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Saints Drop Second Straight, 70-64 to Eastern Florida State College
February 8, 2021

Saints Drop Second Straight, 70-64 to Eastern Florida State College

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Santa Fe College men's basketball lost for the second time in Central Conference play on Monday night, as the Eastern Florida State College Titans were able to earn a 70-64 victory inside the SF Gymnasium. 
 
A close game was to be expected. Eastern Florida State College came in at No. 9 in the NJCAA Region 8 Coaches' Poll, one spot ahead of Santa Fe at No. 10. 
 
The Saints started well and scored the first six points of the game, forcing a Titans timeout. 
 
About midway through the half, the Titans had been able to draw to within two points, 20-18.
 
A 9-3 surge from the Saints, however, handed the hosts their largest lead of the game, 29-21. Jay Medor scored five points and assisted on a basket during that stretch of play, which included an acrobatic lay-in and a three-pointer from the crafty point guard. 
 
At the conclusion of the opening half, Eastern Florida State College had trimmed their deficit down to just one point on two separate occasions, but Yaw Obeng-Mensah's slam was the half's final basket, sending the Saints into the locker room with a 35-32 advantage. 
 
A lay-in from Bradley Douglas started the second-half scoring, but the Titan's accounted for the next seven points to take their first lead of the game, 39-37, with about 16 minutes remaining. 
 
The next few minutes saw three ties, as both teams started to catch fire from beyond the arc and counter one another. 
 
The game was tied 47-47 after a three-pointer from Hasan Abdul-Hakim, but the Titans proceeded to go on an 8-1 run to establish a 55-48 lead nearing the ten-minute mark, continuing to find success from beyond the arc.
 
Eddie Foster III's triple started Santa Fe's response, a run of seven unanswered points, to tie the ballgame up at 55-55. 
 
The game remained all knotted up at 59-59 as the clock hit the five-minute mark, but the Titans were able to seize a 65-60 lead.
 
After Abdul-Hakim sunk two free-throws to make it a one-possession game, 65-62, the Titans held possession and called a timeout with 58 seconds remaining.
 
A foul was called late in the shot clock on the Saints, and after the Titans hit the first, a jump ball was called in the scramble for the loose ball on the missed second free-throw. The arrow favored the Titans, and with a little over 30 seconds remaining in the game, Santa Fe was forced to start fouling. 
 
Eastern Florida State College made the most of their trips to the line down the stretch, holding off the Saints for the 70-64 victory. 
 
The Saints went 15-of-19 from the free-throw line and connected on seven three-pointers in the defeat. Eastern Florida State College made nine attempts from behind the three-point line, and went 17-of-23 from the foul line. 
 
Four different players led a balanced scoring effort. Douglas and Obeng-Mensah had 14 points apiece, Abdul-Hakim finished with 13 with three triples, and Medor was once again in double-figures scoring with 12 points. 
 
A Moment with Mowry
"It was another tough loss for us tonight," said Head Coach Chris Mowry. "I told our team afterwards, that every game the rest of the year will be like the last two, close and down to the wire. We play in one of the best conferences in the country, and every night you have to be in top form to win."
 
"Eastern Florida did a super job defensively in the half court all night. They also did a great job spreading the floor and attacking 1-on-1 offensively. We defended solidly in the first half, and we were able to hurt them in transition. In the second half, they were more efficient with their possessions, either scoring or getting fouled, which limited our transition looks. We will continue to battle each game, and work to get better in practice. We now have our first conference road game Wednesday at FSCJ, so it will be another tough challenge."
 
Up Next
Santa Fe (4-3, 1-2 CC) will play Wednesday, Feb. 10 at Florida State College at Jacksonville. Tip-off time is 6:00 p.m., and it will be the first road test for the Saints in Central Conference play. 

 

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