LAKELAND, Fla.—A 17-point lead shriveled to just two with 9:11 left in the second half, but a strong finish by Southeastern gave it a 76-57 win over Trinity Baptist in its first game in 15 days.
The Fire (5-5) shot 56% from the field in the first half and held Trinity Baptist (3-4) to just 30% from the field and 0-for-12 from 3-point range to hold a 39-22 lead at halftime.
Trinity Baptist opened the second half on a 7-2 run to whittle the deficit to 12, then used a 14-2 run over 3:28 to get within two at 45-43, going 6-of-9 from the field and connecting on a pair of 3-pointers during that span. Meanwhile, the Fire were just 1-of-5 with a pair of turnovers.
A layup with 9:11 left got the Eagles within two again at 52-50, and had a shot at a layup to tie it on their next possession but it was blocked by
Reggie Mesidor to swing momentum back the way of the hosts.
That started a 7-0 run by SEU, getting five stops. The Fire also came through with some key free throw makes after some early struggles at the line, making 10 total in the second half.
Mesidor led the offense with 17 points, grabbed four rebounds, dished out six assists, and had three steals to go along with the blocked shot.
Joshua Blazquez added 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting and
Derek Murphy had 13 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
Sean Shore added 10 points and six rebounds.
The Fire will return to action on Friday for the SEU Classic, hosting Cumberland, Saint Francis, and Florida College.
