The Florida Tech women’s basketball team got their second consecutive win on Saturday, taking down LeMoyne-Owen 54-43 on the final day of the SSC-SIAC Challenge in Tampa Florida. This follows Friday’s 82-35 drubbing of Claflin.
Michaela Gelbaugh led the Panthers with 15 points, hitting 4-of-8 from the field and seven of her eight free-throws. Gracie Doane added 10 points, helped by her 2-for-4 performance from behind the arc. Kailyn Ebb led the Panthers with 10 rebounds.
The first quarter of the game was low-scoring, with the Panthers coming away with a 14-6 lead, helped by a six-point run to end the stanza.
LeMoyne-Owen answered with a 7-0 run to open the second quarter and pull within a point at 14-13. Doane hit two free-throws to get the lead back to three and that sparked a 7-0 run that widened the lead to 21-13.
A layup by Blair Lamontazia would get the Magicians to within one, 23-22 with 1:16 left, but Doane drained a three to give the Panthers a 26-22 lead with 26 seconds left in the half and that’s the way the first half ended.
Dana Gettis started the third quarter with a three to start the third and cut the Panthers lead to one. She would hit two free throws to give her team a 27-26 with 8:04 to go. A layup by Aniquah Swan and two free-throws by Gelbaugh put the Panthers back up 30-27.
The two teams went into a two-plus minute scoring drought that was finally broken when the Panthers November Morton hit one from downtown, giving the Panthers a 33-27 lead. That lead didn’t last long, as LeMoyne Owen scored 11 of the final 12 points of the third quarter and took a 38-35 lead into the fourth.
Gudlaug Juliusdottir‘s layup got the Panthers back to within one to start the final quarter. Amanda Allen’s three gave them the lead moments later. Ebb’s layup capped a 7-0 run and gave the Panthers a 42-38 lead.
A three by Joy Averyale got the Magicians back to within one, only to see the Panthers go on a 13-2 run to end the game. Gelbaugh scored nine of those points, with the majority coming from the free-throw line.
For more info: LeMoyne-Owen @ Florida Tech Box Score (Tampa, FL)
The Panthers will open their home schedule on Friday, November 16th when they kick off the Florida Tech Classic against New York Institute of Technology, at 10:00 a.m. at the Clemente Center. Rollins and Flagler will play game two of the tournament following Florida Tech’s game.