Lady Panthers Earn First Road Win Of Season With 61-58 Victory Over Palm Beach Atlantic
By Daniel Supraner, Athletic Communications Director // January 15, 2017
Shequana Harris leads Florida tech with 15-POINTS
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA – Florida Tech picked up a key Sunshine State Conference victory Saturday as the Panthers defeated Palm Beach Atlantic 61-58 on the road in West Palm Beach.
The win was the first for FIT in a true road test this season.
The Panthers improved to 8-7 (3-5 SSC) while PBA fell to 6-10 (2-7 SSC).
Shequana Harris paced FIT with 15 points and three rebounds. Julie McCarthy finished with 10 points, seven boards and two blocks and DeLise Williams chipped in nine points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Ayanna Holmes led the Sailfish with a game-high 19 points. Hannah Grim added 15 points, six rebounds, and six assists while Jane Svilberg recorded seven points and eight boards.
The Panthers knocked down 36.1 percent of their attempts and went 14-of-19 from the line in the win. PBA made 32 percent from the field and hit 22-of-27 free throws. The Sailfish won the rebounding battle 40-38 but were forced into more turnovers 21-14.
PBA led 6-4 after the first few minutes of action but an 8-0 run by the Panthers pushed them ahead 12-6 with 3:59 left in the period.
However, a small run by PBA, including a buzzer-beating layup by Holmes, cut FIT’s edge to 16-15 at the end of the first quarter.
The Sailfish regained the lead 17-16 after a pair of free throws by Grim early in the second. The Panthers then answered with an 11-0 run to build a double-digit advantage with 5:57 remaining in the half.
After individual runs by both teams, Harris drew a late foul and made both attempts at the line to hand Florida Tech a 32-24 lead heading into halftime.
FIT built its lead back to double figures, 36-26, early in the third but the Sailfish fought their way back and cut the deficit to one, 42-41, with 3:51 left in the frame.
The Panthers responded, scoring nine of the final 10 points of the quarter to take a 51-42 advantage.
Near the midway point of the fourth period, FIT was still holding on to a 55-50 lead but PBA came back and reduced its deficit to one, 59-58, on a pair of free throws by Holmes with 1:02 remaining.
Related Story:Florida Tech Panthers Hold On For Tough 76-73 Road Win Over Palm Beach Atlantic, Now 10-6
After each team turned the ball over on their next possession, Williams drew a foul and knocked down both of her attempts at the line to give FIT a 61-58 edge with five seconds to go.
Grim had a chance at tying the game for the Sailfish late but her attempt at the buzzer was off target, allowing the Panthers to escape with the narrow victory.
Florida Tech continues SSC action on Wednesday, Jan. 18, as it plays host to the Saint Leo Lions at 5:30 p.m. ET at the Clemente Center. Fans can access the live coverage at FloridaTechSports.com/live.
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