The Florida Tech women cut a 22-point deficit down to six in the fourth quarter Thursday, but the William Jewell Cardinals hung on for a 73-61 win in the first game of the Florida Tech Holiday Classic.

Severine Uggen had 16 points to lead the Panthers. She was 4-for-11 from three-point range and led that Panthers run in the final 10 minutes. Amanda Allen poured in 11 points, and Fanny Paulin added eight.

The Panthers were dismal from the floor in the first half, shooting 26.9 percent on 7-of-26. A November Morton three got the Panthers going, but the Cardinals came back with an 8-0 run. After the Panthers cut it to one, William Jewell extended it back to six, 16-10.

Florida Tech (6-5) did not score in the final 2:24 of the first quarter and found themselves down 21-15. The Cardinals got 14 of their 21 points from Kira Bradley. Morton led the Panthers with six.

Things only got worse for the Panthers in the second quarter, as they saw Paulin score with 7:57 left. She would hit a three with 2:16 to go, and those were the only points for the home team in that quarter. They would not score in the final 2:16 of the stanza and went over 5 ½ minutes in the middle of the quarter without a point.

When all was said and done, William and Jewell went to the locker room with a 35-20 lead. The Cardinals were 13-of-28 from the field 46.4 percent, including 5-for-10 from three-point range.

After William Jewell scored the first four points in the third quarter, Panthers coach John Reynolds called a timeout. That seemed to spark the Panthers, who reeled off seven straight to cut the lead to 12. The Cardinals answered with back-to-back threes before Paulin hit one of her own.

The Cardinals (4-4) kept the pressure on, leading by 22 points as this game entered the fourth quarter.

Uggen and Gudlaug Juliusdottir both hit two free throws to start the quarter, and Uggen added a three, cutting the deficit back to 15, 56-41. William and Jewell kept it at 14 until Cheyenne Scott’s 3-point play with 4:45 left, cut it to 11. That was followed by an Uggen three, cutting it to 61-53.

The Cardinals would get it back to 12, only to see Uggen drill another long ball. She would hit another three with 1:02 to go, making it a 67-61 game, but that was as close as the Panthers would get, as turnovers and free throws would decide this one in the closing seconds. The Cardinals scored the final six points from the charity stripe.

For more info: William Jewell @ Florida Tech Box Score

The Panthers will take on Pittsburg State on Friday at noon, closing out the 2019 portion of their schedule.