MOCS WIN Again !!! 13-6 (4-4)

[E.T.]

SIMMS STAVES OFF SHARK ATTACK AS MOCS BEAT NOVA

LAKELAND - Dale Parsons scored 17 points and Michael Simms made two big plays in the final three minutes as Florida Southern defeated Nova Southeastern, 63-58.

The Moccasins (12-6, 3-4 Sunshine State Conference) led 36-28 at the half, their first halftime lead in the last nine games. Scoring on baskets by Hurley Dunbar and Dwayne Abraham, the Mocs pushed that lead to 12 early in the second half, but the Sharks (11-5, 5-2 SSC) were able to cut the gap to one on four separate occasions. The last of those came with 4:27 to play when Oresti Nitsios hit one-of-two free throws to pull Nova within 49-48.

Parsons responded for the Moccasins with a 3-pointer, and after a steal by Dunbar, Simms converted two free throws to give them a six-point lead. After the Sharks failed to score on their next possession, Blake Williams missed a 3-pointer for the Moccasins, but Simms went high in the air to tip the loose ball into the basket for a 56-48 lead with 2:42 to play.

The Sharks didn't go quietly though. Over the next two minutes they out-scored the Moccasins 7-2, getting clutch 3-pointers from Rhys Martin and Luis Gurrieres to get within three points. That's when Simms made his second big play, knocking down a 3-pointer out of the right corner with 13 seconds remaining and the shot clock winding down.

Gurrieres made another three for the Sharks with 3.7 seconds to play, but Parsons sealed the game for Florida Southern with two free throws.

Parsons finished the game six-for-11 from the floor, hit a pair of 3-pointers, and was three-for-three from the line. Blake Williams scored 14 points and had nine rebounds, and Dunbar had 10 points. Simms scored nine, but seven came in the final 3:34 of the game.

Williams was the first-half star, scoring 12 points of his points during that time to give the Mocs their eight-point halftime lead. Included in that total were two 3-pointers, one with eight minutes left in the half that gave Florida Southern a 19-18 lead. That started a 16-5 run for the Moccasins, which also featured seven points from Parsons.

David Naylor led Nova Southeastern with 16 points and seven rebounds off the bench while Gurrieres scored 13 points with nine boards.

The Sharks had entered the game ranked #2 in the NCAA Division II South Region poll, but had their five-game winning streak snapped and fell to 0-9 all-time against the Moccasins.

With the victory, the Moccasins snapped a three-game SSC losing streak at home, only the second in team history and the first since 1990. The Mocs have never dropped four straight SSC home games.

Florida Southern returns to action Saturday afternoon at 4:00 in Melbourne against Florida Tech.

[E.T.]

MOCCASINS BLOW AWAY PANTHERS IN SECOND HALF

MELBOURNE – Florida Southern turned in a dominating second-half performance, and got 34 points from Dale Parsons and Michael Simms to defeat Florida Tech, 78-60, on Saturday afternoon. The win evened the Moccasins’ Sunshine State Conference record, while the Panthers suffered their 10th consecutive loss.

The Moccasins (13-6, 4-4) led by only three at halftime, but opened the second half by outscoring the Panthers (3-15, 0-8) 12-1 in the first 5:15. That gave Florida Southern a 50-38 lead and it remained in double digits the rest of the game.

That early spurt told the story of the second half, in which the Moccasins held the Panthers to just two baskets in the first 15 minutes, and six-of-20 shooting overall in the period. By the time Florida Tech made its third field goal of the half, Florida Southern was already up by 19 points.

A mini-run by the Panthers brought them within 67-57 with 2:40 to play, but Parsons then scored on a break-away layup and a 3-pointer to erase any thoughts of a Florida Tech comeback.

Parsons scored a game-high 19 points on seven-of-14 shooting, and was four-for-five from behind the 3-point arc. He had 14 points in first half.

While Parsons carried the team in the first half, it was Simms in the second. The junior guard scored 11 of his 15 points after the break, including seven straight for the Mocs during one two-minute stretch. He was six-for-11 from the floor, helping the Moccasins shoot 46 percent as a team, their best percentage in the last 11 games. They were also eight-for-18 on 3-point attempts.

