Panthers Look To Get Back On Winning Track Against Sioux Falls
By Florida Tech // November 27, 2015
BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – After a disappointing result Tuesday, Florida Tech (3-1) attempts to get back on track against Sioux Falls (5-0) Friday. The first ever meeting between the Panthers and Cougars is set for 12 p.m. ET at the Clemente Center.
FIT was just minutes away from pulling off a major early-season upset over No. 3 Nova Southeastern Tuesday. Despite leading by as much as 15 in the third quarter, and 12 entering the fourth, the Panthers were unable to stop NSU’s comeback in the final stanza.
The Sharks outscored FIT 27-13 in the period, taking its first lead of the ball game with just 2:38 remaining, and after holding off a Panther opportunity in the final seconds, NSU escaped Melbourne with a narrow 75-73 victory.
Shequana Harris paced the Panthers with 20 points, seven steals, five rebounds and two assists. It was the junior’s third 20-plus point game of the season, and the seven takeaways set a new career-high for the Bronx, New York native.
Also reaching double-digits was Tiesha Flagler with a season-high 14 points. The senior also registered four rebounds and one assists and finished a perfect 8-of-8 from the charity stripe. Kailyn Ebb hauled in a team-high eight rebounds, to go along with six points, and Diamond Cooper notched nine points, seven rebounds and two blocks against NSU.
USF is undefeated and coming off a 32-point victory over Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference foe Southwest Minnesota State 74-42. Friday’s contest will be the first road game for the Cougars this season after opening the campaign with five straight at USF’s Stewart Center.
Taylor Varsho leads a Cougar offense that has three players averaging double-figures in the early season. Varsho is posting 18.6 points, 3.4 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game. She also leads USF with 14 steals through five games.
Second on the team in scoring is Sam Knecht with 12.0 points and 7.8 rebounds. Teagan Molden is just behind, averaging 11.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per outing.
FIT will be tested by a talented Cougars squad Friday, as USF is scoring 81.4 points per contest, while holding opponents to just 52.0 points. The Panthers, on the other hand, are averaging 68.8 points and allowing just 62.8 to opponents through four games.
Jim Mitchell and Paul Van Scott will have the call from the Clemente Center.
For complete coverage of the Panthers’ home games, log onto FloridaTechSports.com/live.
