INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Florida Tech 60, Saint Leo 78
Records: Florida Tech (2-14, 0-11 SSC), Saint Leo (13-6, 8-3 SSC)
Location: Marion Bowman Activities Center | Saint Leo, Fla.


 FIRST HALF: 

• Tech was first on the board with a free throw by Hannah Roney before the opening tip-off due to a Saint Leo administrative technical foul.
• Lions opened the game on a 9-2 run to take an early lead, 9-3, with 6:24 remaining.
• A pull-up jumper by Aiste Vaitekunaite cut the margin to three, 11-8, but the Lions answered with a 11-3 run to corral a double-digit lead, 22-11, lead at the end of the first.
• Lina Stranger-Johannessen gave the Panthers some momentum, cutting the deficit to seven, converting two layups and a three-ball early in the second.
• Teams exchanged baskets before a second-chance jumper by Kamaria Sheriff put the Lions back up by double-digits, 42-32, to close out the half.

SECOND HALF: 

• SLU opened the third on an 8-2 run pushing the lead to 16, 50-34, with 7:36 to go.
• Panthers outscored the Lions, 10-6, the rest of the quarter with SLU holding a 56-44 edge going into the fourth. Fanny Paulin recorded 8 of the 10 points for Tech.
• Back-to-back threes gave SLU their largest lead of 18, 62-44, but Tech answered back with an 11-2 run to cut the margin to nine, 64-55, 5:15 to go.
• Lions outscored the Panthers 14-5 the rest of the contest with the final points for Florida Tech coming on a second chance jumper by Dalma Ehmann assisted by Aayanna Nedd in the final seconds.

NOTABLE PANTHERS:

• Paulin recorded 14 points, four rebounds, and three assists on 5-13 shooting.
• Vaitekunaite finished with 14 points, five rebounds, and two blocks on 5-11 shooting and 4-4 at the line.
• Severine Uggen tallied 12 points, four rebounds, and two assists.
• Stranger-Johannessen ended the contest with eight points, team-high six rebounds, two assists, and one steal.

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE:

• Tech finished the game shooting 33.9% (21-62) from the field, 34.6% (9-26) from beyond the arc, and 60% (9-15) on free throws.
• SLU shot 45.9% (28-61) in the contest, 41.2% (7-17) from the three-point range, and 100% (15-15) at the line.

 
UP NEXT: Florida Tech hits the road on Jan. 26 to take on Florida Southern in an SSC match-up. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.
 
 
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