Sports Lowdown

Florida Tech got 29 points from Sam Daniel and 27 points from Jordan Majors on Saturday, carrying the Panthers to a 98-83 victory over William Jewell in the championship game of the Florida Tech Thanksgiving Tournament. Patrick Anderson had 17 points and 13 assists and Robert Booth had a double-double as well, with 11 points and 10 rebounds. He, Daniel and Majors all landed on the All-Tournament team. William Jewell, who beat Tuskegee 76-58 in Friday’s tournament opener, came to play, as it was raining threes early in the contest on both sides. The Panthers jumped out to an 11-6 lead and the Cardinals would come back with an answer. The game was tied a few times early in the first half. ”They’re a really good basketball team,” said Panthers head coach Billy Mims, of William Jewell. “They’ve got some really good players on that team.” The stat of the night in this one was the points off turnovers. The Cardinals turned it over 16 times and the Panthers earned 27 p...

Ready for tip-off  The Florida Tech women won their third straight game Saturday afternoon, beating Webber International, 84-66 at the Clemente Center. Shequana Harris led all scorers with 17, Delise Williams and Kareese Johnson both had 10. Julie McCarthy just missed a double-double, with eight points and 12 boards. “Kareese was key for us off the bench,” said Panthers coach John Reynolds. She rebounded the ball, she handled the ball, she attacked the basket and played really solid for us.” “I’m really proud of my bench players, Reynolds continued, they played hard all day.” The Panthers led from the get-go, with Williams hitting a three-pointer 25 seconds into the game.  After Webber got to within 5-4, went on a nine-point run, highlighted by a Gracie Doane three. The Panthers carried that to a 22-15 lead after 10 minutes. With 3:43 left in the quarter, the Panthers led 37-28 and they went on an 8-2 run to end the half. FIT took a 45-30 lead to...

Majors (20) Vs. Bluefield State The Florida Tech Men’s basketball squad got a lopsided victory in the nightcap of the Florida Tech Thanksgiving tournament, taking down Bluefield State (WV) 94-76.  The Panthers victory followed the first game, that saw William Jewell College beat Tuskegee, 76-58. Florida Tech got off to a quick start and never looked back, ending the night with four players in double figures. Jordan Majors led the way with 25 for FIT. “Jordan is just playing outstanding basketball,” said Florida Tech head coach Billy Mims. “It seems like every game he gets a little bit better.” Majors also was the high assist man with eight, while turning the ball over only once. Patrick Anderson added 16 points for the Panthers, Derek Murphy had 15 and Robert Booth ended the night with 12, including four dunks. Mims was also impressed with Murphy, who’s mom has been in town for the last couple games and Mims said that Derek is excited to have her here and...

Shequana Harris scored 15 points and the Florida Tech Women’s basketball team pulled down 45 rebounds, en route to an 84-40 win over the Warner Royals on Friday. It was a team effort for the Panthers who had at least one rebound from each of the 14 players that saw action. “Everybody played and played some extended minutes and everybody had at least one rebound,” said Panthers coach John Reynolds after the game. “It was a good game to get everybody some playing time and reward them for their efforts in practice.” It was evident early on that Reynolds was going to be able to empty his bench in this one. Up 4-3, the Panthers went on an 8-0 run and were up 12-3 with 5:48 left. A three-ball from Kaley Schmick, pulled the Royals to within four, 12-8, but the Panthers went on a 7-0 run to push the lead to 19-8 and ended the first quarter, leading 23-13. The second quarter was sloppy on both sides for the first five and a half minutes. Both teams combined to score six po...

