Florida Tech Win Thriller in Tampa Holiday Classic Tournament 64-59 Over University of Findlay
By Space Coast Daily // December 19, 2018
Panthers head into the holiday break on a two-game win streak
TAMPA, FLORIDA – Florida Tech women’s basketball looked to open the Tampa Holiday Classic with a statement as the team took on the University of Findlay Oilers. It was a close game for a majority of the contest but in the end, it was the Panthers that grabbed the win, 65-59.
Multiples Panthers stepped up in different facets of the game as Gracie Doane scored 22 points and Fanny Hakanson tallied 12 assists. On the glass, Tereza Sedlakova, Amanda Allen and Kailyn Ebb each grabbed six boards.
The game started with both teams trading blows as neither Tech nor Findlay could sustain the upper hand for more than a few possessions. However, two back-to-back three balls gave the Panthers a 16-12 edge with only 1:03 left in the quarter. But a last-second layup by UF brought the game within two after the first 10 minutes.
The second quarter continued this trend of tightly contested basketball as they continued to trade the lead back-and-forth. It looked like Findlay might hold a slight advantage going into halftime till a quick 5-0 Panthers’ run in the final 47 seconds put them back on top, 33-31.
Seniors Doane (11) and Sedlakova (10) led the team as they combined for 21 of the 33 points. Hakanson might not have tallied a bucket but was crucial in the team’s offensive success as she dished out four assists.
The third quarter saw the Panthers come alive on the offensive end. The woman put up 22 points while limiting Findlay to 16. This was spearheaded by efforts from Sedlakova and Ebb as they outplayed their opposition on both sides of the court. At the buzzer, the Crimson and Gray held a 55-47 advantage.
The final 10 minutes of play were tense for the Panther women as they could not sustain the offensive outburst of the previous quarter. This allowed for a slight comeback by the Oilers but it was not enough as time became their enemy. This forced them to begin to foul Florida Tech and hopes for missed free throws.
However, that did not work as Tech sunk the late free throws and came out victorious, 65-57. This snapped the team’s recent string of bad luck and got them back in the win column.
The Panthers will look head into the holiday break on a two-game win streak as they take on Texas Woman’s Dec. 19 in Tampa. The team’s second and final game of the Tampa Holiday Classic is scheduled to tip-off at 1 p.m. ET.
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