Americus, Georgia – Florida Tech Men's Basketball was back on the court this afternoon for their last game in South Georgia against the Georgia Southwestern Hurricanes. Going up against a team receiving top-25 votes, the Panthers knew they just needed to play hard defense to secure their second win in a row.
GAME FIVE – NON-CONFERENCE
Final: Florida Tech Panthers 69, (RV) Georgia Southwestern Hurricanes 61
Records: Florida Tech (2-4, 0-1 SSC)
| Georgia Southwestern (5-1, 0-0 PBC)
Location: Storm Dome
| Americus, Georgia
GAME NOTES:
First Half:
- To begin this afternoon's matchup, the Hurricanes jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead before Ty Harpring snuck behind the defense for an easy lay to get Tech on the board.
- Xavier Ford-Belton, Greyson Williams and Grant Lovette all added buckets early in the contest as the Panthers took their first lead at 10-9.
- The strong start offensively for the Panthers continued as Noah Van Bibber and Ford-Belton got inside for tough points.
- With the scoreline knotted at 15-15, both teams traded buckets as the contest reached the halfway mark of the first half.
- Logan Allen, Matt Daulerio and Ty Harpring all hit shots as the Panthers remained in the lead with under six minutes left, 26-24.
- Unfortunately for Tech, Georgia Southwestern used an 8-0 run to gain the biggest lead of the half by either side.
- Xavier Ford-Belton responded to the run by slamming down a ferocious dunk after a Ca'Darrius Sowell steal and Noah Van Bibber drilled a three to pull the Panthers within one point at 32-31.
- The Hurricanes earned the final points of the half, but Tech remained within striking distance after the first 20 minutes of play.
HALFTIME SCORE - Florida Tech 31, Georgia Southwestern 34
Second Half:
- After GSW opened the second half with a pair of free throws, Ca'Darrius Sowell scored three straight points, and Grant Lovette drilled a three to give the Panthers a 37-36 lead.
- Xavier Ford-Belton and Noah Van Bibber added more baskets for Tech as they took their first lead of the second half 42-41.
- Tech got more buckets from Matt Daulerio and Van Bibber but GSW answered each score with one of their own.
- Both teams began trading baskets, but it was Logan Allen getting inside to re-give the Panthers a one-possession advantage.
- Following back-to-back defensive stops from Tech, Brewer Nitcher got behind the defense and put the Panthers up 50-46 with an easy lay.
- While the Hurricanes used a 6-0 run to get back in front, Van Bibber stepped up big time by knocking down a three-pointer, followed by a big-time block on the other end.
- With seven minutes on the clock, Logan Allen extended the Panthers lead by pulling down an offensive board and going right back up for a strong two.
- Unfortunately for the Panthers, the Hurricanes used a 5-0 run to go back on top 57-55.
- Down by two, Greyson Williams used his elite quickness to blow by his defender and tie the game at 59-59 with under three minutes remaining.
- After GSW hit a free throw, Ford-Belton slammed down another huge dunk to put Tech back in front.
- Another Hurricane free throw tied the game at 61, but Ford-Belton drilled a long three-pointer to put Tech back up by three with 58.2 seconds to go.
- The Panthers earned two huge defensive stops, and Freshman Ty Harpring and Greyson Williams iced the game with free throws.
FINAL SCORE - Florida Tech 69, Georgia Southwestern 61
COACHES CORNER:
- Head Coach Will Murphy on the big win, "I'm proud of the way we won in a way that travels. Our strong defensive performance and rebounding is something we can build on for the rest of the year."
NOTABLE PANTHERS:
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
- Tech picks up their second win in a row behind the teams best defensive performance of the year.
- With the win, the Panthers are now 1-1 against teams receiving votes this season.
UP NEXT: Men's hoops will come right back to Georgia later this week as they travel to Albany State for their last "feast week" contest. The Panthers and Rams are scheduled to tip off at 7:00 PM on Saturday, November 29
th.
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.