Jordan Majors #20 For the second time in seven days, the Florida Tech Men’s basketball team got a win over a visiting team from Puerto Rico. Jordan Majors 20 points led all scorers, in the Panthers 91-77 win over Puerto Rico Bayamon on Monday.  The win comes one week after the Panthers beat Puerto Rico Mayaguez 110-84. Majors was one assist and one rebound away from a triple-double, finishing with 20, nine and nine. The Panthers (3-3) were in a battle early, as the Vaqueros scored first on a steal and a hoop by Luis Cuascut. Majors got the Panthers going, scoring eight of their first 12 points. Florida Tech struggled in the first half defensively. Picking up 12 team fouls, but held a 38-32 lead at the break. “They’re a tough team to guard defensively because they’re small,” said Panthers head coach Billy Mims. “They’re very quick and there’s nobody in our conference quite like them. They play hard and they’re very scrappy.” The teams were pretty ev...

The 16 th ranked Barry Buccaneers handed the Florida Tech Men’s basketball team a sound defeat on Saturday night, 96-84 at the Clemente Center in Melbourne. The Buccaneers (3-0, 2-0 SSC) shot 47.1 percent from behind the arc in the first half, hitting eight of their 17 shots. In the second half, they were only three of 13, but the barrage in the first half was enough to give them the cushion they needed. The Panthers (2-3, 1-1 SSC) went down early in the first half, 12-4, but a three-pointer by Jordan Majors and a dunk by Robert Booth , quickly closed the gap to 12-9. Majors was fouled and hit both shots, closing the gap to one, before Barry widened things again, with a five-point run. The Panthers would get within one a couple more times in the half, but Barry pulled away in the last five minutes of the first half. With 36.4 seconds left, Florida Tech coach Billy Mims was issued two technical fouls after arguing a foul that was given to the wrong player initially....

The Florida Tech Women’s basketball team picked up their first Sunshine State Conference win of the season, with a 65-58 victory over the Barry Buccaneers. The game was tied at four early, but the Panthers went on an 11-point run, to take a 15-4 lead. After expanding the lead to 18-7, Florida Tech watched the Buccaneers rattle off 11 of their own, to tie the game at 18. Julie McCarthy ’s layup at the end of the first quarter, gave the Panthers a 20-18 lead after the first 10 minutes. “It’s a conference game and a big start just means we made our run first,” said Panthers coach John Reynolds. “You know conference teams are gonna make a run right back at ya, leads like that fall apart.” McCarthy had a double-double in this game, with 10 of her 20 points coming in the first half. She also pulled down six offensive boards and 10 on the defensive glass. “I thought Julie was really good today on both ends of the floor,” said Reynolds. “Kiara Palmer is averaging 16 point...

The North Greenville Crusaders came into Florida Tech Panther Stadium as the underdog on Saturday, but they certainly didn’t play like it. They used a 24 point second half to upset the Panthers 27-13 in an NCAA Division II first round game. “North Greenville’s a really good football team, that’s what it comes down to,” said Panthers head coach Steve Englehart after the game. “They controlled a lot of the clock, especially in the first half and they were great on third down offense.” Things started well for the Panthers, who blocked a 44-yard field goal on the Crusaders first drive. Freshman quarterback Brandon Ziarno , who was making his first start under center, drove Florida Tech down the field on their opening possession, but he was forced to quick kick it on fourth down, pinning NGU at their own eight-yard line. Ziarno was backed up by Ryan Singer , who saw his fair share of snaps in this game as well. North Greenville quarterback Will Hunter put together a nice dr...

For the first time in the four-year history of the program, the Florida Tech Panthers football team is preparing for a playoff game, this Saturday, against North Greenville.  The game is scheduled for a noon kickoff at Florida Tech Panther Stadium. It has been a steady climb for this team, who won five games in their inaugural year of 2013 and have added a win every season, culminating in an 8-2 campaign this season. “Our team is excited to play in the playoffs and I think everyone understands the importance of a playoff game,” said head coach Steve Englehart. “We’re excited to go out there and execute as a football team and hopefully get a win.” This was not a typical week for Englehart and his team. Not only are they dealing with the pressure of the first ever playoff game in the history of the program, but the school is also dealing with the fact that starting quarterback Mark Cato has been suspended indefinitely , after he was charged with DUI, following the t...

