MELBOURNE, Fla. - Due to a first quarter struggle, Florida Tech (9-11, SSC 6-8) dropped a 62-54 decision to the Saint Leo Lions (9-14, SSC 4-11) on Saturday afternoon at the Charles and Ruth Clemente Center.

Senior DeLise Williams led the Panthers in scoring, racking up 17 points on a 6-for-13 shooting performance. The guard also accumulated six rebounds, three assists and three steals in the weekend outing. Joining in double-digit scoring, fellow senior Kailyn Ebb drained 11 points for FIT, tallying a team-best eight boards.

As a team, the Panthers shot 32.1 percent from the floor and 72 percent from the line. Additionally, the Crimson and Gray counted 54 boards, four assists and one block, while holding a 5-3 advantage over the Lions in steals.

In the first half, Saint Leo paced the game, holding FIT to a 36 shooting percentage. Although Florida Tech converted seven Lion turnovers into eight points, Saint Leo's 12 points from the bench kept the Panthers at distance to enter the locker room ahead, 36-24.

Returning from the intermission, Florida Tech battled back to outscore Saint Leo, 30-26 in the final quarters. However, a 20-18 advantage in boards and a 32.1 shooting effort saw FIT fall short, as the Lions wrapped up their ninth win, 62-54.

Next up, Florida Tech will travel west to face the Tampa Spartans on Wednesday, Feb. 7 at 5:30 p.m. ET.

For more info, please visit FloridaTechSports.com!