LAKELAND, Fla. — A season-high 16 three-pointers from Florida Southern College men's basketball (17-5, 9-3 Sunshine State) fueled a 95-85 victory over Saint Leo University (6-14, 1-11 Sunshine State) on Wednesday night at Jenkins Field House.
"Give Saint Leo a ton of credit," said head coach
Mike Donnelly. "They played really hard and played exceptionally well. They made us earn a very hard fought win tonight. It wasn't easy, but we were resilient and had several guys make huge plays down the stretch to secure a big league win."
The first half commenced with FSC and SLU exchanging early baskets, setting an evenly matched tone. The Moccasins focused on defensive plays, with
Amare Miller contributing two blocks, eclipsing 100 career blocks, to disrupt Saint Leo's momentum. Despite turnovers, Florida Southern capitalized on second-chance points, with
Ameer Ramadan leading the effort on the offensive boards.
Florida Southern trailed but made a critical comeback in the latter half of the half.
Brady Corso's timely 3-pointer at 7:16 and
Elijah Walsh's strong finish in the paint helped close the gap. Florida Southern continued to pressure Saint Leo defensively, leading to a late turnover and a crucial free throw by
Khalil Ross that tied the score. The half ended with the teams locked at 42-42.
The Mocs started the second half with intensity, quickly leveling the score at 44 with an Miller jumper assisted by
Charlie Dalton.
Jasir Tremble's three-pointer, also assisted by Dalton, brought the game to a tie at 47, maintaining a tense atmosphere early in the half.
FSC gained momentum with a series of scoring plays, including a 3-pointer from Tremble at 14:52 and a layup by Walsh at 12:35, helping to maintain a slight edge. The team benefitted from key defensive stops and consistent assists, closing the half strong with a 15-point lead. The half ended with Florida Southern leading 94–85.
Walsh scored 20 points, including two 3-pointers, and recorded three steals. Tremble contributed 16 points with four 3-pointers and added three assists. Ramadan collected eight rebounds and scored 14 points, with two shots from beyond the arc. Dalton facilitated the offense with seven assists and added eight points.
In their next game, FSC will face Palm Beach Atlantic on Wednesday, Feb. 4, at 7:30 p.m. The game will take place at the Rubin Arena in West Palm Beach, Florida.
