MELBOURNE, Fla. – The Florida Tech women's basketball team's shooting struggles in the fourth quarter led to Flagler's 78-67 loss in the first game of Holiday Classic.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Florida Tech 67, Flagler 78
Records: Florida Tech (4-6, 1-4 SSC), Flagler (4-5, 0-1 PBC)
Location: Clemente Center | Melbourne, Fla.
 
FIRST QUARTER:

• Flagler opened the scoring with a layup turned three-point play off an offensive rebound.
• Mikayla Morin forces a shooting foul on the following possession and makes both free throws. Then Sarah Liberatore drains a three-pointer to take the 5-3 lead for Tech.
• A three-pass offensive possession led to an open Morin bucket, tying the game at seven apiece.
• After subbing back in, Morin made an immediate impact, hauling in an offensive rebound and putting it back up for the bucket. The Panthers were down 17-11 with two and a half minutes remaining in the quarter.
• Tech found scoring opportunities at the free-throw line, knocking down four to end the quarter, two by Liberatore and two by Kyandra Poitier.

 SECOND QUARTER:

• The second quarter started how the first quarter ended with two more made free throws. Liberatore was a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe to this point.
• On the next Panther possession, Remington Smith drove to the baseline for a layup, forcing a foul for another made free throw to draw within two points.
• Tech grabbed the lead in the game at 24-22 with a Liberatore baseline jumper and a driving layup on back-to-back possessions for a 9-0 Panther run in the quarter's first two and a half minutes.
• The Panther kept the Saints off the board for almost six minutes, helped by a steal and a block by Poitier. Flagler finally scored with a corner three to tie the game at 25-25.
• Flagler found its footing late in the quarter, hitting three shots, including two threes, and taking a 35-31 lead with under two minutes to go in the half.

 THIRD QUARTER:

• Flagler didn't take long in the second half to score, grabbing a bucket in their first possession. Tai Roberts for the Panthers answered seconds later, keeping the score difference at two.
• Locking up defensively, Tech scored seven unanswered points to take the 42-40 lead with six minutes left. Flagler had a lousy stretch, missing six straight shots and not scoring for four minutes before the media timeout.
• The run continued out of the timeout as Roberts hit a floater, extending the Panthers lead to four. However, Flagler scored four straight, tying the game once again.
• Morin made her presence known with a block on defense and later a layup, starting a 4-0 run that had the Panthers down one at 49-48.
• Nadine Johnson tied the game at 50-50 with one minute remaining off a shot from deep. However, the Saints would take back the advantage with three free throws on the next possession.

 FOURTH QUARTER:

• Johnson was on fire, draining a deep two-pointer to start the final quarter.
• At 60-59, Flagler dropped a three-pointer and hit the free throw for a four-point play. Then forced a turnover and drilled another three to take the eight-point advantage with six and a half left to play.
• The Saints ended the game on an 18-8 run to win the game 78-67.

NOTABLE PANTHERS:

• Sarah Liberatore led the team with 21 points on 6-for-11 from the field. She also grabbed five rebounds and two steals.
• Kyandra Poitier brought down 10 rebounds, including four offensive rebounds.
• Three Panthers tallied two steals

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE:

• The Panthers have won six of past 11 matchups dating back to the start of the 2014/15 season.
• Tech is 9-4 all-time at home against the Saints and has won three of the six meetings at the Clemente Center over the past 10 years.

 UP NEXT: Florida Tech will return to the Clemente Center on Saturday, December 21, to face Clayton State at noon, wrapping up 2024.
 
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