NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. - Florida State College at Jacksonville captured its second straight FCSAA Division II Men's Basketball Championship with a 64-55 win over Palm Beach State College.

The Manta Rays will head to Tallahassee, Fla., for the Gulf South District Championship Game on Saturday, March 8 where they will play Snead (Ala.) State Community College in a rematch of the 2024 championship game. 

Saturday's game with Palm Beach State was a defensive slugfest. FSCJ held the Panthers to 30.0 percent (15-of-50) shooting from the field while managing to shoot just 37.7 percent (20-of-53) itself. 

After Marvin Golf's three-pointer put Palm Beach State in front 10-9 at the 13:21 mark of the first half, FSCJ pitched a shutout for the next 6:23 and opened up a 22-10 lead.

While the Panthers only shot 6-of-24 from the field in the first half, they connected on 13-of-18 free throws to claw their way back into the game and went to the intermission trailing just 30-27. 

FSCJ maintained a three-point lead as the game hit the midway point of the second half when an 8-0 run gave the Manta Rays some separation. Palm Beach State didn't go away, however, and pulled within three following a pair of free throws by Jovan Palavra with 4:28 left. 

On the ensuing possession, the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, Alex McCray, hit a three to double FSCJ's lead. The Panthers got within three, 56-53, with 1:41 left but the Manta Rays scored the next eight points to put the game away. 

McCray finished with a team-high 16 points. Jordan Smith and Chrisean Oree had 15 points each. Abraham Garjah added 11. 

Jovan Palavra led the Panthers with 17. Marvin Golf had 12 and Syris Williams, 10.

By virtue of leading his team to victory, FSCJ's John Putyrski was named FCSAA Coach of the Year.