Mens Basketball Loses Tight Season Opener Against Bethune Cookman 67-59
DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. (men’s basketball) – The start of Florida Tech’s men’s basketball season started off well despite an eight point loss to the Wildcats
of Bethune Cookman 67-59.
The game started off with the Wildcats marking the first points of the game off a three pointer from Jimmy Hudson. Throughout the first half, the Panthers
and Wildcats clawed away at each other with neither team gaining more than a two point lead until 9:50 mark of the first half.
The Wildcats went on an 11 point run before the Panthers answered back with a dunk off a rebound from Justin Sedlak (Pezinik, Slovakia) keeping the deficit
at 11; 27-16. Sedlak’s dunked showed that despite the early run and hostel crowd of Bethune Cookman, the Panthers were not going away without a fight; and
fight they did.
Late in the first half and the lead of the Wildcats increasing to 14, the Panthers dug in and fought back going on a superb run of their own with five and
half minutes left in the half. The Panthers scored 17 unanswered points in a five minute span to take the lead away from the Wildcats heading into halftime
33-30.
Coming out of the break the Wildcats quickly tied and took the lead after two consecutive three pointers but the Panthers hung right around keeping the
game close. Each team, like the first half battled back and forth early on with five ties and five lead changes through the first ten minutes of the second
half.
As the lead gaped to nine points and time nearing end of regulation, Tech’s Carl McNally (Cocoa Beach, Fla.) who had the hot hand on the night hit a three
to get within one but it wasn’t enough as time was nearing the two minute mark. With the Wildcats lead at five, the Panthers hopes relied on misses from
the Wildcats free-throw line which finished out the game for Bethune; 67-59.
Florida Tech stepped up their game as they battled the hostile crowd and the Wildcats of Bethune Cookman College at Moore Gymnasium but fell just short in
a thrilling match up of two different programs; 67-59. Their showing tonight proved they are capable of playing at a high level and they hope to continue
this type of play throughout the season.
Tech was led by the hot hand of McNally who shot 8-13 from the field, 3-6 from 3-pt range, and 8-8 from the line ending with the game high of 27 points.
Jod Kelley (McCormick, S.C.) performed well for Tech as he had a double-double on the night with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Coming off the bench, Ryan
Ballard (Melbourne, Fla.) had strong numbers with nine points and six rebounds. Tech as a team shot 38.0% from the field and 85.7% from the free-throw line
on the night.
The Panthers now 0-1 take the floor next on Sunday, November 19th against UPR-Mayaguez at 4 pm in the Clemente Center.
Newspaper Box Score
Florida Tech vs Bethune-Cookman
11/16/06 7:40 pm at Daytona Beach, Fla. (Moore Gymnasium)
At Daytona Beach, Fla. (Moore Gymnasium)
BETHUNE-COOKMAN 67, FLORIDA TECH 59
FLORIDA TECH (0-1)
McNALLY, Carl 8-13 8-8 27; KELLEY, Jod 4-9 4-4 12; BALLARD, Ryan 3-6 3-5 9;
SEDLAK, Justin 2-8 3-4 7; RICHARDSON, Arthur 1-4 0-0 2; MURRAY, EJ 1-8 0-0
2; HILL, Matt 0-0 0-0 0; MRKSIC, Janko 0-2 0-0 0; CLARK, Damien 0-0 0-0 0.
Totals 19-50 18-21 59.
BETHUNE-COOKMAN (1-0)
HUDSON,Jimmy 6-12 0-1 16; CUMMINGS,Josh 4-8 0-0 12; NELSON,Aaron 4-14 2-4
10; PETTUS,Dewayne 2-18 4-6 9; CARRIER,Jordan 2-3 2-2 8; CREPPY,Kevan 3-9
1-2 7; ANDERSON,John 2-7 1-2 5; MURRAY,Walter 0-0 0-0 0; ALSTON,Kenyon 0-1
0-0 0. Totals 23-72 10-17 67.
Florida Tech……………… 33 26 – 59
Bethune-Cookman…………… 30 37 – 67
3-point goals–Florida Tech 3-18 (McNALLY, Carl 3-6; KELLEY, Jod 0-1;
BALLARD, Ryan 0-1; SEDLAK, Justin 0-2; RICHARDSON, Arthur 0-3; MURRAY, EJ
0-5), Bethune-Cookman 11-22 (CUMMINGS,Josh 4-7; HUDSON,Jimmy 4-8;
CARRIER,Jordan 2-2; PETTUS,Dewayne 1-5). Fouled out–Florida Tech-None,
Bethune-Cookman-None. Rebounds–Florida Tech 39 (KELLEY, Jod 13),
Bethune-Cookman 49 (CREPPY,Kevan 10). Assists–Florida Tech 11 (MURRAY, EJ
4), Bethune-Cookman 13 (CARRIER,Jordan 4). Total fouls–Florida Tech 16,
Bethune-Cookman 21. Technical fouls–Florida Tech-None,
Bethune-Cookman-ANDERSON,John. A-2621
Bethune-Cookman wins the season-opener for the 2006-07 season.
