MELBOURNE, Fla. – Florida Tech concluded its portion of the Christmas Classic on Saturday evening as it played host to Claflin.
FLORIDA TECH CHRISTMAS CLASSIC – GAME TWO
Final: Florida Tech Panthers 74, Claflin Panthers 62
Records: Florida Tech (6-6, 2-2 SSC) | Claflin (6-6, 3-0 GLIAC)
Location: Clemente Center | Melbourne, Florida
GAME NOTES:
First Half:
· Claflin opened the game on a 10-2 run over the first 6:07 with five of the 10 points provided by Horace Jacques Jr.
· The Tech offense immediately sparked to life, going on an 11-0 run that was powered by five points from Brewer Nitcher and three-pointers from Ca'Darrius Sowell and Greyson Williams.
· Claflin answered with six unanswered to re-establish the lead with threes from Jacques Jr. and Lyonel Hodges at 6:49.
· Xavier Ford-Belton's three-point play at 5:54 brought the Crimson and Gray within and Noah Van Bibber's three-pointer one minute later gave Florida Tech a 20-18 lead.\
· Claflin responded with a 6-0 burst in the next 1:20 would give them an advantage that they would keep for the remainder of the half.
HALFTIME SCORE - Florida Tech 28, Claflin 33
Second Half:
· Trailing by five at the 17:12 mark, Florida Tech's offense clicked into gear with a Grant Lovette layup and a Sowell triple, tying the game.
· Claflin answered with five points in 40 seconds to restore the cushion.
· Threes on consecutive possessions from Van Bibber and Ty Harpring gave Tech a 44-43 lead with 13:24 to go.
· The teams traded baskets with Claflin going back in front, 47-46, with 11:50 remaining on a Ramere Draper breakaway dunk.
· A Harpring three-ball on the next possession by Harpring began an 18-5 run over the ensuing 4:48 that put the Crimson and Gray ahead for good. Keying the rally was six points from Sowell
· Claflin scored the next six points over the following 2:46 to cut the deficit to 64-59 with 3:54 left.
· Williams answered with a three-pointer on the following possession, and Claflin never got closer from there.
FINAL SCORE - Florida Tech 74, Claflin 62
NOTABLE PANTHERS:
• Ca'Darrius Sowell led the Panthers with 13 points, knocking down four field goals, all from beyond the arc, while adding seven rebounds and three assists in 30 minutes.
• Ty Harpring also finished with 13 points, shooting 5-of-10 from the field and 3-of-8 from the perimeter, while contributing two assists.
• Grant Lovette filled the stat sheet with 11 points, seven rebounds, and two assists, going a perfect 3-of-4 from the floor and 3-of-4 at the free throw line.
• Xavier Ford-Belton scored 10 points and tied for the team lead with seven rebounds, adding three assists and three steals in 29 minutes of action.
• Noah Van Bibber provided a spark off the bench with nine points, connecting on three triples and grabbing four rebounds.
• Greyson Williams contributed eight points, four rebounds, and a team-high four assists along with two steals.
• Sterling White III made his presence felt defensively, dishing out a game-high eight assists and adding five points in 25 minutes.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
· Florida Tech now leads the all-time series, 2-1. This was the first meeting between the schools in exactly 11 years.
· Tech is now 8-3 all-time against teams from the CIAA.
· Xavier Ford-Belton's seven rebounds give him 200 for his Florida Tech career. He is the sixth Panther to reach that mark in the 2020s and the first since Elias Martin in February 2023.
· The Panthers shot 40% from three-point range, their second-highest mark of the season.
· Tech recorded 20 assists as a team, also the second-highest total this year.
· The Crimson and Gray tallied a season-high 12 steals.
UP NEXT: Florida Tech will return to the court on New Year's Eve to close out 2025 at the Clemente Center with the Karman Clash against Embry-Riddle. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 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.
