January 6, 2018

Gainesville, FL – In his first game action of the season, Santa Fe sophomore Sean Dinkins took little time to get acclimated, scoring a game high 22 points to lead the FCSAA #10 Saints (13-5, 1-0 MFC) past Mid-Florida Conference rivals Florida State College-Jacksonville, 89-70 in both team's conference opener.  Dinkins was an efficient 10-for-13 from the field and the post player even nailed two three pointers.

The game was back and forth in the first half, with eight ties and five lead changes.  The BlueWave eventually settled on top after the first 20 minutes, albeit it just one point at 33-32 after uneven offensive performances from both teams.

"We struggled in the first half and didn't really take the kind of shots we needed to," said SF Coach Chris Mowry.  "We settled for too many contested threes and didn't look to drive to the basket."

The second half was all SF as the Saints found their rhythm from beyond the arc and in the paint.  After a 3-for-14 showing from three in the first half, Santa Fe was 10-for-17 in the second half, using the long ball to pull away.

Darrell Jones scored all 19 of his points in the second half, and Ivan Smith did most of his damage over the final 20 minutes, finishing with 20 points, six rebound, and five assists, including a highlight reel dunk over two BlueWave defenders in the second period for the 6'0" freshman. Malik Morrow finished with nine points and a team high 10 rebounds.

The Saints forced 15 turnovers and outrebounded FSC-J 39-32.  SF shot 59% in the second half after just a 32% showing over the first 20 minutes.

Santa Fe will face a stiff test on the road Wednesday, January 10 when they travel to Daytona State College for an 8:00 p.m. game against the Falcons.

For complete schedules, stats, and more information please visit www.santafesaints.com. 

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