MELBOURNE, Fla. – The Florida Tech Holiday Classic wraps up with a women's basketball 73-56 loss to Mercy. Three Panthers scored in double figures.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Florida Tech 56, Mercy 73
Records: Florida Tech (4-7, 1-3 SSC), Mercy (6-5, 3-1 ECC)
Location: Clemente Center | Melbourne, Fla.

FIRST QUARTER:

• Mercy opened the second quarter with a quick 6-0 spurt, extending its lead to 27-14 before Florida Tech settled in defensively.
• The Panthers began to chip away as Tai Roberts attacked the rim and Nandinkhusel Nyamjav converted at the line, trimming the margin to 29-23 midway through the quarter.
• After a Mercy bucket pushed the lead back to five, Roberts buried a three-pointer at 7:10, sparking a brief Tech surge.
• The Mavericks answered with interior scoring and timely perimeter shots, rebuilding separation and moving ahead 32-29 late in the half.
• Mercy closed the quarter strong at the free-throw line, taking a 32-29 advantage into halftime. 

SECOND QUARTER:

• Florida Tech came out attacking to start the second, as Tai Roberts finished a drive at the 9:00 mark to cut the deficit to 21-16.
• The Panthers continued to chip away at the line, with Amanda Ogbonna and Elif Bayrak combining for three free throws to make it 21-19 at 7:37.
• Roberts drained a clutch three at 7:10 and followed with a pair of free throws at 6:23, briefly giving Tech a 24-23 advantage.
• Mercy responded with points in the paint, but the Panthers stayed in front when Nandinkhusel Nyamjav scored inside at 4:39 to put Tech up 27-25.
• The Mavericks closed the half strong with late free throws and a layup, carrying a 32-29 lead into the break. 

THIRD QUARTER:

• Mercy opened the quarter with a three-pointer at 9:33 to extend its lead to 35-29.
• Morin made an immediate impact on the boards, earning a trip to the line at 9:08 and cutting the deficit to five.
• The Mavericks continued to attack inside, pushing the margin to 39-30 at the 7:06 mark.
• Remingtyn Smith steadied the Panthers with a pair of free throws at 6:55 to keep Tech within reach.
• Mercy followed with consecutive layups, stretching the lead to 45-32 midway through the period.
• Morin sparked a late response, scoring six points over the final four minutes, including a layup at 3:19 and two free throws at 2:36.
• However, Mercy closed the half strong with two three-pointers in the final 2:30, sending the Panthers into halftime trailing 53-40. 

FOURTH QUARTER:

• Bayrak opened the fourth quarter with a strong inside layup, cutting the deficit to 11 points.
• Mercy responded with a seven-point run, capped by a three-point play at the free-throw line to push their lead to 60-42.
• Bayrak kept Tech in striking distance with a three-point play at 5:54 and later nailed a three-pointer at 3:52.
• Facing an 18-point gap, Ogbonna scored consecutive layups in the paint to keep the Panthers competitive.
• Mercy added five late points to secure a 73-56 victory.

NOTABLE PANTHERS:

• Mikayla Morin led Florida Tech with 11 points and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds, including five on the offensive glass.
• Elif Bayrak and Tai Roberts each contributed 10 points, providing key scoring support.
• Remingtyn Smith facilitated the offense with four assists and added two steals on the defensive end.

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE:

• First-ever meeting between the Tech and Mercy

UP NEXT: Florida Tech is back in the Clemente Center for a New Year's Even matchup versus rival Embry-Riddle at 4 p.m. ET.