WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Palm Beach Atlantic Men's Basketball team was in control for the majority of the game before losing the lead and eventually the game as they fell 86-72. The Sailfish (5-9) took their fourth conference loss to drop to 1-5 in the Sunshine State Conference while the No. 22 ranked Mocs (11-3) improved to 4-2 in conference play.
The Sailfish looked strong in the first half with good ball control and strong offensive possessions. PBA shot 58 percent in the half and drained seven three-pointers which included two from Bakari Warthen and two from De'Ondre Jackson. The 'Fish commanded as much as a 12-point lead before ending the half up six. The Sailfish went on many runs in the half with the biggest run coming from six straight points from Paxton Wilson. After hitting a deep three, Wilson got fouled on his next three attempted and sank all of his free throws giving PBA a 20-10 lead with 14 minutes to go. Malek Barber then tacked on four points with a jumper and a dunk giving the Sailfish the largest lead of the night and putting the score at 30-18. The Mocs battled back with decent shooting of their own to put them within striking range at 31-25 with seven minutes to play in the half. Matthew Johnson then answered back with five straight points from a three ball and two free throws. A four-point run to end the half for the Mocs put the score at 45-39 going into half time.
The second half started out with more of the same from the 'Fish. PBA again shot well as Michael Stones and Andrew Moemeka got in the mix putting up a layup each. Another Warthen three put the 'Fish up 58-51 with 14 minutes to go in regulation. This unfortunately was the last lead of the night for the Sailfish as the Mocs couldn't miss and went on a 12-point run to give them the 63-58 lead with 11 minutes remaining. From there both teams traded shots but the Mocs were relentless and did not budge on their comfortable lead. The Sailfish played tough until the end but it wasn't enough as they fell 86-72.
The 'Fish shot 49 percent from the field going 25-for-51. They also shot 44 percent from beyond the arc connecting on 8-of-18. PBA's top scorer was Warthen who had 13 points in the game going a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor and 3-for-3 from downtown. Barber went 5-for-7 from the field giving him 12 points with one assist and seven rebounds.Stones had a team high eight assists in the game while adding six points. Moemeka recorded four blocks in the event to go along with one steal, five rebounds, and six points. Jackson had 12 points on nine shots as he connected twice from deep and went a perfect four-for-four from the charity stripe.
The Sailfish return to action again on Saturday Jan. 12 as they host Embry-Riddle in the Rubin Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 pm.
