MELBOURNE, FLA. – Much like last night, the Panthers had an exceptional first half and held the lead going into halftime, but second-half adjustments by the Eagles would lead to the downfall for Tech on the road

FINAL: Florida Tech 62, Florida Gulf Coast University 79
Records: Florida Tech (3-9, 0-4 SSC) DUNY (4-8, 0-0 ASUN)
Locations: Fort Meyers, FL | Alico Arena


STATS OF THE MATCH:

First Half:

• The Panthers got out to an impressive start over the Eagles with back-to-back three-pointers from Donovan Brown and Can Kaan Turgut, 6-0.
• After free throws from Brown followed by back-to-back Turgut buckets for Tech, the lead would grow to 11-2 with the Eagles yet to get a field goal on the board.
• This would be the largest lead that the Panthers would hold in the first half as the Eagles would chip away at the score with inside shots to erase Tech's lead and tie the game, 15-15.
• It would be at the first three-pointer from the Eagles that would give them their first lead of the contest, 17-18.
• Down the stretch of the first half, both teams would have success scoring, and it would be a Ben Csernak lay-in with five seconds to go that would give Tech the edge and the lead into halftime, 28-27.

 
Second Half:

• Both teams came out of the half hot from behind the arc and would combine for seven consecutive three-pointers, four for the Eagles and three for the Panthers, 37-39.
• A then 2-11 run for the Eagles would give them their largest lead of the game as the Panthers would score only one field goal for the next five minutes.
• Brown free throws would keep Tech on the board until a layup also by Brown would snap the field goal drought, the Panthers now trailing by 10, 44-54.
• The Eagles would build on this lead and see their offense hit full stride as the lead would grow up to 19 with just over three minutes to play, 56-75.
• This would prove to be too much for Tech as they would take the loss on the road bringing their last game in 2024 to a conclusion.

 
NOTABLE PANTHERS:

• Donovan Brown led all scorers with 26 points on the day and he also collected six rebounds
• Can Kaan Turgut finished with 13 points and dished out a season-high in assists with 13

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

• All-time vs. Florida Gulf Coast: 0-8 
• First official meeting between teams since November 26, 2019.
• Panthers are now 0-7 all-time at Alico Arena

 
UP NEXT:
The Panthers will be back in action on New Year's Day, Wednesday, January 1^st, as they host Rollins College at the Clemente Center in a conference showdown.

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.