MELBOURNE – Florida Tech women's basketball was back on the court for the first time since Saturday, February 13 victory over Barry. This time the women suited up in honor of the senior class and honored them prior to the opening tip. Unfortunately, the pregame energy was not enough as the women lost to Saint Leo, 74-59.
Fanny Hakanson led the Panthers in scoring with 14 points but
Aiste Vaitekunaite and
Zoe Murphy who both had 13 closely followed her scoring output. Hakanson and
Lina Stranger-Johannessen racked up a team-high in assist with three. While Vaitekunaite and Murphy grabbed team-highs in rebounds with four.
The game started out slow as neither time made a basket for the first 3:13 when a Saint Leo three ball found the bottom of the net. The teams traded buckets over the next minute but then a 10-point Lions run made it a 15-4 game, which was momentarily cut to eight points before another quick four points for Saint Leo made it 19-7 at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter started out much like the first as Tech was outscored 12-4 over the first eight minutes of action. However, they did begin a late surge as they began sinking some free throws and a last-second Hakanson layup made it 37-19 at the break.
The Crimson & Grey came out the break going point for point until a mid-quarter Lions' run made it a 25-point contest. After that outburst, it went back to a shot for shot and the third quarter ended with a score of 60-33.
The final 10 minutes was a different story as Florida Tech found their footing and began making a comeback as they outpaced Saint Leo, 26-14. Hakanson opened the scoring with a trey only 45 seconds into the fourth. This began a big quarter for the Stockholm native as she had a total of 10 points. It was an even affair through the first four minutes but the final six saw Florida Tech go on multiple runs that narrowed the lead but the sure was not enough as they fell 74-59.
The Panthers will put this one behind them and turn their focus to tomorrow, March 7, matchup with Barry. Tip for this game in Miami Shores, Florida is set for 4 pm ET.
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.
