MELBOURNE, Fla. – The Florida Tech men's basketball team went back and forth with the Eckerd on Wednesday night, but ultimately fell to the Tritons, 78-71, in their midweek road conference matchup.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Florida Tech 71, Eckerd 78
Records: Florida Tech (10-3, 3-3 SSC), Eckerd (9-6, 4-3 SSC)
Location: McArthur Center | St. Petersburg, Fla.
 
FIRST HALF:

• Eckerd started the game on a 6-2 run over the first two minutes of the game.
• A made layup by David McCullough tied the game for the Panthers at 8-8 at the 16:51 mark of the half.
• A made three-point jumper and a free throw gave the Tritons a 12-8 advantage, but Tech answered with a layup by McCullough and a dunk from Elias Martin to tie the game at 12-12 with 14:34 on the clock.
• The back-and-forth ensued for the next several minutes with both teams exchanging baskets and the lead. A steal by Max Polk led to a fast break layup for McCullough to give the Panthers a 25-23 lead with eight minutes to go.
• Once again, both teams traded shots and baskets until the game was tied at 31-31 with 4:31 left. Eckerd closed out the half on a 7-3 run to take the teams into halftime with a score of 38-34.

 
SECOND HALF:

• Eckerd used an 8-0 run to go up 46-34 three minutes into the half.
• Tech answered with an 8-0 run of its own that was capped off by a Niall Harris jumper to bring the lead down to 46-42 with 15:21 left to play.
• The back and forth continued for the next seven minutes until back-to-back baskets by Martin and McCullough tied the game for the Panthers at 55-55 with 8:30 on the clock.
• A quick 5-0 run for the Tritons put them back up, but Tech responded with three straight baskets to retake the lead, 61-60 with just under five minutes to go.
• A minute later, a jumper by Rahsaan Edwards put the Panthers up three, but Eckerd used 12 unanswered points to retake the lead, 72-63, with 1:38 left.
• Both teams added a few more baskets to close out the game, but the lead was too much for Tech to overcome and the game ended with a score of 78-71.

 
NOTABLE PANTHERS:

• Elias Martin, Niall Harris, and David McCullough each finished with 13 points.
• Martin recorded a double-double with 10 rebounds, including six on the offensive glass. He also added three assists and two blocks.
• Harris added eight rebounds, five assists, and five steals.
• McCullough chipped in five assists and four rebounds.

 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:

• Florida Tech moves to 34-63 all-time against Eckerd.
• With two blocks in tonight's game, Elias Martin moved into fifth all-time in program history with 83 career blocks.
• Niall Harris has now recorded at least five rebounds for 18 straight games, dating back to Feb. 15, 2023.

 
UP NEXT: Florida Tech will next play on Saturday, Jan. 13 when the Panthers host No. 3 Nova Southeastern for a weekend SSC matchup. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Clemente Center in Melbourne, Fla.
 
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.