Americus, Georgia – Florida Tech Men's Basketball traveled north of the border to play in three games during the Thanksgiving holiday week. The Panthers began their version of feast week against Auburn Montgomery in what was a back-and-forth contest until the very end.
GAME FOUR – NON-CONFERENCE
Final: Florida Tech Panthers 83, Auburn Montgomery Warhawks 79
Records: Florida Tech (1-4, 0-1 SSC)
| Auburn Montgomery (1-4, 0-0 GSC)
Location: Storm Dome (Georgia Southwestern)
| Americus, Georgia
GAME NOTES:
First Half:
- After Auburn Montgomery opened the scoring, Xavier Ford-Belton answered right back with an easy lay off the glass.
- Ford-Belton was making an impact early in this contest, grabbing two rebounds and forcing two AUM turnovers.
- Ty Harpring, Ca'Darrius Sowell, and Logan Allen all found the bottom of the net in the early stages as Tech held a 12-8 lead at the 13-minute mark.
- The Panthers' defense continued to make things difficult for the Warhawks, recording two blocks and three more AUM turnovers.
- Noah Van Bibber knocked down two straight three-pointers and Grayson Williams got into the lane for a tough finish as Tech pushed the lead to double-digits at 21-11.
- Both sides battled back and forth, but a Logan Allen three ball kept the Panthers out front with six minutes left in the half.
- While the Warhawks began cutting into the lead, AJ Lieuwen, Greyson Williams and Matt Daulerio each hit shots for a 34-27 Tech lead.
- Points from Ford-Belton and Van Bibber, plus great defense from the Panthers, allowed the Panthers to finish the half strong and take a nine-point lead into the break.
HALFTIME SCORE - Florida Tech 44, Auburn Montgomery 35
Second Half:
- Auburn Montgomery began the second half with two straight baskets, but Greyson Williams responded with a smooth take at the rim.
- Xavier Ford-Belton continued his strong day by snagging his tenth rebound, followed by a three-pointer from the corner to put Tech back in front by ten.
- AUM made a small run to close the gap, but Sowell got into the paint for back-to-back finishes before Logan Allen drilled his second three-pointer of the game.
- Leading 59-53, the Panthers exploded for a 10-0 run to lead by 16 with nine minutes remaining.
- While Tech looked to put away the Warhawks, AUM came right back with a huge unanswered run of their own to tie the game at 69-69.
- The Panthers put an end to the run with Sowell getting into the lane and finishing strong as the game transitioned to the final four minutes of regulation.
- After the Warhawks answered, Sowell hit a pull-up jumper to give Tech a 73-72 lead before Brewer Nitcher grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back up to extend the Panther advantage.
- The Tech defense earned a huge defensive stop, and Sowell made the Warhawks pay by finishing a three-point play on the other end to put the Panthers up 77-72 with just over one minute left.
- AUM did not go away quietly as they cut into the lead once again, but Greyson Williams, Ty Harpring and Brewer Nitcher iced the game with free throws.
FINAL SCORE - Florida Tech 83, Auburn Montgomery 79
COACHES CORNER:
- Head Coach Will Murphy on the win, "Super proud of the team and proud of our ball movement and competitive defense to build the early lead. The team regrouped and responded to the AUM run towards the end and figured out a way to get the job done."
NOTABLE PANTHERS:
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
- With the win, Head Coach Will Murphy, Associate Head Coach Zack Freesman, and Assistant Coach Cecil Avant pick up their first victory at Florida Tech.
UP NEXT: Men's hoops will stay in Americus, Georgia, for their second game in less than 24 hours. Florida Tech will face Georgia Southwestern tomorrow at 3:00 p.m.
For the latest news, updates and information on the Florida Tech Men's Basketball, 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.
