Gainesville, FL- The Saints hosted Day 1 of the FCSAA JUCO shootout and played the first game of the day against Pensacola State College.  The Saints jumped out to an early lead in the first half.  #23 Macius Trowe lead the way with strong rebounding, staunch defense and inside scoring.  He had 4 points within the first 3 minutes of the game.  #2 Jonathan Renois' ability to penetrate to the basket and score, helped the Saints to jump out to an 11-6 lead.  Subsequently, the Saints went on a drought for 6 minutes, which allowed Pensacola to take a 21-7 lead.  After making some adjustments, the Saints were able to fight back and cut the lead to 4 points at 29-25.  By halftime, the score was 32-27 in favor of Pensacola.   

In the second half, the Saints continued to chip away at the lead.  Led by #3 Kevin Pazmino and Macius Trowe, they began to impose their will on the Pirates, reversing the lead to 38-34.  However, the Saints lead didn't last long.  The Pirates went on an 11-2 run, shifting the  score to 53-44 in favor of the Pairates, by the halway point.  The Saints continued to battle, cutting the lead back down to 54-50 with 8 minutes left in the game.  Not to be outdone, Pensacola goes on another 6-0 run, extending the Pirates lead to 60-50.  Kevin Pazmino made back-to-back shots with only 4:20 left in the game, putting the Saints within striking distance of the lead again.  In the final stretch, Pensacola played stingy defense and solid offense, which enabled them to hold onto the lead.  The Pirates were able to withstand the Saints' final efforts, bringing the final score to 68-57.     

Comments From Coach Mowry

I thought it was a hard fought game today by both teams.  Pensacola's size and strength gave us trouble, especailly in the second half.  They did a good job attacking the basket and the offensive glass.  We had positive moments on both ends, but just not enough.  We've got a big week ahead with final exams and a game at Florida Gateway on Thursday night." 

Notables

• Macius Trowe (12 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks)
• Kevin Pazmino (8 points in scond half)
• Ashton Lovette (6 points, 4 assists)