MELBOURNE, Fla. - After erasing a double-digit halftime deficit and taking the lead with just minutes to go, Florida Tech (3-5, 0-2 SSC) was outscored by Lynn (2-3, 1-2 SSC) 20-5 over the final 5:40 of the game and fell to the Fighting Knights, 82-72, in its Sunshine State Conference home opener Wednesday night at the Clemente Center. 

Jordan Majors paced four Panthers in double figures with 23 points, seven assists and three rebounds. Michael Milligan added 16 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals, while Richard Coil recorded 15 points on 6-for-8 shooting and three rebounds. Sam Daniel finished with 11 points and seven rebounds, his first game scoring less than 22 points this season. 

Lack of depth continues to have an effect on the Panthers' early in the campaign as all five starters played at least 35 minutes in the game, playing a role in the team's fatigue at the end of the game. 

Florida Tech finished the matchup with 45.6 percent shooting and notched 50 percent (14-of-28) after halftime. FIT had 18 assists on 26 made shots in the game. The Panthers also made 28.6 percent (8-of-28) of their attempts from beyond the arc and 12-of-18 free throws. Lynn knocked down 48.3 percent (29-of-60) of its shots in the game, including 8-of-24 on three-point field goals, and 16-of-26 at the charity stripe. 

The Fighting Knights won the rebounding battle, 40-27, and turned its 14 offensive boards into 15 second chance points. Florida Tech ended with a narrow edge in points in the pain, 32-30, while both teams tallied 16 points off turnovers. Lynn outscored FIT in bench points, 34-2.

It was a back-and-forth affair in the beginning parts of the contests with the teams tied, 15-15, after a trey by Valur Valsson with 14:02 left in the first half.
 
However, Lynn gained control from there, doubling-up FIT, 30-15, the remainder of the half and took a 45-30 edge into halftime. The Fighting Knights held an 18-0 advantage in bench points at the break. 

The Panthers fought their way back in the second half and, after a 31-14 surge, grabbed their first lead of the contest, 61-59, with 10:33 left. A powerful dunk by Coil with 5:40 remaining gave FIT its largest lead at 67-62. 

Fatigue and foul trouble allowed LU to regain control of the momentum over the final stretch. The Fighting Knights closed the game on a 20-5 run, including nine makes at the charity stripe, and won by a 10-point margin for its first conference victory of the season. 

The Crimson and Gray are back in action on Saturday, Dec. 2, hosting SSC foe Eckerd at 4 p.m. ET at the Clemente Center. Saturday's game is Florida Tech's Autism Awareness Game and the Panthers will recognize some of the young members of the Scott Center for Autism Treatment with a special ceremony during halftime of the game with the Tritons.