The Florida Tech Panthers overcame a 15 point second half deficit on Wednesday and hung on to beat the Eckerd Tritons in a Sunshine State Conference Men’s basketball showdown. Jordan Majors led the Panthers with 35 points. "I have to take my hat off to Jordan Majors, that was a monster game,” said Florida Tech head coach Billy Mims in his post-game interview with Paul Van Scott. “That’s the way we always knew he was capable of playing. He had a great night. They have him for five turnovers, but that’s the way it’s gonna be when you play Eckerd. In a game that saw six ties and six lead changes, the Panthers found themselves down 10 points 41-31, with three minutes left. They chipped away, helped by a Majors three to get it to 41-36. Sam Daniel , who led the Panthers with 22 points in Monday’s win , then hit a free-throw to cut it to four, with 49 seconds left in the half. The lead was extended to seven on a fluke play at the end of the half. There was a loose ball...

The Florida Tech women never got their offense going Wednesday at Eckerd, as their slow start doomed them in a 65-53 loss, to open the Sunshine State Conference schedule. The Panthers trailed from the outset in this one, turning the ball over 11 times in the first half and hitting just 15-of-60 shots from the field in the contest. “Eckerd returns a bunch of juniors and seniors. Three starters are from last year and the first three kids off the bench are from last years’ team,” said Florida Tech coach John Reynolds in his post-game interview with Paul Van Scott. “We knew we’d be playing a team that was a month and a half ahead of us preparation wise." The Panthers (2-1, 0-1 SSC) did just enough in the first quarter to stay afloat. They shot 7-of-12 from the field and got six points from Tanease Richardson . Delise Williams hit a shot at the buzzer and concluding a 6-0 run by the Panthers to get within three at 18-15. Seven Panther turnovers were the difference in the ...

The Houston Texans got their first win on the road Sunday, taking down the Jacksonville Jaguars 24-21 on Sunday. The Jaguars (2-7) rallied late when Blake Bortles found Allen Robinson for a 14-yard touchdown with 2:17 left, capping an eight play, 92-yard drive and getting the Jaguars within a field goal.  Unfortunately for the Jaguars, despite a muffed kickoff by the Texans that forced them to start at their own six, Houston quarterback Brock Osweiler converted a third-and-5 with a 10-yard pass to DeAndre Hopkins, ending the game. Jacksonville’s problems started much earlier, when Bortles threw a pick-six to Kareem Jackson on the fifth play of the game, 3:03 in. It was the second consecutive year that Jackson picked Bortles off and took it back for six. Bortles did bounce back on the next possession, going 75 yards on 13 plays. He threw a five-yard touchdown pass to tight end Julius Thomas , tying the game at seven, with 5:14 left. The Texans answered with a 1...

Sam Daniel (0) led the Panthers with 22 points in Monday's 110-84 victory After opening the season with two losses in the South Regional Tipoff Classic over the weekend, the Florida Tech Men’s Basketball team took their frustrations out on Puerto Rico-Mayaguez on Monday, with a 110-84 home victory. “It always feels good to home to the friendly confines of the Clemente Center,” said FIT head coach Billy Mims. “I knew when we got back here we’d shoot the ball better and we knocked down 14 threes’ and that’s the way we’re supposed to shoot the basketball.” Florida Tech (1-2) allowed five double-digit scorers in both losses in Atlanta. On Monday, they only allowed three and they had five of their own, led by Sam Daniel , who finished with 22, despite having only four in the first half. “The first half they had a box-and-one one me, pretty much had a player chasing me wherever I went,” Sam said. “It was an excellent job by my teammates stepping up to score the ball an...

