LAKELAND, Fla. — No. 15 Florida Southern College men's basketball (2-1, 0-0 Sunshine State) secured a decisive 92-72 victory over (RV) Clark Atlanta University (0-1, 0-0 SIAC) on Tuesday night at Jenkins Field House. Florida Southern's defense was highlighted by 11 steals, contributing to 23 points off turnovers.
"Good win tonight," said head coach
Mike Donnelly on the regional win. "We defended and rebounded well for the most part, and I was pleased with our scoring balance offensively, which is extremely important for us. Now we need to prepare for another big game tomorrow night against a tough Savannah squad."
Florida Southern opened the first half by setting the pace with an early three-pointer from
Amare Miller at 19:08, gaining a quick lead. The team displayed strong defensive efforts, with
Charlie Dalton contributing crucial defensive rebounds. Florida Southern maintained their lead through effective scoring from the paint, highlighted by
Khalil Ross's jumpers, and successfully tied the game at 26 with Dalton's layup at 6:01.
Throughout the half, both teams exchanged leads in a tightly contested battle, evidenced by five ties and six lead changes. The Moccasins capitalized on turnovers and managed to keep the score close by converting free throws effectively. In the final minute, Dalton again made significant contributions by scoring consecutive jumpers, closing the half with a narrow lead of 36-34.
Florida Southern started the second half with momentum, taking control with a 7-0 run highlighted by
Ameer Ramadan's three-pointer at 18:31.
Elijah Walsh added a tip-in, extending the lead further to 41-36. The home team maintained pressure through strong offensive rebounding and defensive stops, including a steal by Ross leading to a dunk at 16:09, pushing the score to 45-40.
Midway through the half, the Moccasins widened the gap with a series of fast-break points.
Riley Buccino drained consecutive three-pointers, assisted by Dalton, boosting the score to 56-50.
Brady Corso contributed significantly with a layup and a fast-break three-pointer, increasing the lead to 72-61.
In the final minutes, Florida Southern sealed the half with efficient scoring and defensive plays. Miller's dunk at 00:56 and a fast-break three-pointer by Walsh at 00:29 capped the half. The home team outscored CAU 56-38 in the second half, closing with a commanding 92-72 lead.
Miller scored 18 points and collected 13 rebounds, leading the team in both categories. Walsh added 17 points and recorded two blocks, contributing significantly on both ends of the court. Ramadan tallied 11 points and made five steals, showcasing a strong defensive effort. Corso converted all seven of his free throw attempts, finishing with 14 points and eight rebounds.
In their next game, the Moccasins will host Savannah State on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. The matchup will take place at George W. Jenkins Field House in Lakeland, Florida.
