LAKELAND, Fla. – The Palm Beach Atlantic men’s basketball squad faced a tough task on Saturday afternoon, taking on the NABC/Division II No. 4 Florida Southern Moccasins without the services of two starters, ultimately falling to the hosts 93-64 in the Jenkins Field House.

After getting out to a 5-0 start, Florida Southern responded in a big way, taking the lead at the 16:05 mark and never looking back. The Sailfish tried to keep it close in the first half, trailing 42-29 at the break. PBA shot 34% (12-for-35) from the floor while FSC shot 46% (13-for-28) from the floor and 50% (6-for-12) from downtown.

The second half was more of the same story, with the Mocs continuing their hot shooting from the field. Overall, FSC shot 45% (32-for-71) from the floor and 39% (12-for-31) from beyond the three-point arc. PBA managed to shoot 46% (13-for-28) from the floor in the second half en route to a 40% shooting percentage for the game, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the strength of Florida Southern.

Palm Beach Atlantic had three players in double-digits in the scoring column, led by freshman Cory Kenning who had 15. Evin Graham chipped in 12 points, six rebounds and four assists, while Christian Martinez added 10 points off the bench.

PBA hits the road for a two-game swing in the Peach State, taking on Morehouse College on Monday at 7:30 PM and Paine College on Tuesday at 4 PM. The Sailfish return to the Rubin Arena to take on South Region power Saint Leo on Friday, December 20th.