FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — No. 4-seed Florida Southern College men's basketball (22-11, 13-7 SSC) fell to the No. 5-seed University of Montevallo (22-8, 17-5 GSC) with a final score of 88-81 on Saturday night inside Rick Case Arena in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Despite a strong showing with 13 3-pointers, the Moccasins were unable to overcome the Falcons' advantage in free throws, which contributed to their defeat.
"Proud of our effort tonight but disappointing loss to end our season," said head coach
Mike Donnelly. "Montevallo is a good team. We knew tonight was going to be a tough matchup. We were right there in the second half, but we failed to capitalize on a few opportunities, and Montevallo made some big shots down the stretch to pull away."
Florida Southern initiated play with an early 3-pointer from
Jasir Tremble, setting the tone for a competitive first half.
Amare Miller was instrumental, contributing key rebounds and scoring efforts, including a layup and free throw in the final seconds, to narrow the gap. The team capitalized on turnovers and second-chance points, maintaining pressure on the Falcons throughout.
Despite their efforts, the Moccasins faced a strong offensive push from Montevallo, which led to multiple lead changes. The half ended with Florida Southern trailing 46–42, closing strong but entering the second half with a slight deficit.
The Mocs opened the second half with a quick jumper from
Brady Corso, maintaining pressure on the Falcons. Despite a series of turnovers, FSC responded with a layup from
Khalil Ross and a 3-pointer from
Ameer Ramadan, keeping the game competitive. As the half progressed, Miller's layup and subsequent free throws cut into Montevallo's lead, narrowing the gap.
The Mocs continued to fight, with
Elijah Walsh's 3-pointer keeping the margin close. A late surge, including a fast-break layup by Tremble, demonstrated Florida Southern's persistence. Miller added a putback layup in the final minutes to hit 1,000 career points between his time at UNCP and Florida Southern. However, the Falcons maintained their edge, concluding the half with a 42–39 advantage over the Moccasins.
Miller scored 25 points and recorded 12 rebounds, contributing significantly to the team's performance. Walsh added 13 points, making three of his six 3-point attempts and collecting six rebounds. Ramadan made three 3-pointers and dished out five assists, facilitating the offense. Corso also delivered with 11 points and five assists, effectively distributing the ball.
Montevallo advances to face No. 1 Nova Southeastern University tomorrow, March 15, in the next round of NCAA regionals.Â
