Lady Panthers Looking For Win At Home Tonight Night Vs. Lynn as Season Winds Down
By Alan Zlotorzynski // February 17, 2016
Including tonight, Just Three games remain in the regular season for Lady Panthers
BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – After a disappointing defeat at the hands of Rollins Saturday, Florida Tech now has little time to regain momentum and a small margin for error as it heads into the final three games of the regular season.
The Panthers were swept by the Tars on Saturday, marking the second time against Rollins, and the third time this season that FIT squandered a double-digit lead and lost. Florida Tech led by 11 after the first quarter and 17 midway through the second but after that the offense went cold, allowing RC to get back into the game and eventually win in overtime 65-60.
Shooting and free throws were the Achilles heels for the Panthers in the loss. As a team, FIT made just 26.7 percent from the field and 16-of-27 at the charity stripe.
Kailyn Ebb and DeLise Williams each finished with 11 points to go along with seven and six rebounds, respectively. Diamond Cooper pulled out a team-high nine boards to go along with six points and five blocks.
The performance against Rollins in addition to Cooper’s outing against Barry, where the senior recorded 13 points and six rebounds, earned her SSC Defensive Player of the Week honors for the first time in her Florida Tech career.
Florida Tech will need similar production from Cooper and fellow big Julie McCarthy if they want to come out on top against Charla Nelson-James and the Fighting Knights for a second time this season
Lynn (5-18, 2-11 SSC) has won two of its last three contests, defeating Saint Leo on the road and most recently Eckerd at home Saturday. Prior to that span, however, the Fighting Knights had lost 11 in a row from Dec. 19 to Jan. 30.
Nelson-James finished just short of a double-double against the Tritons, notching 15 points and seven boards. The Winter Haven, Florida native currently ranks second in the league in rebounding (7.2 rpg) and 10th in scoring (11.9 ppg). She also sits at fourth in the SSC in shooting percentage at .508.
Second in scoring or LU is Tifani Kerrison who averages 10.6 points a night to go along with 4.6 boards and a team-best 2.5 assists per game. Bria Huffman’s 5.2 boards and 7.6 points per game ranks second and third on the team, respectively.
Florida Tech defeated Lynn 66-60 in the previous meeting between the teams on Jan. 2 in Boca Raton. The Fighting Knights held a 19-13 lead at the end of quarter No. 1. However, the Panthers then outscored LU 32-18 in the second and third quarters to take an eight point lead into the fourth and hung on for the victory.
Five Panthers reached double-figure points in the win, including a game-high 16 points from BreAnn Davis. Filling up the stat sheet in the contest, Shequana Harris notched 13 points, five rebounds, five steals, four assists and two blocks in 36 minutes.
Tiesha Flagler was just short of a double-double with 11 points and eight boards while Cooper also tallied 11 points to go along with seven rebounds. Williams finished with 10 points and five boards.
Kerrison registered 13 points in the loss. Huffman recorded 10 points and eight rebounds and Nelson-James each scored 10 and hauled in five boards.
Jim Mitchell will have the call from the Clemente Center. Links to live coverage can be accessed at www.FloridaTechSports.com/live.
