Florida Tech Falls short to Palm Beach Atlantic on the Road 88-74

Murphy with team high 24 points

WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA – The Florida Tech men’s basketball team fell to Palm Beach Atlantic by the score 88-74 on Wednesday night at Rubin Arena.

The Panthers have now lost four straight games against the Sailfish and drop to 0-7 on the road this season.

Derek Murphy finished with a game-high 24 points and eight rebounds, two boards shy of notching his fourth consecutive double-double. Runako Ziegler tallied 17 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals. Sesan Russell added 11 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Trey Schaneville recorded eight points and six rebounds while Mekhii Noble ended with six points, six rebounds and two blocks.

The Panthers got off to a slow start offensively as they opened the game 3-of-10 from the field. PBA took advantage of the early slump and jumped out to an 18-6 lead with 13:04 left in the first half.

Tech responded by picking up its defensive pressure, forcing the Sailfish to miss their next eight shots. This allowed the Panthers to claw their way back with a 13-1 run and trim the deficit to 20-19 on a layup by Ziegler with 8:13 to go before halftime.

A 10-4 run by PBA increased its lead to 30-24 with less than two minutes to go but Russell answered with a three on the ensuing possession to make it a three-point game. A pair of free throws by PBA’s Jules Jasmin was the final points of the half as the Sailfish went into the break with a 32-27 advantage.

The teams exchanged blows early on in the second half as the Sailfish maintained their lead. However, a 7-0 run, capped by a three by Russell, helped the Panthers grab their first lead of the game 43-42 with 13:24 remaining. The score was then tied at 50-50 with 10:48 left on the clock.

Over the next four minutes of game time, PBA went on a 19-7 run to grow its lead to 69-57 with 6:20 to go. The Panthers were able to cut the margin to 75-68 on a fast break layup by Schaneville with just over two minutes to go.

However, foul trouble caught up with the Panthers late in the second half allowing PBA to close out the game at the free-throw line and walk away with the win.

Florida Tech finished the game shooting 29-of-72 (40.2%) from the field, including 6-of-24 (25%) from three-point range and 10-of-14 at the charity stripe. The Sailfish made 29-of-58 (50%) of their shots in the game, including 7-of-23 from beyond the arc, and 23-of-29 at the free-throw line.

Tech won the rebounding battle 41-37 leading to a 21-7 edge in second-chance points. The Panthers scored 21 points off the Sailfish’s 20 turnovers in the game. PBA finished with 27 fast breakpoints.

Florida Tech is back in action this Saturday, Feb. 1, as the Panthers travel to Boca Raton, Florida for a showdown with the Fighting Knights at the de Hoernle Sports & Cultural Center. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m.

For the latest news, updates and information on the Florida Tech men’s basketball team, visit FloridaTechSports.com.

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