SAINT LEO, Fla. – Florida Tech made sure the 2024-25 season ended in memorable fashion, rallying from a 24-point first-half deficit to defeat Saint Leo on the road Saturday afternoon, 75-65. The Panthers were led by Isaiah Edden's 24 points, Max Polk's 21 points, and a double-double from Logan Allen.

Final: Florida Tech 75, Saint Leo 65
Records: Florida Tech (6-22, 3-17 SSC) Saint Leo (10-18, 5-15 SSC)
Location: Saint Leo, Fla. | Marion Bowman Activities Center

First Half:

• The Lions opened the game on a 12-0 run over the game's first 3:49 thanks to a pair of threes, two layups and two free throws.
• Can Kaan Turgut got the Panthers on the board at the 15:58 mark with a three.
• Saint Leo responded with a 7-0 burst over the ensuing 2:42 to stretch the lead to 16 before Max Polk knocked down his first triple of the afternoon.
• A polk layup and Isaiah Edden three cut the deficit to 25-11 with 10:38 to go in the half.
• From there, Saint Leo ripped off a 10-0 run over the next 3:42 to take a 24-point advantage.
• However, Florida Tech closed the half on a strong note, outscoring the Lions 17-2 over the final 6:55 of the half to cut the deficit to 37-28 at the break. Leading the charge were Polk with seven points and Edden with four.

 
Second Half:

• As the second half began, Florida Tech continued their efforts to chip away at the deficit but Saint Leo continued to keep Tech at arms' length.
• A Camden Cerese three gave the Lions a 51-40 lead with 12:27 remaining and from there, the Panthers went to work.
• Over the next 3:29, the Crimson and Gray went on an 8-2 surge to close the gap to five points. Logan Allen was responsible for half of the points during the initial run.
• After two SLU baskets pushed margin back to 57-48 with 7:36 to go, the Panthers responded with a 12-0 over the next 3:13 with an Edden three giving Tech their first lead of the game with 5:39 left. Allen had two threes during this run, Edden had four points and Polk had two.
• Down three with 4:23 remaining, Brady Corso was fouled in three-point range and had a chance to tie the game at the foul line.
• He made the first two but missed the third and that would prove crucial.
• After the miss that could've tied the game, the Panthers closed the game on a 15-6 run. Helping to secure the win were Edden (nine points), Marko Malekinusic (three points), Manos Dimou (two points) and Polk (one point).

 
NOTABLE PANTHERS:

• Isaiah Edden contributed a career-high 24 points on six-of-11 shooting from the field, including four-of-six from three along with eight-of-nine at the charity stripe. Edden also added seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.
• Logan Allen posted his third double-double of the season, scoring 14 points and a season-high 14 rebounds. In addition, Allen also blocked two shots.
• Max Polk provided 21 points, shooting seven-of-19 from the field and six-of-seven at the line. He finishes his 2024-25 with a scoring average of 16.96 points per game after averaging 5.9 the year before. Polk grabbed seven rebounds, dished three assists and two steals.

 
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

• The Panthers move to 49-67 all-time against Saint Leo.
• Since the start of the 2014-15 season, the Lions hold a 14-7 advantage in the series.
• Tech is 14-32 at Saint Leo since 1980. This was just the Panthers' fourth win at the Marion Bowman Center over the past 15 years.
• The Panthers' largest comeback over the past ten years had been from 15 points down, something they accomplished three times, most recently on February 17, 2018 at Palm Beach Atlantic.
• The Crimson and Gray scored 22 points from 16 Saint Leo turnovers.
• The Panthers out rebounded the Lions (44-43, 11-10 offensive rebounds) and won the points in the paint battle (32-26).

 

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