TAMPA, Fla. – Women's basketball looked to keep the momentum rolling after a huge 47-point win in its season opener. This time the team matched up with LeMoyne-Owens in the final game of the SSC-SIAC Challenge. Florida Tech (2-0) came out victorious, 54-43, after a back and forth game that saw the lead traded multiple times in the second half.
 
Doing the majority of the scoring for the women was Michaela Gelbaugh as she put up 15. Kailyn Ebb was the leader on the boards as the Maryland native grabbed 10. Fanny Hakanson was the top dimer as she had three assists.
 
The Panthers may not started out as hot as they did in game one but they still shined as they more than doubled their opponents point total. After the buzzer, the team led 14-6 and looked comfortably in control of the game on both ends of the ball. It was a balanced attack by the team as they shared the scoring responsibility.
 
The second quarter saw the momentum switch at first as Lemoyne-Owen opened on a five-point run that brought the game within one. But this did not last for long as Florida Tech went on a 9-2 run. This gave them a 23-15 advantage but the Magicians again rattled off a run that made it a one-point contest.
 
But a Doane trey with 25 seconds left in the half put the Crimson and Gray on top, 26-22.
 
Coming out of the half both teams looked evenly matched through the first five minutes of the quarter as they went point for point. The Panthers then called a timeout at the 4:19 mark after a couple bad possessions. LeMoyne-Owen benefitted more from the stoppage as they took the lead from Florida Tech for the first time since 25 seconds into the contest.
 
However, a Doane layup ended Florida Tech's scoring drought and knotted it up a 35 apiece. But the Magicians struck quickly as they ended the period with a made free throw and a layup for a 38-35 advantage before the final 10 minutes of play.
 
But this did not deter the Panthers as they came out firing in the final period. The team put together a seven-point run in a little over a minute worth of play. After the bucket at 7:38 scoring went cold for a few possessions as another point was not put on the board till 6:02. This would be LeMoyne-Owen's first points of the quarter.
 
This reenergized Florida Tech as they put together another 6 point run before the Magicians called a timeout to stop the bleeding. That did not help though as it became a defensive battle but the Panthers found ways to score a few more points to push it to 51-41 with a minute left.
 
This proved insurmountable for the Magicians as the Panthers cruised to a 54-43 victory.
 
Florida Tech's next game will be its home opener as they host New York Institute of Technology in the Florida Tech Classic. Tip-off is set for 10 a.m. ET.
 
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