MELBOURNE, Fla. – A 10-0 run from the Panthers in the final minutes of the game pushed Tech to a 51-47 victory. The Tech defense held Palm Beach Atlantic their second lowest point total of the season while also holding them to 33.3% shooting from the field.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Florida Tech 51, Palm Beach Atlantic 47
Records: Florida Tech (8-15, 5-11 SSC), Palm Beach Atlantic (11-13, 7-9 SSC)
Location: Clemente Center | Melbourne, Fla.
FIRST QUARTER:
- After a defensive stand that included a block and a forced turnover, Amanda Ogbonna put Tech on the board with the game's first basket just over a minute in.
- Palm Beach Atlantic responded with a three from the top of the key to grab the early lead.
- Following a brief scoring lull, the Sailfish knocked down a corner triple and added a free throw to stretch the margin to 7–2.
- Elif Bayrak answered despite pressure, drilling a three to pull the Panthers back within one possession.
- PBA countered with a driving layup and and-one to push the advantage to five midway through the quarter.
- With three minutes left, Deirdre Miller buried a corner three to trim the deficit to two.
- After another Sailfish triple, Tai Roberts sliced through the defense for a layup and converted the free throw, sending Tech into the break trailing 13–11.
SECOND QUARTER:
- Trading layups on consecutive possessions kept the margin at two through the opening minutes of the quarter.
- A brief scoring drought followed before the Sailfish knocked down a three at the 6:07 mark to stretch the lead to 18-13.
- A Bayrak tip-in and a Miller three-pointer quickly answered, trimming the deficit to 20-18.
- Bayrak then evened the score at 20-20, but Palm Beach Atlantic responded with a 7-0 run to regain control.
- The period closed with Bayrak drilling a three off a sharp assist from Remingtyn Smith to keep Tech within striking distance at the half.
THIRD QUARTER:
- Florida Tech struck quickly to open the half, as Elif Bayrak pulled up in the paint for a midrange jumper less than 30 seconds in.
- About a minute later, Tai Roberts attacked the rim for a driving layup, knotting the score at 27–27.
- Palm Beach Atlantic answered with back-to-back three-pointers, regaining momentum and moving ahead midway through the quarter.
- A steal by Deirdre Miller sparked the Panthers defensively, but the Sailfish capitalized on the other end to maintain a 33–29 edge.
- The score hovered at 35–31 for nearly three minutes before each side traded baskets, with Roberts converting inside for Tech.
- Both defenses tightened in the final 35 seconds, as neither team allowed a score to close out the period.
FOURTH QUARTER:
- Palm Beach Atlantic opened the fourth with a free throw to extend its lead to 38-33 just over a minute in.
- Out of a timeout, Remingtyn Smith attacked off a screen and finished at the rim to pull the Panthers within three.
- After a Sailfish layup, Deirdre Miller answered from deep, cutting the deficit to two with 7:30 remaining.
- Miller stayed hot with another triple and then drew a charge on the defensive end, giving Tech possession trailing 42-41 with under six minutes to play.
- Facing a three-point deficit, Smith came up with a clutch block on a three-point attempt, leading to multiple Panther scoring opportunities.
- Defensive stops down the stretch sent Mikayla Morin and Tai Roberts to the free-throw line, trimming the gap to 47-45 inside the final minute.
- With 26.7 seconds left, Morin pivoted through traffic for an and-one finish, giving Florida Tech its first lead of the game at 48-47.
- The Panthers' defense forced Palm Beach Atlantic to foul, and Elif Bayrak calmly knocked down both free throws to extend the lead.
- A missed three by the Sailfish sealed it, and Michaela Medico added the final free throw to secure the 51-47 comeback victory.
NOTABLE PANTHERS:
- Elif Bayrak led the team with 16 points and tied with eight rebounds.
- Deirdre Miller landed four triples for 12 points and was impressive on the defensive.
- Remingtyn Smith tallied six assists and two steals.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE:
- All-time versus Palm Beach Atlantic the Panthers are 31-12
- Tech is 19-4 all-time at home against Palm Beach Atlantic.
- The Panthers outrebounded the Sailfish 40-25
- First time holding PBA under 50 since January 19, 2019.
UP NEXT: Florida Tech remain at home to play Nova Southeastern in the Clemente Center on Saturday for Valentine's Day. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. ET.
For the latest news, updates and information on the Florida Tech women'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.
