MELBOURNE, FLA. – Donovan Brown led the game in points with 19 points, Logan Allen recorded his second double-double of the season with a career-high in rebounds, and Xavier Ford-Belton set a career-high in points with 16 points, but the last shot didn't fall for the Panthers as they lost by two on the road to Rollins.

FINAL: Florida Tech 68, Rollins 70
Records: Florida Tech (4-18, 1-13 SSC) Rollins (14-8, 7-6 SSC)
Locations: Winter Park, Fla | Warden Arena
 
STATS OF THE MATCH:

First Half:

• Isaiah Edden started this game for the Panthers with a pull-up jumper in response to the first basket of the game from Rollins, 2-2.
• The game would be a back-and-forth contest early until around the sixteen-minute mark when Tech would take the first run in the game (9-4), bringing the score to 11-6.
• The whole lineup would get active for Tech, as Donovan Brown, Logan Allen, and Xavier Ford-Belton would all get on the board.
• The highlight of the scoring came from a steal and fast-break dunk from Ford-Belton.
• The Tars would respond to get right back in the mix and tie things at 11 all.
• The Panthers wouldn't bat an eye as Brown and Allen would continue to have success offensively.
• Max Polk would insert himself down the stretch for the Panthers, while also Donovan Murphy would also get on the board for Tech as the only reserve to enter the game for the Panthers.
• The score would remain close as the largest lead would be just six for Tech, but up five right before a tip-in layup for the Tars just before the half would cut that lead to three.
• Brown and Allen led the Panthers with eight points each, while Allen was an absolute monster on the glass, collecting 10 rebounds.

 
Second Half:

• The number one three-point shooter in the conference, Polk, saw a three-pointer fall early in the second half as the Panthers continued to battle, 38-38.
• Ford-Belton played a key role in the second half with his off-ball defense, causing turnovers, deflected passes, and blocks.
• On the offensive end, Ford-Belton's rim presence would be felt as he scored 11 of 13 points down the stretch for Tech all by way of layup and free throws, but Tech would trail by two, 56-54.
• After a steal from Brown, Edden would hit a key jumper to tie the game at 56 all.
• With the game tied, it would become a show run by Brown, the third-leading scorer in the conference, as he scored seven of the final 11 for Tech.
• The Panthers were in a prime position to steal the game from the Tars with the last shot, but a bad bounce around the rim would cause a jump ball with just two seconds left, with the possession going to the Tars up one, 69-68.
• One free throw from the Tars would make it a two-point lead, and after the second free throw miss, there just wasn't enough time for the Panthers to get a shot off, and they would fall 70-68.

 
NOTABLE PANTHERS:

• Donovan Brown finished with a game-high 19 points and collected five boards with one steal.
• Logan Allen led the game in rebounds. He recorded his second double-double of the season, including a career-high 13 rebounds with a career-high 10 defensive and one block in the second most minutes he's played in a game this season at 39.
• Xavier Ford-Belton scored a career-high 16 points and finished with six rebounds, two blocks, two steals, and one assist on the night.

COACHES CORNER:
"Extremely proud of the team tonight," said Head Coach Billy Mims. "Over the past couple of weeks, we've continued to play better and better, and our young team is improving. We had four starters in double digits and executed the offense well. We missed some wide-open shots but rebounded well overall.

"The Tars only won the game in two areas: three-pointers and free throws. They shot 27 free throws to our 13, and we never made it into the bonus in the second half; they made more free throws than we shot free throws, but we won the points in the paint. However, a one-point game with seconds to go, and unfortunately, we didn't make the shot, and the whistle didn't go in our favor.

"I felt we played well enough to win and Logan Allen had 10 rebounds in the first half alone which was huge for us, another huge performance came from Xavier Ford-Belton, and it seems like he picked up right where he left off from last week's defensive player of the week performance even being in foul trouble early on. Donovan Brown's efficiency was off the charts, and he responded well to lead the game in points after not playing last week. I feel bad for the guys tonight because we played well enough to win the game, and they deserved to. "

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

• Tech shot over 50% from the field for the first time this season.
• Four Panthers scored in double-digits.
• All-time vs. Rollins: 34-72
• Since the start of the 2014-15 season, Rollins holds a 12-8 advantage in the series, including eight of the past 11.
• Tech is 19-28 all-time at Rollins.

 
UP NEXT:
The Panthers will end their two-game road trip and return home to host the Barry University Buccaneers on Saturday, February 8, at 4 pm at the Clemente Center

For the latest news, updates, and information on the Florida Tech Men'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.