BOCA RATON, Fla. – In a thriller of a game, the Panthers found a way to force two overtime periods but would fall to the Fighting Knights 75-65 on Wednesday night.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Florida Tech 65, Lynn 75
Records: Florida Tech (4-10, 1-6 SSC), Lynn (10-5, 4-3 SSC)
Location: de Hoernle Sports Center | Boca Raton, Fla.
 
FIRST QUARTER:

• Florida Tech controlled the opening tip and set an aggressive tone early, creating multiple second-chance opportunities with offensive rebounds from Remingtyn Smith, Michaela Medico, and Mikayla Morin.
• The Panthers applied defensive pressure in the opening minutes, forcing turnovers and limiting Lynn's early scoring chances, including a steal by Tai Roberts that led to transition opportunities.
• Despite Lynn striking first from beyond the arc, Tech responded with strong ball movement and perimeter shooting, as Elif Bayrak knocked down a three to tie the game midway through the quarter.
• Tech continued to attack in transition, with Roberts converting a fast-break layup and Morin providing steady scoring inside off Panther steals.
• Bayrak stayed hot from deep, draining her second three of the quarter to pull Tech even again late in the period.
• Strong interior defense highlighted the final minutes, including a block by Morin, as the Panthers closed the quarter competing on both ends and keeping the game within reach.

SECOND QUARTER:

• Florida Tech opened the second quarter with strong defensive pressure, forcing missed free throws and turning it into offense as Smith buried a three at 9:27 to extend the Panthers' lead.
• The Panthers continued to dictate tempo early, with Amanda Ogbonna finishing inside at 8:11 off a clean setup from Bayrak.
• After Lynn briefly answered from deep, Smith responded with a second-chance three at 6:54, keeping momentum firmly with Florida Tech.
• Bayrak attacked the rim for a driving layup at 6:18, followed shortly by a pull-up jumper from Sydney Logsdon to push the Panthers' advantage.
• Florida Tech controlled the glass on both ends, creating extra possessions through offensive rebounds by Ogbonna and Logsdon while limiting Lynn's opportunities.
• Ogbonna added another second-chance basket at 2:11 to put the Panthers back in front as the teams traded scores late.
• Lynn rattled off four points on turnovers for the 28-26 halftime advantage.

THIRD QUARTER:

• Tech opened the half with high defensive intensity, forcing early misses and controlling the boards.
• Bayrak sparked the offense with a strong drive to the basket, tying the game at 28–28.
• After Lynn briefly took the lead, Mikayla Morin responded with a layup to keep the Panthers within one.
• Smith knocked down a pull-up jumper at the 6:12 mark to give Tech its first lead of the half.
• Morin stayed productive inside, scoring twice in the paint as the teams traded leads midway through the quarter.
• Bayrak hit a timely three-pointer at 1:40 to cut into the deficit and swing momentum back to Tech.
• The Panthers fought through several lead changes and stayed aggressive on both ends before Lynn edged ahead late, sending Tech into the final quarter within striking distance. 

FOURTH QUARTER:

• Tech came out of the final period with energy, as Mikayla Morin's layup at 9:48 cut the deficit to four.
• Lynn responded with back-to-back baskets and a free throw from Trinity Mocadlo, pushing the lead back to seven early in the quarter.
• Following a brief scoring lull, Lynn hit a three at 6:45, extending Lynn's lead to 49–40 and prompting a Tech timeout.
• Ogbonna made two free throws at 6:21 to keep the Panthers within striking distance.
• Tech battled on the boards, grabbing multiple offensive rebounds but struggled to convert against Lynn's defense.
• Roberts sparked Tech late, sinking a fast-break three at 1:34 to cut the deficit to five, 51–46.
• Bayrak followed with a clutch three off a turnover at 0:49, bringing the margin down to just two points.
• Morin delivered in the final seconds, scoring a second-chance layup and converting the ensuing free throw at 0:06 to put Tech ahead 52–51.
• Lynn tied it at the line in the closing moments, 52–52, after Tech's last attempt was blocked, sending the game into overtime.

OVERTIME:

• Lynn controlled the opening tip in overtime, but Florida Tech set the tone defensively with strong rebounding and contested shots.
• Smith opened the scoring with a clutch three-pointer at 4:29, giving the Panthers an early boost.
• The Panthers continued to defend at a high level, forcing missed shots and turnovers to maintain momentum.
• Roberts was steady at the line midway through the period, knocking down back-to-back free throws to extend Tech's lead.
• Tech capitalized on another Lynn turnover late, which Smith stepped in front of the Knights' pass, adding a key free throw to stay in front.
• Roberts attacked the rim with 16 seconds remaining, finishing a driving layup to put the Panthers back on top.
• Lynn answered in the final seconds to force another tie, sending the game into a second overtime after a tightly contested extra period.

DOUBLE OVERTIME:

• Tech opened the second overtime with confidence, as Deirdre Miller scored inside to give the Panthers the early edge twenty seconds in.
• Lynn responded with a 13-2 run, building an 11-point lead.
• Bayrak knocked down a clutch three in the final minute to help
• The Panthers' effort and resilience were on full display through two overtimes in a hard-fought finish.

NOTABLE PANTHERS:

• Elif Bayrak again led the Panthers in scoring by way of the three-ball, tallying 19 points on five made threes.
• Mikayla Morin scored 13 points while also grabbing 9 rebounds.
• Remingtyn Smith recorded 12 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. She also drained a career-high three triples.
• Tai Roberts dropped 10 points, hauled in nine rebounds, and swiped three steals.

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE:

• The Panthers are 34-36 against Lynn.
• This was Tech's sixth-ever OT game vs. Lynn; they are now 2-4 in those games.
• Tai Roberts became the 14th player in program history with 200 career assists and the first to reach the mark since Fanny Hakanson on February 1, 2020. She is also the fourth player in program history to reach 1,000+ points, 400+ rebounds, 200+ assists, and 100+ steals. 

UP NEXT: Florida Tech returns to the Clemente Center to take on Florida Southern. The game is scheduled for Saturday, January 10 at 2 p.m. ET.

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