LAKELAND (Interstat) — Jackson Seale scored 22 points and grabbed five rebounds as Black Hills State rallied from a halftime deficit to beat Florida Southern 89-76 in a men’s NCAA Division II basketball game Sunday at Jenkins Field House. Willie Patterson added 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Yellow Jackets, who improved to 1-1. Florida Southern dropped to 1-1 before an announced attendance of 508.

Florida Southern led 47-38 at halftime after a fast opening half. The Moccasins shot well early and made nine 3-pointers in the game, but Black Hills State’s defense tightened after the break. Florida Southern closed the first half on a 20-9 run to take its nine-point lead into the break. The Yellow Jackets held Florida Southern to 29 second-half points and turned a close game into a comfortable finish by attacking the paint and converting at the free-throw line.

The decisive stretch came midway through the second half. Trailing 56-51 with 14:04 remaining, Black Hills State scored 12 straight points. Caiden Braketa made a layup and a 3-pointer to tie the game at 56. Ben Henderson then made a layup, Jaeton Hackley added another, and Braketa hit another 3-pointer to give the Yellow Jackets a 63-56 lead with 11:30 left. The burst turned a five-point deficit into a seven-point cushion and forced Florida Southern to chase. The run was part of a larger second-half surge in which the Yellow Jackets outscored Florida Southern 51-29 after halftime. Florida Southern never recovered.

Braketa finished with 17 points and five rebounds, Hackley had 11 points and seven assists, and Henderson provided timely scoring inside. Seale, the top performer for Black Hills State, shot efficiently and helped the Yellow Jackets control the interior. Seale scored from the post and beyond the arc, and his free throws helped close out the win. Patterson’s double-double helped Black Hills State finish with a 46-26 advantage in points in the paint.

Black Hills State shot 32 of 53 from the floor, 8 of 18 from three-point range and 17 of 23 from the free-throw line. The Yellow Jackets scored 89 points on 77 possessions for an offensive rating of 115.7. Florida Southern shot 25 of 68 from the field, 9 of 30 from beyond the arc and 17 of 25 from the line. The Moccasins scored 76 points on 84 possessions for an offensive rating of 90.6.

Gabe Hernandez led Florida Southern with 18 points and three rebounds. Ameer Ramadan scored 13 points, Brady Corso had 11 points and five rebounds, and Charlie Dalton added eight points and four rebounds. Starrell Hearns scored seven points. Khalil Ross also hit two 3-pointers for Florida Southern. The Moccasins held a 7-2 edge in offensive rebounds and a 9-4 advantage in assists, but they could not match Black Hills State’s efficiency from the field.

Black Hills State committed 15 turnovers to Florida Southern’s 11 and was called for 19 fouls to the Moccasins’ 18. The Yellow Jackets scored 10 points off turnovers, recorded 13 fastbreak points and blocked one shot. Florida Southern had 13 points off turnovers, four fastbreak points and two blocks.

Seale entered after a 10-point, eight-rebound effort at Lander in the opener, a 76-66 Black Hills State loss. He surpassed that scoring total and helped the Yellow Jackets earn a split of their first two games. Florida Southern opened the season with a 109-92 home win over West Liberty.

Black Hills State returns home to face Minot State and Mary. Florida Southern hosts Tuskegee and Fort Valley State.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Black Hills State 89, Florida Southern 87. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Black Hills State with a 50.4 percent probability to win.