TAMPA, Fla. – After a long awaited return, Florida Tech women's basketball finally hit the court for its season opener. It was the battle of the Panthers as the team faced off against Claflin in the SSC-SIAC Challenge. But in the end, the Panthers of Melbourne mauled their opposition, 82-35.
Leading the way for Florida Tech was
November Morton,
Tereza Sedlakova and
Gracie Doane. Morton led the scoring with 18. Sedlakova posted a career high 18 rebounds as she dominated on both the offensive- (6) and defensive glass (12). Doane dished out a game high six assists.
The Crimson and Gray started out the game on fire as the women went on an 11-0 run before they gave up a bucket. The onslaught continued as they extended the impressive run to 20-4 in only seven minutes of game time. Another burst of scoring gave the team a 28-7 lead after the first buzzer.
Doane led the Panthers in scoring for the first quarter as the senior had nine points as she went 3-5 from beyond the arc.
The second quarter was much of the same as Florida Tech pushed the pace and kept the pressure up on both ends of the court. This gave them another lopsided scoring differential as they outscored Claflin, 22-7. This gave the Panthers a 50-14 advantage as they headed into the locker room.
Morton had herself a quarter as she knocked down two treys and a jumper for eight points.
The third quarter was more back and forth as Claflin's offense finally found its footing but they still had no answer on how to stop Florida Tech. This lead to a high point total for both teams as Florida Tech outpaced Claflin, 17-13.
The third quarter was all
Aniquah Swan as she put up seven points on two layups, a jumper and a free throw.
The final 10 minutes was a slower paced affair as Florida Tech played a more control style of basketball. This lead to the team's lowest scoring period of the night with 15. The women did limit their opponents to only eight over the quarter so they finished the night with a 47-point advantage.
Sedlakova paced the team as the senior tallied five points. She also grabbed the board the broke her career single-game best about midway through the period.
Florida Tech will look to continue its hot hand tomorrow, Nov. 10, as they take on Lemoyne-Owen in their second game of the SSC-SIAC Challenge.
For the latest news, updates and information on the Florida Tech women's basketball team, visit FloridaTechSports.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Panthers news by following Florida Tech Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
