Header Pic: Hannah Roney – Credit: Florida Tech Athletics

It wasn’t pretty but the Rollins College Tars (4-4, 1-2) pulled out a home win on Saturday, beating Florida Tech women’s basketball 54-46. This is the fifth straight loss for the Panthers who are now 1-7 overall and 0-3 in conference play.

“This might have been the worst overall shooting performance I have ever seen,” said Panthers coach John Reynolds by phone after the game. “We just went through the motions.” 

Despite playing a very low offensive output in a game that saw one player in double figures for the Panthers, they stayed in this game the entire way. Hannah Roney had 11 points to lead the visitors, including a 3-for-11 performance behind the arc. Her other points came via free throws.

Reynolds did single out Cheyenne Scott as a player who showed up in this one, collecting seven rebounds.

As a team, the Panthers shot an abysmal 15-for-62 from the field, a 24.2 percent clip. They were 6-for-33 from three-point range, putting them at 18.2 percent for the game. The lone bright spot on the day was the fact that they made 10-of-12 free throws, equating to 83.3 percent.

“You can’t shoot 24 percent in a conference game and win,” said Reynolds. “Our shooters didn’t shoot well and our defensive effort isn’t where it needs to be. You have to rebound and make shots.”

Rollins went 18-for-47 from the field for 38.3 percent. They did make 10 of their 27 threes, which is 37 percent. They were 8-for-13 from the charity stripe, 61.5 percent.

The difference in this game was the fourth quarter when the Panthers were outscored 17-7 and did not score a point in the final 4:52 of the game.  

Both teams struggled to find the offense in the first quarter with Rollins holding an 11-9 lead. Severine Uggen and Aiste Vaitekunaite combined for seven of the nine points, with Mykyla Daniels getting the other two. The Panthers were 3-of-13 from the field and went the final 2:52 without a bucket. Rollins went 4-of-13.

The offenses woke up a bit in the second quarter. Lina Stranger-Johannessen hit two free throws with just over five minutes left. She followed that with a three-pointer and gave the Panthers an 18-17 lead. Rollins followed that with three consecutive threes, two from Isabella Prada. 

Roney answered with back-to-back threes to cut the Tars lead to 26-24 but Rollins got one back and went to the half with a 29-24 lead.

Florida Tech’s best quarter was the third. They had a 6-2 run and trailed 35-32 with 6:18 left. Rollins got it back to five before Fanny Hakanson drained a three. Rollin’s lead was 37-36. A three-ball by Roney completed a 7-0 run and sent the game into the fourth quarter with the Panthers leading 39-37.

After two free throws by Roney made it 41-37, the Panthers would manage just five more points in the fourth quarter, outdone by that drought at the end of the quarter.

“We couldn’t have had more open looks at the end,” Reynolds said. “Rollins likes to press but even when we broke the press, we never got the ball to the open guy.”

For more info: Florida Tech @ Rollins Box Score

The Panthers don’t play again until next Saturday, December 11 at Nova Southeastern.

“This is the one week I wish we had a mid-week game,” said Reynolds. I don’t want to sit with this game for an entire week.”