Tech Men Upset Nova Southeastern in SSC Men’s Basketball
MELBOURNE, Fla. (men’s basketball) – Sweet revenge was granted to the Men’s basketball team of Florida Tech as they defeated the Sharks 63-59 on their home
court of the Clemente Center to give them their forth win in the Sunshine State Conference.
Defense played a huge role in the Panthers victory as the team combined for twelve steals causing twentytwo Shark turnovers on the night. E.J. Murray
(Rockledge, Fla.) and Carl McNally (Cocoa Beach, Fla.) combined for eight steals; four apiece while Justin Sedlak (Pezinik, Slovakia) had three steals for
the game. That same trio combined for 46 of the Panthers 63 points on the night each scoring in double figures.
Through the first half, the two teams battled it out as the Panthers and Sharks tied each other eight times and changed leads a total of 11 times in the
first half. As neither side could get more than four points ahead of the other, the Sharks held a three point lead going into intermission 36-33.
Out of the intermission, the Sharks in the first five minutes broke out to a ten point lead going on a 10-3 run taking the score to 46-36 with 15:18 left
to play in regulation. Over the next five minutes the Panthers rallied back going on their own 11-3 run to get with two of NSU 49-47 with 10:22 left to
play. The Sharks were able to maintain the lead until Tech’s McNally tied the game from the free throw line at 55-55 and then take their first lead of the
second half off another pair of free throws to put the Panthers up by two; 57-55. Nova would tie the game at 57 then again at 59-59 with a minute and half
left in regulation. Junior forward Jod Kelley (McCormick, S.C.) would retake the lead for the Panthers at 61-59 seconds after the Sharks tied it up. After
a pair of missed free throws by the Sharks, reservist point guard Ryan Ballard (Melbourne, Fla.) who checked if with under a minute to play stepped to the
free throw line with the opportunity to ice the game for the Panthers with less than ten seconds to play. Ryan staying calm and composed hit the first and
then the second to mark Tech’s final points of the game to take the game 63-59.
Offensively, Sedlak had the game of 18 points while McNally scored 17 and Murray scoring 11 points. McNally down the stretch hit key free throws to tie and
eventually take the lead for the Panthers as he went 9-11 from the free throw line. Murray also dished out 6 assists and grabbed a team high of 9 rebounds
on the night while Sedlak grabbed 7 boards on the night. Kelley chipped in 9 points and grabbed 6 boards.
The Panthers are now 8-19 overall and 4-11 in the SSC will travel to Winter Park, Fla. in their last SSC game of the year to take on the Tars of Rollins
College on Wednesday, February 21st with a tip off time approximately around 7:30pm. For more coverage on the win read Carl Kotala’s story from
Florida Today at http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070218/SPORTS/702180358/1002/SPORTS
Newspaper Box Score
Nova Southeastern vs Florida Tech
02/17/07 4:00pm at Melbourne, Fla. (Clemente Center)
At Melbourne, Fla. (Clemente Center)
FLORIDA TECH 63, NOVA SOUTHEASTERN 59
NOVA SOUTHEASTERN (12-13, 7-8)
WOOD, Josh 5-15 2-3 14; NAYLOR, David 5-12 1-5 12; AGUIAR, Diego 5-10 2-4
12; CHESTER, Kevin 4-6 2-2 10; REDDEN, Donovan 1-2 1-4 4; MARTIN, Rhys 2-4
0-0 4; COENRAAD, Tim 1-5 0-0 3; SMITH, Jordan 0-0 0-0 0; DEL CALVO, Jason
0-1 0-0 0. Totals 23-55 8-18 59.
FLORIDA TECH (8-19, 4-11)
SEDLAK, Justin 6-15 5-9 18; McNALLY, Carl 4-9 9-11 17; MURRAY, EJ 4-12 3-7
11; KELLEY, Jod 4-11 0-0 9; CLARK, Damien 1-2 2-2 4; MRKSIC, Janko 1-2 0-0
2; BALLARD, Ryan 0-0 2-2 2; RICHARDSON, Arthur 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-51 21-31
63.
Nova Southeastern…………. 36 23 – 59
Florida Tech……………… 33 30 – 63
3-point goals–Nova Southeastern 5-17 (WOOD, Josh 2-8; COENRAAD, Tim 1-4;
NAYLOR, David 1-2; REDDEN, Donovan 1-2; DEL CALVO, Jason 0-1), Florida Tech
2-15 (SEDLAK, Justin 1-5; KELLEY, Jod 1-3; MURRAY, EJ 0-5; McNALLY, Carl
0-2). Fouled out–Nova Southeastern-AGUIAR, Diego, Florida Tech-SEDLAK,
Justin. Rebounds–Nova Southeastern 40 (WOOD, Josh 10; CHESTER, Kevin 10),
Florida Tech 33 (MURRAY, EJ 9). Assists–Nova Southeastern 13 (MARTIN, Rhys
3; CHESTER, Kevin 3; REDDEN, Donovan 3), Florida Tech 11 (MURRAY, EJ 6).
Total fouls–Nova Southeastern 21, Florida Tech 16. Technical fouls–Nova
Southeastern-None, Florida Tech-TEAM. A-807
