LAKELAND, Fla. - Florida Southern College women's basketball team dropped a tough Sunshine State Conference game to visiting Lynn University as they fell 78-67 in Jenkins Field House on Saturday afternoon.
The Moccasins (10-11, 5-9 SSC) were led by
Sydney Gomes with 15 points, followed by
Catalina Ion with 14 and
Anna Denes with a double-double, 12 points to go along with 10 rebounds. The Fighting Knights (11-11, 5-10 SSC) were led by Jess Knight, who finished with 28 points, and four other Lynn players ended with double figures.
The Fighting Knights got out to an early 8-0 lead as Lynn sank back-to-back 3-pointers before the Mocs could get on the board. Just under the seven-minute mark in the first quarter, Ion grabbed the offensive rebound and scored on a put-back attempt to get the Mocs first points of the night.
Bre'Asia Washington hit a jumper in the paint to close the gap 8-4, but an 8-7 rally to close out the first period sent Lynn to the second quarter up with a five-point advantage, 16-11.
Back-to-back layups from Lynn pushed their lead out to nine as
Sarah Lange hit a jumper assisted by Gomes, cutting the lead down once again at the 9:05 mark. Lynn continued to put the pressure on the Mocs defense, sinking consecutive shots beyond the arc to earn the biggest lead of the game, 28-15. Both teams continued to trade baskets, not allowing the Fighting Knights to get more than a 13-point lead before FSC started the comeback.. Ion sank another 3-pointer assisted by Gomes, and Denes went 2-for-2 from the line to make it a single-digit game with 3:30 left in the first half.
Lily Pereira, Ion, and
Arriyana Bracero were able to get the Mocs within five going on a 9-5 run to end the first half and head into halftime with a 42-37 margin in favor of Lynn.
In the third quarter, the Mocs outscored the Fighting Knights by one, 17-16, giving FSC the only lead of the game. Florida Southern took the lead after going on a 15-9 run of their own, capitalized by Gomes' two free throw makes to put them up, 52-51, with just under four minutes in the quarter. pushed on a 15-9 run that sent Gomes to line to sink both her shots and give the Mocs a 52-51 lead with just under four minutes in the quarter. FSC was able to up to a two-point lead before Lynn started to fight back, tying the game on a free throw before taking the lead back in a made layup, 55-53. The Fighting Knights rallied to end the quarter as the game went to the final quarter of regulation with a 58-54 advantage in favor of Lynn.
Lynn used the lead to their advantage, opening the final quarter with an 8-0 run that ended on a 3-pointer from Gomes, her first of the night. Ion answered back with her third shot beyond the arc to keep it a single-digit lead, at 69-60 with just under seven remaining. Bracero was fouled and sent to the line shortly after, and FSC tried to rally back from a seven-point Lynn lead.
The Fighting Knights never let up, continuing to put the game out of reach as FSC tried to come back, but Ion's final 3-pointer of the night in under a minute was not enough as the Mocs fell in the rematch to Lynn, 78-67.
Florida Southern hits the road for the next two games as they travel to face Embry-Riddle on Wednesday, February 12, in Daytona Beach. The tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
