MELBOURNE, Fla. – The Florida Tech men's basketball team struggled in the first half, but overcame a four-point halftime deficit to defeat Barton, 65-56, in the Panthers' opening game of the Health First Winter Classic on Monday night at the Clemente Center.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Florida Tech 65, Barton 56
Records: Florida Tech (8-1, 2-1 SSC), Barton (5-6, 2-0 CC)
Location: Charles and Ruth Clemente Center | Melbourne, Fla.
 
FIRST HALF:

• Barton jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead to begin the game. Chase Thompson knocked down a three at the 17:33 mark to put the Panthers on the board and make it 4-3.
• A layup by David McCullough cut Barton's lead down to 8-7 heading into the first media timeout with 15:46 remaining in the half.
• Just over two minutes later, two made free throws from Chase Thompson knotted the game at 10-10.
• Four made free throws in a row from Rahsaan Edwards gave the Panthers a 14-11 lead with 11:37 on the clock.
• The Bulldogs retook the lead, 18-17, after a three-point jumper by Justin Stephens at the 8:42 mark.
• With the game tied at 21-21, Barton went on a 9-3 run to make it 30-23 with just over two minutes left in the half.
• A converted three-point play by Niall Harris cut the lead down to 30-26 and the teams went into halftime with that score.

 
SECOND HALF:

• Both teams traded baskets back and forth to begin the second half. A triple from Edwards and a layup by McCullough tied the game back up for Tech, 36-36, with 16:34 left on the clock.
• Two minutes later, a Max Polk layup gave the Panthers the lead, 40-38.
• Elias Martin made two more free throws and Tech took a 42-38 lead into the second media timeout of the half.
• Both defenses battled over the next few minutes and the Panthers held a 47-44 lead with 7:26 left in the game.
• A trey from Darragh O'Sullivan and a few more free throws gave Tech a 54-47 heading into the final media timeout of the game.
• The Panthers outscored the Bulldogs, 11-9, in the final few minutes to give the game its final score of 65-56.

 
NOTABLE PANTHERS:

• Tonight's player of the game was David McCullough who totaled 17 points on 5-for-9 shooting and grabbed five rebounds.
• Rahsaan Edwards scored 12 points and stole the ball four times.
• Elias Martin and Chase Thompson each scored 10 points. Thompson added six rebounds and three steals while Martin hauled in nine boards, blocked four shots, and dished out three assists.

 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:

• Florida Tech moves to 3-0 all-time against Barton.
• This was the first time the teams had met since Nov. 27, 2010.
• Florida Tech shot 29.1 percent (16-for-55) from the floor, including 15.0 percent (3-for-20) from beyond the arc.
• Barton shot 35 percent (21-for-60) from the floor, including 12.5 percent (2-for-16) from three-point range.

 
UP NEXT: Florida Tech will turn around and play Georgia Southwestern State in the final game of the 2023 Health First Winter Classic tomorrow, Dec. 19. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Charles and Ruth Clemente Center.
 
For the latest news, updates and information on the Florida Tech men'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.