Panthers Downed 73-61 by Tritons in Second Go Around
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (men’s basketball) – Panthers winning streak ends as they fall 73-61 to Eckerd College in the second match-up of the year. Despite the
12 point loss, junior point guard E.J. Murray (Rockledge, Fla.) surpassed the 1000th career scoring mark totaling 1006 at the end of the game.
In the first match-up the two teams went down to the last seconds of the game as Eckerd pulled off a last second lay-up to take the game. A two month
layoff between the two conference teams didn’t lapse any excitement as game two started off just as close as the end of the first. Each team matched basket
for basket as neither side could push away from the other. At the 5:56 mark and the Tritons pushing an eight point lead at 27-19, the Panthers managed an
11-4 run to tie the game at 31-31 going into the halftime.
Murray who scored 16 in the first half on 4-4 shooting from 3-point range and knocking down both free throws led at the half. The team as hole shot 37.9%
from the field and 83.3% from downtown on 5-6 shooting. Defensively, the Panthers totaled 7 steals and caused 12 Triton turnovers in the close knitted
first half.
Not cooling off or getting cold, both sides seesawed back and forth through the start of the second half and through the tenth minute as Tech’s Justin
Sedlak (Pezinik, Slovakia) had what looked to be a momentum swinging dunk to got Tech within two 49-47. Just as the Panthers crept within two, the Tritons
pushed to a ten point lead that the crimson and grey hoopsters despite their efforts couldn’t come back against. The Tritons took the game with a final
score of 73-61.
Playing one of his best games in a Panther uniform Sedlak recorded his first double-double on the year as he totaled 20 points grabbing 10 rebounds. Murray
who scored 16 in the first half was shut down in the second as he scored one point from the free throw line totaling 17 for the night. Shooting well in the
first half, the Panthers went cold shooting only 31% in the second and fell to 16.7% from 3-point range. For the game, Tech shot 34.4% from the field and
50% from the arc. Defensively the team caused 24 turnovers but only converted 13 points off the turnovers and got out rebounded by 17; 48-32.
The Panthers now 7-17 and 3-9 face St. Leo at home on Saturday, February 10th with a tip off time approximately 4 pm after the women of Florida Tech takes
on the women of St. Leo at 2 pm.
Newspaper Box Score
Florida Tech vs Eckerd
02/07/07 7:30pm at St. Petersburg, Fla. (McArthur Center)
At St. Petersburg, Fla. (McArthur Center)
ECKERD 73, FLORIDA TECH 61
FLORIDA TECH (7-17, 3-9)
SEDLAK, Justin 9-18 2-3 20; MURRAY, EJ 5-14 3-4 17; WOODSON, Donovan 1-2 2-2
5; McNALLY, Carl 1-4 2-2 4; KELLEY, Jod 1-11 2-2 4; ZELLER, Sean 1-1 0-0 3;
PAROTTE, Edmond 1-1 0-0 2; BALLARD, Ryan 0-2 2-3 2; HILL, Matt 1-3 0-2 2;
MRKSIC, Janko 1-5 0-1 2; AGEE, Markus-Alan 0-0 0-0 0; RICHARDSON, Arthur 0-0
0-0 0; STEPHENS, David 0-0 0-0 0; SALLS, Joe 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-61 13-19
61.
ECKERD (18-5, 8-4)
CENATUS, Matt 5-11 4-4 16; KING, Josh 4-9 0-0 12; MORRIS, Damone 4-5 0-0 11;
HAZEL, Craig 4-8 2-2 10; KING-HOLLAND, Andre 3-6 1-3 7; WASHINGTON, Marcus
2-7 2-9 6; RUDAKAS, Jason 1-2 2-4 4; QUIRI, C.J. 1-2 1-2 3; KOSTERLITZ,
Chase 1-3 0-2 2; CANTENS, Joey 0-0 2-2 2; NICHOLS, Mycal 0-0 0-0 0. Totals
25-53 14-28 73.
Florida Tech……………… 31 30 – 61
Eckerd…………………… 31 42 – 73
3-point goals–Florida Tech 6-12 (MURRAY, EJ 4-6; ZELLER, Sean 1-1; WOODSON,
Donovan 1-1; HILL, Matt 0-1; McNALLY, Carl 0-2; SEDLAK, Justin 0-1), Eckerd
9-19 (KING, Josh 4-9; MORRIS, Damone 3-4; CENATUS, Matt 2-5; KOSTERLITZ,
Chase 0-1). Fouled out–Florida Tech-MRKSIC, Janko, Eckerd-None.
Rebounds–Florida Tech 32 (SEDLAK, Justin 10), Eckerd 48 (HAZEL, Craig 12).
Assists–Florida Tech 6 (MURRAY, EJ 2), Eckerd 14 (KING-HOLLAND, Andre 4).
Total fouls–Florida Tech 25, Eckerd 19. Technical fouls–Florida Tech-None,
Eckerd-None. A-281
