Tech Panthers Take Eckerd Tritons 75-64 in Second Half Surge

MELBOURNE, Fla. -Junior Danielle Vaughn (Tallahassee, Fla.) led the Panthers in a Sunshine State Conference women’s basketball victory 75-64 over the
Eckerd College Tritons (2-14, 0-5) at the Clemente Center this evening.

Despite a slow start, Florida Tech (10-7, 4-2) was able to take two SSC games in a row shutting down the Tritons who have not been able to win a conference
game yet this season. At the half, the Panthers headed into the locker room up by only three 26-23. Tech allowed the Tritons to control most of the first
ten minutes of play.

Eckerd struck first off a jumper by sophomore Tameron Armbristor (Plantation, Fla.). The Tritons held the lead for the next four minutes until sophomore
Kassi Crimi (Jordan, Minn.) hit a lay-up taking the lead 7-6.

The score see-sawed for the next eight minutes when the Panthers finally jumped onto the lead after sophomore Tenisha Chase (Temple Hills, Md.) hit one
from the key putting the score at 16-15 on the board.

Second half play began the same way with the Panthers relinquishing the lead after five minutes of play.

Junior K.C. Gavin (Palm Harbor, Fla.) nailed one for the Tritons when teammate freshman Gabby Gattuso (Largo, Fla.) stole the ball and dished it in the
paint for the 34-32 edge.

Eckerd’s Gavin tied the game up for the seventh and final time for her team.

Tech’s junior guard Jen Tamilio (Boston, Mass.) hit one of her three three-pointers for the game pushing the Panthers ahead by a basket 47-45. The Panther
fans exploded when Tamilio and sophomore Amanda Muns hit back to back three point baskets with five minutes left.

Tamilio pushed Tech to grab the lead and never look back going up by as much as 12 points in the final eight minutes of action.

Tech led in scoring hitting 24-out of-58 (41.4%) from the field, while Eckerd only managed to sink 16-out of-53 (30.2%).

Fouls were generously distributed on both ends of the court with Eckerd having 27 while Florida Tech finishing with 25. The Tritons shot more effectively
from the line making 82.9% to the Panthers’ disappointing 62.2%.

Defensively, Tech had 40 boards to Eckerd’s 35 for the game. Both juniors’ Danise Fequiere (Miami, Florida) and Shante Johnson (Orlando, Florida) patrolled
the paint well for the Panthers. Fequiere pulled down eight rebounds and chipped in ten points while Johnson added seven boards and a block.

Tamilio followed Vaughn with 15 points and Chase garnered nine points and five assists.