Home » Florida Tech Panthers Continue Late Season Slide, Fall At Home To Florida Southern, 86-71

Florida Tech Panthers Continue Late Season Slide, Fall At Home To Florida Southern, 86-71

By  //  February 9, 2017

Patrick Anderson led team high with 19 points

The Florida Tech Panthers kept pace during the first half Wednesday night but turnovers and missed layups caught up with the home team and in the end FIT falls to Florida Southern, 86-71 at the Clemente Center.

BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – The Florida Tech Panthers kept pace during the first half Wednesday night but turnovers and missed layups caught up with the home team and in the end, FIT fell to Florida Southern, 86-71 at the Clemente Center.

Panthers guard Pat Anderson led FIT and tied a game high with 19 points on the night. Anderson also chipped in with three assists and one steal while teammate Sam Daniel tallied 15 points and two assists.

With 11 of his points coming in the first half, Daniel’s night mirrored his team’s play.

FIT played well in the first half, as the lead changed hands five times in the first six minutes.

Florida Tech then led for 14 consecutive minutes, up by as many as 12 at one point.

The Panthers solid first half coincided with shooting 53 percent from the field, including 50 percent from behind the arc.

However, once Panthers head coach Billy Mims went to his bench after Sam Daniels and Pat Anderson picked up their second fouls with four minutes to play, the lead evaporated.

“The last four minutes of the first half and the first four minutes of the second half killed us tonight” Coach Mims told Space Coast Daily. “Our bench play wasn’t what it usually is for us tonight and Florida Southern capitalized.”

Florida Tech took a 40-39 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Despite Pat Anderson’s 16-point second half effort, the final 20-minutes produced an entirely different outcome.

Florida Southern scored 25 points off Panther turnovers, most occurring in the second half. Consequently,  FIT was outscored 47-31 during the final 20 minutes of play.

The Moccasins would go on to win the game 86-71 dealing Florida Tech their sixth loss in their past eight games.

“We were able to get the ball inside with relative ease in the game but we didn’t shoot the ball well once we got it close to the basket tonight”, Mims said.

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Florida Tech will make the trek across I-4 and up I-75 on Saturday to take on St. Leo University at Marion Bowman Center in Saint Leo, Florida.

The Panthers lost to the Lions in overtime at the Clements Center on a controversial finish back on Jan.18.

Florida Tech was outscored 14-3 in the extra session but a no call on an apparent foul to Robert Booth with seconds remaining in regulation robbed the Panthers of a shot to win the game at the charity stripe.

Tip-off on Saturday is 5:30 p.m. E.T.

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