Box Score ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - West Alabama fought back from an 11-point, second-half deficit, holding Florida Southern scoreless for 7:09 with a defensive effort led by
Gavin Robinson en route to a 74-69 collegiate men's basketball victory over the Moccasins in the final day of the Gulf South Conference-Sunshine State Conference Challenge on Saturday.
The Tigers improve to 1-1 on the year, while the Mocs fall to 0-2 to start the season.
"One thing we really tried to emphasize was the need for a stronger start," UWA head coach
Allen Sharpe said. "We did much better today, and played a more complete game on both ends of the floor."
West Alabama jumped out to a 3-0 lead with a three-pointer from
Jake Jobling, and led Florida Southern for the first 15 minutes of the first half. The Mocs answered with a 10-4 run to close out the first 20 minutes, taking a 34-28 lead into the break.
The Tigers clawed back after trailing by 11 points early in the second half, trading baskets with the Mocs to pull within nine at the 10:44 mark.
"We held Florida Southern scoreless for 11 straight possessions midway through the second half," Sharpe said. "We want to be a team that prides ourselves on defending and rebounding, and our defense won this game for us today."
UWA took the lead with a 19-0 run, building a 10-point advantage with three minutes left in the game. The Tigers fought through defensive pressure and stayed true at the free-throw line to leave the McArthur Center with a 74-69 victory.
"Florida Southern is a nationally recognized team," Sharpe said. "Knowing we can lineup with all the new faces we have this season is a great thing to be able to build on."
The Tigers dominated the Mocs in the paint, outscoring FSC 24-10 between the posts. UWA took advantage of 16 points off of turnovers and 17 points from the bench.
Robinson led the Tigers on both sides of the ball, putting up 25 points with seven scores from the field and 11 from the the free-throw line. Robinson also added a team-high 18 rebounds on the day.
Jobling posted 15 points in the game, going 4-of-8 from behind the arc and hitting 75 percent of his free throws.
Billy Ingram finished with 10 points, hitting 4-of-7 field goals including a three-pointer.
Domonique Alexander turned in three blocks and six rebounds throughout the game.
Sean Cranney totaled eight points, five rebounds and a team-high six assists.
Labrian Shiflet led the Mocs' offense with 20 points, shooting 6-of-17 from the field and 4-of-4 from the line. Brett Hanson and Jarel Spellman each finished with 13 points on the day. Spellman added seven blocks and 13 rebounds to his wrap sheet, leading FSC defensively.
The Tigers will open up the home portion of their schedule, facing off against Spring Hill at Pruitt Hall on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m.
