins (9-8, 4-6 Sunshine State Conference) were led by Ion going 6-for-8 from beyond the arc for 20 points. Vos went 5-for-6 from the field with a perfect 2-for-2 from beyond the 3-point arc for 15 total points.
For the Tars (7-10, 2-8 SSC), Ajalon Gillard led the way with 25 points, followed by Zai Mitchell off the bench contributing 12 points of her own.
In Florida Southern's win over Rollins, this marks the 13 consecutive win against the Tars not falling at home since 2007.
FSC and Rollins saw six lead changes and four ties as the Mocs shot 41 percent from the paint and 50 percent from the three.
Sarah Lange won the tip for Florida Southern and started the scoring with a jumper in the paint for an early 2-0 lead. Both teams would exchange leads until
Lily Pereira sank a 3-pointer to give the Mocs a 9-4 lead with just under seven minutes in the first quarter. The two teams continued to exchange leads finishing the quarter with FSC up by four with Ion's first three and a made free throw from
Bre'Asia Washington to make it 17-13, FSC.
Florida Southern made a free throw to increase its lead to 18-13, but a 5-0 run from Rollins tied the game once again and quickly took the lead 20-18 in favor of the Tars. The two teams exchanged baskets with the Tars never losing the lead but increasing it by nine, 31-22 with just under five in the first half.
Ion stopped the scoring drought from FSC hitting another 3-pointer followed by
Lily Randgaard with another shot beyond the arc, to come within three. Vos scored on an and-one to take the lead and quickly increased it to a four-point lead with her first 3-pointer in the game, 35-31, with just two minutes left in the first half. Ion sank another three to end the second quarter and send the Mocs to halftime with a 38-34-point lead.
The third quarter started slower as Lange opened the scoring 30 seconds in, but both teams would go on a scoring drought changing possessions 15 times before the Tars scored a 3-pointer at 5:07. The Mocs kept the lead, only allowing Rollins to come within one two separate occasions finishing the third quarter, with the FSC up by seven, 55-48.
Florida Southern never let up pressure throughout the fourth quarter, earning as much as a 12-point lead over the Tars due to another Ion three. Rollins came within four during the final minutes of play, but Mocs'Â early lead helped them capture another SSC win.
Florida Southern hits the road once again on Saturday, traveling to Melbourne to take on the Panthers from Florida Tech and face the SSC opponents for the second time. The tipoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
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