SAINT LEO, Fla. – Michaela Medico posted a career-best performance and was joined by three other Panthers in double figures as Florida Tech earned a 77–74 road win over Saint Leo. A dominant effort on the glass proved decisive, with Tech outrebounding the Lions 60–31 to control the tempo and seal the victory.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Florida Tech 77, Saint Leo 74
Records: Florida Tech (7-13, 4-9 SSC), Saint Leo (3-12, 3-10 SSC)
Location: Marion Bowman Activities Center | Saint Leo, Fla.
 
FIRST QUARTER:

• Tech controlled the opening tip and got on the board first as Deirdre Miller finished inside off a feed from Amanda Ogbonna.
• Saint Leo responded with consecutive three-pointers capitalizing on Panther turnovers to grab an early lead.
• Attacking the paint paid off as Ogbonna scored two minutes into the quarter, keeping Tech within striking distance.
• A steal by Remingtyn Smith led to a fast-break layup from Tai Roberts, knotting the score at 7–7.
• Elif Bayrak sparked the offense from deep, drilling a three-pointer to even the game at 10–10.
• Late perimeter shooting gave Tech momentum, with Bayrak and Smith connecting from beyond the arc.
• Tech carried a slim 21–19 advantage into the second quarter after a tightly contested first period.

SECOND QUARTER:

• The period began with physical, back-and-forth possessions before Tech capitalized on a Roberts' takeaway, turning it into a Morin layup at 9:27.
• Saint Leo briefly evened the score with a transition three, but the Panthers responded by extending possessions through a flurry of offensive rebounds around the eight-minute mark.
• Momentum swung back to Tech when Roberts attacked in transition and converted at the free-throw line to reclaim the lead at 7:35.
• A productive mid-quarter stretch saw the Panthers lean into second-chance opportunities, highlighted by Bayrak's putback at 6:19 as Tech controlled the paint.
• Energy picked up when Medico scored on consecutive trips, including a fastbreak finish that helped create separation heading into the media timeout with a score of 31-25.
• Each Saint Leo response was met with an answer, as Ogbonna finished a second-chance bucket at 4:24 followed by another Medico score inside at 3:20.
• The half, closed with continued hustle, as Bayrak added a second-chance jumper at 2:44 and Tech stayed aggressive attacking the lane late.
• The Panthers closed the quarter with a decisive run, getting back-to-back buckets in the final 20 seconds to take a 45-33 lead into halftime.

THIRD QUARTER:

• Tech opened the second half with a defensive stop, then went inside to Amanda Ogbonna for back-to-back scores that stretched the lead to 49–33.
• Saint Leo capitalized on a pair of Panther turnovers with quick baskets, cutting the margin to 49–37 and shifting momentum briefly.
• The Panthers responded by continuing to attack the paint, highlighted by an Elif Bayrak second-chance finish at 5:24 to make it 51–37.
• The Lions found success from long range midway through the period, knocking down threes at 4:12 and 3:40 to trim the lead to 51–45.
• Tech stayed composed late in the quarter, earning points at the free-throw line and limiting Saint Leo's chances.
• Despite the Lions pulling within one late, the Panthers closed the quarter steady at the stripe and carried a 55–53 advantage into the fourth.

FOURTH QUARTER:

• The final period began with a gritty effort as a putback from Roberts, followed by the and-one, pushed the Panthers' lead to five at 9:10.
• Ogbonna countered Saint Leo's early push with a finish inside, though the Lions responded with a second-chance three and a fast-break layup to have the 63-60 edge with 6:36 left.
• Tech regained control through physical play on the boards, as Medico scored on a second-chance opportunity and Roberts turned a Medico steal into a layup.
• Saint Leo pulled even late from the free-throw line, but the Panthers remained composed and earned crucial trips to the stripe in the closing minute to reestablish separation.
• A late Lion three made it tight, but Tech sealed the win at the line and closed it out with a final defensive stand, capped by a steal from Roberts at the buzzer in the 77–74 victory.

NOTABLE PANTHERS:

• Michaela Medico's 14-point second quarter sparked a 18-point performance on 9-for-12 shooting for her collegiate career-high, and grabbed nine boards
• Amanda Ogbonna topped her career-high in points, putting up 17 while also hauling in 10 rebounds for her second double-double. Eight of her rebounds were on the offensive side of the ball.
• Remingtyn Smith in consecutive games was a menace on defensive, recording five steals. She also recorded seven rebounds and six assists in the game.
• Tai Roberts and Elif Bayrak tallied double-digit points with 15 and 13, respectively.

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE:

• The Panthers improved to 57-24 all-time against Saint Leo
• Tech is 26-13 all-time at Saint Leo and recorded consecutive wins at the Marion Bowman Activities Center since winning six straight between January 29, 2011 and February 20, 2016. 
• Second-most steals in a game with 10.
• Sixty rebounds in the most by the Panthers in a single game this season and the most since Tech recorded 66 against Claflin in 2018.

UP NEXT: The Panthers go for the sweep against Rollins on Wednesday, February 4. The tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. ET.
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