WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Lily Pereira led the Florida Southern College women's basketball team to a dominating 76-58 win over Palm Beach Atlantic, earning a career-high to close out the 2024-25 season in Sunshine State Conference action.
The Moccasins (11-16, 6-14 SSC) were led by Pereira with 18 points, followed by
Sydney Gomes with 16,
Lily Randgaard and
Catalina Ion with 13 and 11 points, respectively.
For the Sailfish (14-14, 8-12 SSC) Kash Ayuso led the way with 16 points, followed by Anabel Ellison with 15 and Karyzma Pierre with 10 points.
Arriyana Bracero opened the scoring for FSC, getting out to an early 4-2 lead with a free throw and a 3-pointer in the first minute of action. PBA tied the game after a three-minute scoring drought and took the lead 6-2 with just under five minutes left in the quarter. Gomes tied the game back up once again with a layup as the remainder of the quarter ended with two ties and three lead changes, as the Mocs went on a 9-1 run to end the first quarter with an 18-11 lead.
Gomes sank a three to open the scoring in the second quarter to push the lead to double digits, 21-18.
Anna Denes hit a jumper in the paint to make it a 12-point game before the Sailfish scored after four minutes of play in the second quarter. The teams continued to exchange baskets as
Lily Randgaard and Denes ended the quarter with back-to-back 3-pointers and sent the Mocs to the locker room with a 35-21 lead at the half.
Palm Beach Atlantic opened the second half with a 5-0 run to cut the lead down to single digits, but Gomes' driving layup put the Mocs back up by 11 with just under eight minutes remaining in the quarter. The rest of the quarter, FSC spent the majority at the free throw line, propelling their 23-14 run against the Sailfish to end the quarter with an 18-point lead.
In the final quarter of action, the Sailfish attacked first, but Pereira sank a shot beyond the arc to give the Mocs the largest lead thus far, 63-44. Florida Southern never let up the pressure, getting out a 25-point lead as Denes hit a layup in the paint for a 76-51 lead with three minutes remaining. The Sailfish ended the game on a 7-0 run, but the damage was already done as the Mocs ended the season with a 76-58 win on the road.
