LAKELAND, Fla. - Lynn men's basketball hung tough on the road Saturday night, but Florida Southern pulled away late to hand the Fighting Knights a 99-73 Sunshine State Conference loss in Lakeland. Max Polk paced Lynn with 21 points as the Blue and White continued to battle in transition and on the glass, but the Mocs' shooting and late-game run created too much separation down the stretch. With the result, Lynn slipped to 10-8 overall and 5-6 in SSC play
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Lynn forced an early turnover (steal by Matthew Puodziukaitis) to set a defensive tone, but Florida Southern cashed in first with a pair of quick threes
- The Fighting Knights generated quality looks at the rim on the first few possessions, but a couple early misses kept Lynn from answering immediately
- Lynn responded with hustle plays as Puodziukaitis finished a fast-break layup after another takeaway to get Lynn on the board
- After falling behind by double digits, Lynn settled in and started creating extra chances with offensive rebounds and forcing the Mocs into mistakes
- Braydon Iuli and Antoine Jacks connected in transition for a layup, and Lynn continued to attack downhill to keep pressure on the defense
- Lynn chipped away at the line, with Polk and John Roland converting free throws to trim the deficit and slow Florida Southern's momentum
- The Blue and White made their biggest first-half push with second-chance points as Roland converted at the rim and at the stripe, while Sveinn Birgisson knocked down a three to pull Lynn within five, 26-21
- Lynn continued to battle through the final minutes of the half, and Polk drilled a late three to keep the Fighting Knights within striking distance at the break, 55-14
- Coming out of halftime, Lynn stayed aggressive inside with Roland scoring on a hook shot, and Puodziukaitis finishing through contact as Lynn looked to string together stops and scores
- The Fighting Knights kept competing on the glass and in the paint, but turnovers led to run-outs that Florida Southern turned into quick buckets
- Lynn showed fight late, sparking a stretch with threes from Polk and JP Baron, plus another transition finish as the Fighting Knights continued to push forward
- Even with the late scoring burst, Florida Southern's transition runs and second-chance opportunities created separation in the final 10 minutes as the Mocs scored a 99-73 home victory over the Fighting Knights
 
FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS:
- Polk paced Lynn with 21 points, knocking down three 3-pointers and going 6-for-8 at the free throw line
- Polk has racked up six 20+ point games this season as he currently ranks 11th in scoring in the SSC (15.8 points per game)
- Roland posted a strong all-around effort with 17 points and a team-high seven rebounds, while shooting 9-for-12 from the stripe
- Roland ranks first in the SSC in offensive rebounds with 76 total boards (4.2 rpg) while his overall 8.9 rebounds per game ranks second in the conference.
- Puodziukaitis added 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting and grabbed six rebounds in 19 minutes
- Puodziukaitis has tallied double-digit scoring in three of his four previous contests
- Baron provided a spark off the bench with 10 points, including 2-of-4 from beyond the arc
- Iuli contributed seven points, pulled down seven rebounds, and dished out four assists
- As a team, Lynn shot 33.8% from the field and 20.0% from three-point range with 47 total rebounds, six steals and three blocks
 
UP NEXT:
The Fighting Knights hit the road on Wednesday, January 28 as Lynn takes on Rollins in a 7 pm SSC showdown.