TAMPA, Fla. –
Tai Roberts not only reached the 1,000-point milestone in her career, but she did it on an afternoon where she poured in a career-high 28 points, leading the Panthers to a 69–66 win over Davis & Elkins.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Florida Tech 69, Davis & Elkins 66
Records: Florida Tech (3-3, 0-1 SSC), Davis & Elkins (0-5, 0-0 MEC)
Location: Bob Martinez Athletics Center | Tampa, Fla.
FIRST QUARTER:
- The Senators' Kaitlyn Parker came out hot from deep, knocking down two early threes in the first two minutes.
- Tech answered by attacking the paint, tying the game at 6–6 at the 7:19 mark.
- Roberts splashed a three from the elbow to give the Panthers a 9–8 lead.
- A 6–0 run put Tech ahead 17–12 with two minutes remaining, highlighted by a Morin layup and a smooth fadeaway jumper.
- Davis & Elkins closed the quarter strong with a 7–2 run, evening the score at 19–19.
SECOND QUARTER:
- Parker opened the quarter by hitting another three, fueling a 12–2 Senators run.
- Roberts kept attacking the Davis & Elkins defense, knocking down a jumper and then her second three-pointer to pull Tech within three at 31–28.
- Layups from Amanda Ogbonna and Nandinkhusel Nyamjav helped steady the offense, and Roberts added three more points to finish with 11 in the quarter.
- The Panthers carried a four-point lead into halftime, up 36–32.
THIRD QUARTER:
- Nyamjav extended the lead to five after receiving a pass from Roberts, who grabbed an offensive rebound to create the second-chance opportunity.
- Tech built its largest lead of the quarter with 3:33 remaining, fueled by Roberts' scoring six points in a two-minute span.
- The Senators responded quickly, knocking down a three and adding three straight baskets to take a 52–51 lead.
- Roberts answered right back, converting a tough falling-away layup to put the Panthers back in front.
FOURTH QUARTER:
- Right away, Parker knocked down a three, but Nyamjav answered on the other end with a layup to tie it at 55–55.
- Ogbonna went to work on the glass, pulling down three rebounds before the seven-minute mark, which led to two free throws and a second-chance layup to regain the lead for Tech.
- Her effort set up momentum for an Elif Bayrak deep ball and a Nyamjav midrange jumper, pushing the Panthers ahead by seven.
- The Senators clawed back to make it 65–64, but Tech closed it out with clutch field goals from Morin and Roberts to seal the win.
NOTABLE PANTHERS:
- Tai Roberts led the Panthers in scoring for the second straight game, posting a career-high 28 points on nine made field goals and eight free throws.
- Amanda Ogbonna recorded her first career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, including four on the offensive glass.
- Nandinkhusel Nyamjav was a force defensively, finishing with two blocks and three steals.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE:
- The win moves the Panthers to 2–0 all-time against the Senators.
- It was the first meeting between the programs since a 69–52 Florida Tech victory on November 26, 2011, in Winter Park.
- Tech is now 10–6 all-time in neutral-site games played in Tampa.
- Roberts reached 1,000 points in her career. She is the first Panthers women's basketball player to reach the milestone since DelLise Williams in 2018.
UP NEXT: Florida Tech finishes its long road trip in Winter Park on Wednesday, December 3. The Panthers will play the Rollins Tars at 5:30 p.m. ET.
For the latest news, updates and information on the Florida Tech women'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.
