The Florida Tech Panthers women’s basketball team got their first win of the season Saturday, dismantling Talladega College 83-46 on day two of the Tars Thanksgiving Classic in Winter Park. With the victory, the Panthers got into the win column for the first time in 2017-2018.
DeLise Williams led the way for the Panthers with 16 points, while Tereza Sedlakova scored 14. Kailyn Ebb, off her 13 point effort on Friday, added another eight Saturday, as did Markeema Crawford.
Each team started the game on a bit of a run with Talladega scoring the first five and the Panthers coming back with six unanswered. The quarter was-back-and-forth from there, with Florida Tech holding a 17-14 advantage when the horn sounded.
Florida Tech (1-3) started to establish themselves in the second quarter, starting with a 6-2 run and building a 23-16 lead. A three by Ja’nyia McNealy made it 26-20 with 4:58 to go in the quarter, ending an almost two-minute scoring drought for the Tornadoes. Sedlakova scored a bucket and Amanda Allen dropped a three-ball moments later, putting the Panthers up 31-20. They would continue to answer each Talladega bucket and take a 36-24 lead into the half.
The Panthers shot 50 percent in the first half, going 11-of-22 from the field. The difference in the quarter was at the free-throw line, where Florida Tech went 13-for-20 (65 percent). The Tornadoes only got to the line twice, making one of them.
Florida Tech put this game away in a dominating third quarter that started with a 10-0 run and an 8-0 run late in the quarter. When all was said and done, the Panthers outscored Talladega 26-9 in the quarter. Sedlakova showed her range with a three-point basket with 4:22 left, putting her team up 51-26.
FIT put it on cruise control from there, making sure to keep the Tornadoes from sparking a rally. They would win the quarter 21-13. Crawford had the shot of the day with a behind-the-back layup in the quarter that she never got to see go in.
The Panthers dominated in every aspect of this one, outrebounding Talladega 45-23 and causing the Tornadoes to turn the ball over 17 times resulting in 15 points. The Panthers scored 48 of their points in the paint shot 58 percent (29-of-50) from the field. They ended the day 23-of-36 (63.9 percent) from the charity stripe.
Florida Tech led in this game for 34:03 of the 40 minute played.
Sydnee Clark led the Tornadoes (7-5) with 17 points. She was the only player for Talladega to crack double-digits in scoring.
For more info: Florida Tech @ Talladega College (NAIA)
Now that the Panthers have secured their first victory of the season, they will play their first regular season home game on Wednesday, against Lynn University in a Sunshine State Conference game. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.