The Following is an official statement on the status of quarterback Mark Cato from Florida Tech University. Florida Tech Panthers football quarterback Mark Cato (legal name Marquis Gordon Robins) has been suspended indefinitely from all team activities as the university conducts a review into his arrest early Sunday morning by the Melbourne Police Department on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol. “Being a student-athlete at Florida Tech means abiding by high standards of personal conduct. If investigations into this matter reveal violations of these standards, appropriate and serious actions will be implemented,” said Florida Tech Athletics Director Bill Jurgens. As both the police and university investigations are ongoing, no additional details will be forthcoming until these matters are complete, Jurgens said. Details of the events surrounding the arrest are available in the Florida Today article written by J.D. Gallop and Tyler Vazquez. Thi...

The Florida Tech Men’s Soccer team suffered a 2-1 defeat Sunday afternoon, at the Hands of Palm Beach Atlantic, in the second round of the NCAA tournament. The Panthers finished the 2016 season with five losses, two of those coming against the Sailfish. Florida Tech went down 1-0, when Charlie Dennis sent a rocket past Panthers goaltender Christian Moerch . The Sailfish defense was tough in the first half, holding the Panthers to just two shots in the first half, one on goal. Josh Thomas took the first shot 32:47 into the match and it was saved by Elliott. The second shot by Hugo Lopez went wide, at 39:47. Florida Tech (11-5-1) got things going in the right direction, early in the second half. The Panthers 2016 leader in goals, Luca Campanini got away from the PBA defense and launched a shot from the top of the box. Barker made the stop, but gave up a rebound and Lopez drilled it home, equaling the score with 27:18 left in the game. Moerch kept the game tied wit...

The Florida Tech Panthers will not only play the first postseason game in their four-year history next Saturday, they will host it. The Panthers were given the three seed in Super Region 2 and will welcome North Greenville to Melbourne on Saturday, November 19, at 12:00 p.m. North Greenville went 7-4, including losses to The Citadel and North Alabama, the number one ranked team in the region. They are coming off wins against Wingate, Carson-Newman and finished with a 37-0 win on the road Limestone College.   The Panthers (8-2, 5-2 GSC) were ranked fifth in the regional rankings that came out November 7. They were going to need a win over Delta State on Saturday and a bump from the selection committee on Sunday, to get a home game. They got both. Head coach Steve Englehart talked about the Panthers road to the playoffs, following Saturday’s win over the Statesmen. “Four weeks ago we said we had to win three out of the last four to make it to the playoffs and ...

Two games, two victories for the Florida Tech women’s basketball team. Coming off an opening night win over LeMoyne-Owen on Friday, the Panthers took care of business again on Saturday, beating St. Michael’s College, 66-59 on day two of the Rollins College Classic. Julie McCarthy led the Panthers with a double-double Saturday, with 14 points and 10 rebounds. The first quarter went back-and-forth with the score tied three times. Shequana Harris hit a lay-up with 29 seconds left, putting the Panthers up 16-14 at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter was more of the same, with the Panthers leading throughout, with a five-point advantage in the quarter on two occasions, before St. Michaels closed the gap to one. Both teams scored 19 points in the quarter and the Panthers maintained a two-point advantage at the half, 35-33. The Panthers (2-0) put their best quarter together in the third, outscoring the Purple Knights, 20-14. SMC tied the score at 35 withi...

The Florida Tech Men’s basketball team suffered their second straight loss on Saturday, dropping an 87-78 decision to the Panthers of Clark Atlanta, in the South Regional Tipoff Classic. FIT (0-2) got off to a good start in the first half, leading 31-20 with 9:29 to go. Sam Daniel hit a three-ball with 8:42 left to get the Panthers up by 12, 35-23. Clark Atlanta chipped away from there and tied the game at 49, as the teams went to the locker room for halftime. Jordan Majors blocked a shot 31 seconds into the second half and dunked on the CAU defense seconds later, on a feed from Patrick Anderson, who stole the ball and found Majors in the paint, giving FIT a 51-49 lead. Florida Tech never led again, trailing by as many as 13, 75-62 with 4:17 left in the game. They did get it down to a five-point deficit on three occasions late in the game, but Florida Tech could not keep pace, eventually losing by nine. As was the case in Friday’s loss to Morehouse , Daniel led ...