Hurley Dunbar also scored in double figures with 14 points and led the Moccasins with eight rebounds. Five of those rebounds came at the offensive end, and the Mocs had 10 offensive rebounds in the second half.

Florida Tech held an 8-6 lead three minutes into the game before Florida Southern went on an 8-0 run and never trailed again. Parsons started the run with his first 3-pointer of the night, Blake Williams followed with a more conventional three-point play, and Dunbar ended it with a running jumper on the break.

The Panthers were able to get within one point on three occasions before halftime, but on two of them, the Moccasins immediately answered with a 3-pointer to go ahead by four. Parsons hit the first one, and Dominic Girod hit the second with 6:31 remaining. Parsons followed that one with another triple, giving the Mocs a 32-25 lead.

The Mocs eventually went ahead by eight, but the Panthers cut it to 38-35 at halftime by scoring five points in the final 31.2 seconds.

Florida Tech’s top two scorers coming into the game were E.J. Murray and Ryan Maultsby, each averaging 16.1 points per game. On Saturday, though, they were each two-for-nine from the floor. Murray scored six of his 10 points well after the outcome was decided, and Maultsby didn’t reach double figures until his 3-pointer with 34.2 seconds left in the game. He finished with 12 points.

Florida Southern will play again Monday night at home against Saint Leo with tip-off at 7:30.

[E.T.]

Published Sunday, January 29, 2006

Mocs Men Climb Back Into SSC Race

By Rick Brown

The Ledger

MELBOURNE -- No coach likes to admit a loss can actually help, but the Florida Southern Mocs men's basketball team seems to have gotten a jump from such one.

The 74-71 overtime loss to Eckerd, a game in which FSC gave up a 3-pointer to tie in regulation before faltering, showed FSC it could indeed play against the top teams in the conference.

Since that loss, the Mocs have won two straight, including Saturday's 78-60 win at Florida Tech, to climb right in the thick of the SSC race at the halfway mark.

FSC coach Tony Longa admitted the Eckerd loss gave the team some confidence.

"It was a devastating loss," Longa said. "But we played well. It carried over in practice. It's interesting but we've played pretty good since."

It was FSC's first two-game win streak in the conference this season and improves the Mocs to 4-4 in the conference (13-6 overall).

For the second straight game, Florida Southern shot better than 40 percent from the field, making 45.8 percent of its shots (27-59) against FIT. But it was the defense that made a difference.

The Mocs' philosophy is to hold teams to 60 points or less and 40 percent or less in fieldgoal percentage. As of late, FSC has been doing that.

FSC held Eckerd to 58 points before the 3-pointer to send it to overtime. Against Nova, FSC held the South Region's No. 2 seed to 58 points. Florida Tech scored 60 but shot just 37.2 percent from the field.

"We're really focusing on defense," said FSC's Dale Parsons, who led all scorers with 21 points. "It really hurt us early on. We've been pressing, trying to get stops. Now, we're locking up and playing better helper-to-helper defense."

Michael Simms had 15 points, while Hurley Dunbar added 12 points and eight rebounds.

But it took a second-half burst for FSC to pull away.

Leading just 38-35 at the half, FSC opened the second half with a 12-1 run to extend the lead to 50-46 and eventually extended the lead to 64-45.

But Florida Tech (3-15 (0-8 SSC), which has lost 10 straight, wouldn't quit.

The Panthers scored the game's next nine points, cutting the Mocs' lead to 67-57 with 2:49 left.

After an FSC turnover, the Panthers had a chance to cut the lead into single digits. But FIT had a turnover and Parsons hit a 3-pointer and a layup to lead a 10-0 FSC run to close the door.

The Mocs have a short turnaround during what a very pivotal week.

FSC plays Saint Leo at home Monday before traveling to Tampa to take on the Spartans.

"We're back in the mix," Longa said. "We're one or two games away from the logjam. We control our own destiny. And with eight games left, that's not bad."