Panthers Hook Sailfish 77-67 for Second Win of the Season

admin November 30, 2006

MELBOURNE, Fla. (men’s basketball) – Rebounding after a harsh week facing two Division I opponents, the Panthers returned home to face Palm Beach Atlantic
University in a South Regional match up defeating the Sailfish 77-67 to get back in the ‘W’ column earning their second win on the season.

With home court advantage the Panthers went up early 11-7 before the Sailfish made an 8-2 point run to tie the game a 15-15 with twelve minutes left in the
half. Over the next six minutes the teams tied again at 19-19 but a four point run by the Panthers put them up 23-19 at the 8:17 mark of the first half.
The Sailfish battling back went on a 6-0 run taking their first lead of the game at 25-23. Minutes later Tech retook the lead at 27-25 but couldn’t hold
the lead as Palm Beach Atlantic hit a three pointer at the 4:30 mark to retake the lead at 30-27. With a 7-3 run with only minutes left in the half, Tech
recaptured the lead at 34-33 and never looked back as the Panthers lead at halftime 39-34.

The first half saw six ties and four lead changes with Tech leading at the half 39-34. The crimson and white were held together through the half shooting
50% from the field, 87.5% from the stripe, and hit all three of their three pointers in the half. Tech played big in the paint out-rebounding the Sailfish
21-15 and blocking three shots. Tech also held the Sailfish to only 34% shooting from the field in the half.

As the second half got under way, Tech went on a 6-0 run pushing their lead to nine with just over ten minutes left in the half. Looking to take control of
the game, Tech allowed the Sailfish to fight back going on a 6-0 run of their own in a minute and half to only trail the Panthers by one; 57-56. Flirting
with disaster and seeing their lead slip away, the Panthers dug in and went on a 13-6 run with 9:33 left on the clock keeping a six point lead at 70-64.
With time running out, the Panthers held strong answering the call from the free throw line hitting 18 out of 28 in the second half which helped the
Panthers gain their second win of the season with the 77-67 defeat of the Sailfish.

As a team, every player who saw time contributed for the Panthers second win of the season with four of the five starters scoring in double figures. Justin
Sedlak (Pezinik, Slovakia) and Janko Mrksic (Stoney, Creek, Ontario) recorded double-doubles on the night as Sedlak scored the game high of 18 points but
fell one short of Mrksic’s game high of 12 rebounds on the night with 11. Janko, despite fouling out played extremely well in 34 minutes scoring 17 points,
three assists, three blocks, and two steals to go along with his 12 rebounds. Arthur Richardson (Niceville, Fla.) contributed 10 points on 3-6 shooting
from the field, 2-5 from 3-pt range, and 2-2 from the line. Carl McNally (Cocoa Beach, Fla.) scored a majority of his 16 points from the free throw line
going 10-14 from the strip while hitting three field goals on the night. Junior, Jod Kelley (McCormick, S.C.) the fifth starter held strong defensively for
the Panthers recording three of the teams seven blocks on the night and recorded six rebounds. Tech’s three reservists off the bench in 27 minutes of play
in the game recorded 13 points and seven boards for the team as it was a team effort for the win.

As a hole, Tech got to the line 44 times converting 32 of them for 72.7% from the strip for the game. Tech slipped a little in second half shooting 38.5%
from the field but for the game shot 43.8%. The crimson and whites success on the floor came from pounding the ball inside with their size scoring 36 of
their 77 points in the paint and getting 15 second chance points. Florida Tech’s aggressiveness throughout the game caused 14 turnovers and tied their
season high of seven blocks on the night.

Florida Tech now 2-3 on the season open up Sunshine State Conference play in a double header match up with the women of Florida Tech on their home court of
the Clemente Center on December 2nd at 4 p.m. against the Tritons of Eckerd College with the women tipping off at 2 p.m.

Newspaper Box Score
Palm Beach Atlantic vs Florida Tech
11/29/06 7:30 pm at Clemente Center, Melbourne, Fla.
At Clemente Center, Melbourne, Fla.
FLORIDA TECH 77, PALM BEACH ATLANTIC 67
PALM BEACH ATLANTIC (1-6)
REED, Lawrence 4-8 4-7 13; LOPEZ, Manny 2-5 5-5 11; FOREMAN, Spencer 5-11
0-4 10; BUZZARD, Rudy 4-5 1-2 9; BARNES, Derek 2-13 0-0 6; ANTHONY, Fitzroy
2-6 0-0 5; McCOWAN, Jared 1-6 1-2 4; POWELL, David 1-6 2-3 4; TUCKER, Sean
1-6 0-0 3; MADDISON, Ian 0-1 2-2 2; SMITH, Grahm 0-0 0-0 0; CERNEK, Jonathan
0-2 0-0 0. Totals 22-69 15-25 67.
FLORIDA TECH (2-3)
SEDLAK, Justin 5-9 8-14 18; MRKSIC, Janko 7-13 3-4 17; McNALLY, Carl 3-9
10-14 16; RICHARDSON, Arthur 3-6 2-2 10; CLARK, Damien 2-3 2-2 6; WOODSON,
Donovan 0-1 4-4 4; KELLEY, Jod 1-7 0-0 3; BALLARD, Ryan 0-0 3-4 3. Totals
21-48 32-44 77.
Palm Beach Atlantic……….. 34 33 – 67
Florida Tech……………… 39 38 – 77
3-point goals–Palm Beach Atlantic 8-27 (LOPEZ, Manny 2-5; BARNES, Derek
2-7; REED, Lawrence 1-1; ANTHONY, Fitzroy 1-4; TUCKER, Sean 1-2; McCOWAN,
Jared 1-2; CERNEK, Jonathan 0-1; POWELL, David 0-4; FOREMAN, Spencer 0-1),
Florida Tech 3-11 (RICHARDSON, Arthur 2-5; KELLEY, Jod 1-3; McNALLY, Carl
0-1; MRKSIC, Janko 0-1; SEDLAK, Justin 0-1). Fouled out–Palm Beach
Atlantic-MADDISON, Ian, Florida Tech-MRKSIC, Janko. Rebounds–Palm Beach
Atlantic 47 (BUZZARD, Rudy 9), Florida Tech 49 (MRKSIC, Janko 12).
Assists–Palm Beach Atlantic 11 (BARNES, Derek 4), Florida Tech 11 (MRKSIC,
Janko 3; McNALLY, Carl 3). Total fouls–Palm Beach Atlantic 32, Florida Tech
19. Technical fouls–Palm Beach Atlantic-TEAM, Florida Tech-None. A-417