MELBOURNE, FLA. – Tech battled hard against Sunshine State Conference foe Tampa, but despite a strong offensive effort from Max Polk and Donovan Brown, the Panthers came up short in a 95-83 defeat at the Clemente Center.

FINAL: Florida Tech 83, Tampa 95
Records: Florida Tech (5-20, 2-15 SSC) Tampa (17-9, 9-9 SSC)
Locations: Melbourne, Fla | Clemente Center
 
STATS OF THE MATCH:

First Half:

• Donovan Brown scored the first basket of the night for Tech as the Panthers faced an earlier seven-point deficit.
• Again, Brown would get on the board with free throws after being fouled on a three-point shot and sink all of them.
• Income Xavier Ford-Belton who inserted himself with an emphatic and-one dunk for his first score of the game, Tech still trailing but now by three, 13-10.
• Tech tied the game at 17 after Isaiah Edden and Max Polk got involved, each with a three-pointer.
• The Panthers took their first lead of the night at 22-20 courtesy of free throws from Edden.
• Tech then hit five three-pointers consecutively, four from Polk, and those four all without an answer from Tampa.
• Tech's lead grew as large as 13, 38-25 during this run from the Panthers, but the Spartans wouldn't quit.
• Ben Csernak put in valuable minutes off the bench, contributing with five points and three rebounds in nine minutes.
• Csernak, Brown, and Polk helped keep the lead for Tech heading into the half.
• Polk led all scorers with 20 points, shooting an impressive 75%, 6/8 from three-point range.

 
Second Half:

• Tech started the second half building on their lead from an Edden layup, 52-38.
• Over the first five minutes of the half, Tech would answer every bucket from Tampa with a bucket of their own.
• At the 15-minute mark, Tampa sparked a 15-0 run, erasing the deficit and taking their first lead of the second half, 62-59.
• The Spartans' lead grew as high as nine over the next five minutes, but Tech didn't back down from the task.
• Can Kaan Turgut had crucial minutes down the stretch, with seven straight points to keep the Spartan lead within striking distance.
• Under five minutes thirty seconds, Brown and Polk would take the bulk of the offensive load, accounting for the final 13 for Tech.
• In just under two minutes, the Spartans grew their lead to a second-half high of 12, which they held to the end as they snuck away with a comeback win.

 
NOTABLE PANTHERS:

• Max Polk led the game in scoring with 28 points, shooting 47% from the field and 60% from three-point range, while Donovan Brown finished with the second most points in the game with 26 points, shooting 57% from the field and 60% from three-point range.

COACHES CORNER:

• "I thought we played the strongest first half of basketball we've played all year." Said Head Coach Billy Mims. "In the first half, we moved the ball well and got good open looks because our execution was great and Max Polk was on fire, he was 6/8 from three with 20 points at the half. Our three-point shooting in the first half was incredible, and we defended well both in the paint and on the perimeter. They held Tampa to just 38 points and 36% from the field in the effort. In the second half, I knew Tampa would come out more physical than they were in the first. They pressed us the entire second half, and we had 10 second-half turnovers, which created a lot of easier scoring opportunities for them, and our 15-point lead was erased from our turnovers. They rebounded well, dominating the glass, which helped them with second-chance opportunities. They also did a great job with contesting and containing our threes in the second half, and we were only able to hit one. I thought it was a great atmosphere; the Parker Foundation was a great support, and I wished we could have given them a victory, but the band, the cheerleaders, and our loyal fans were fantastic. A good atmosphere helped our guys. We just didn't play consistently well in the second half as we did the first, which decided the game.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

• Donovan Brown achieved 500+ points in the season as he was only four points away entering the game. He is the 20^th Panther to achieve this feat and the first Panther to score 500+ in their first season with the team since the 08-09 season.
• Max Polk scored his second most in the season with 28 points on the night.
• All-time vs. Tampa: 32-61
• Since the start of the 2014-15 season, the Spartans hold a now 12-10 advantage in the series.
• Tech is 24-20 all-time at home against Tampa

 
UP NEXT: The Panthers will travel to Fort Lauderdale to face No. 2 Nova Southeastern University on Wednesday, February 22, with tip-off at 4:00 pm.

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