Connect With Us On Social Media

Panthers Start 2020 With Loss to Mocs’

The Florida Tech women’s basketball team struggled offensively on Thursday, as they fell to Florida Southern 72-57 at the Clemente Center.

After ending 2019 with a loss to Pittsburg State, the Panthers’ offensive struggles continued Thursday, as they shot 31.7 percent from the floor, going 20-of-63 overall, including 6-of-27 from three-point range (22.2 percent).

Cheyenne Scott was the Panthers leading scorer off the bench, going for 18 points. The Panthers five starters combined for just 17. Fanny Paulin added 13 off the bench, meaning those two will likely earn a start in the Panthers’ next game.

“I thought they gave us quality minutes off the bench,” said Reynolds of Paulin and Scott. “I don’t think we got enough from anybody else.”

The Panthers starting five combined to go 5-for-21 from the field, and were led by Fanny Hakanson, who had eight points.

“The better team won tonight,” said Panthers coach John Reynolds. “The team that played to win, won. The team that defended, won. The team that made shots when they needed them, won. The team that rebounded, won. The team that watched, lost.”

After a back-and-forth first quarter that started with each team scoring once in over four minutes of playing time, picked up with the Panthers leading 13-8 with 3:31 left following two free throws by Scott. The Panthers would only score two more points in the quarter, but they held a 15-13 lead heading into the second quarter.

Things picked up in the second quarter, with the teams combining for 49 points. The teams traded buckets early on before Hakanson hit a three with 8:22 to go, giving the home team a 22-18 lead. The Mocs’ answered with a three by Makenzie Steele, starting a 7-0 run. Paulin would drain a three of her own, tying the game at 25 with 5:46 left. She would hit again on the Panthers’ next trip, giving her squad a 28-27 lead.

After the Panthers got the lead to three, Steele gave it back to FSC with 3:37 to go, 33-32. A 9-2 run got it to 41-34 before Hakanson hit two free throws to cut the deficit to five at the break.

The third quarter has given the Panthers fits all season, and Thursday was no different. Florida Tech would be outscored 14-8 in the stanza and trailed 55-44 heading into the final 10 minutes.

The fourth quarter would see the Panthers get no closer than eight points, and that came on a layup by Scott with 7:42 to go, making it 57-49. FSC would widen the margin from there, going up by as many as 17 twice.

“We lost tonight because we had at least three players that should have bought a ticket to the game because they were nothing but spectators,” said Reynolds. “They ran half-speed, and they were tired.”

Jamielyn Jarvis who pulled down one rebound in the contest got Reynold’s attention in a good way. “She gave us a solid effort,” he said. “She played less than six minutes but kept the ball alive a couple of times and got a loose ball picked up.”

For more info: Florida Southern @ Florida Tech Box Score

The Panthers are now 6-7 overall, and 1-3 in Sunshine State Conference play. They travel to Embry-Riddle on Saturday for a 4:00 p.m. game against the Eagles.