ORLANDO, Fla. – Xavier Ford-Belton has been named the Sunshine State Conference Defensive Player of the Week. Ford-Belton was the catalyst for a Panther defense that gave up the least amount of points in the SSC this last week and went 1-1, securing the team's first conference win of the year.

Xavier began his week by tying his career high in blocks with three against Rollins while also having three steals and five rebounds. Behind his strong defensive play, Tech held Rollins to just 24 points in the first half as the Panthers went on to secure the win. In the second game of the week against Saint Leo, Xavier set a new career high with four steals. He also added two blocks and eight rebounds in the effort while also contributing 12 points offensively.

Head Coach Will Murphy on Xavier Ford-Belton, "X is a versatile player who can fill a lot of roles on the defensive end of the floor. He has the ability to guard multiple positions, rebound at a high level as well as affect shots as a secondary defender. Happy that he is being recognized for his talent."

This is Ford-Belton's second Player of the Week honor of his Florida Tech career. The Panthers are off this week but will return to action on December 16^th when they host Eckerd. This game kicks off a four-game home stand over the holidays for Tech.

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