Tars Big Second Half Beats Panthers

Jordan Majors - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography

The Florida Tech Men’s basketball team had a tough task Saturday, when they traveled to Rollins. For the first 20 minutes, they looked up for it, as they led the Tars 38-32 at the half. Unfortunately for the Panthers, the home team put the pedal to the medal in the second half, scoring 59 points and winning 91-82 in a Sunshine State Conference game.

It was the second straight devastating loss in the conference for the Panthers, who dropped a very controversial home game to Saint Leo on Wednesday. “We must be the best first half team in America,” said Florida Tech head coach Billy Mims, in his post-game interview with Jim Mitchell. “But we can’t play 40 minutes of consistency to save or lives.”

The Panthers (11-8, 4-6 SSC) were up 12 against Saint Leo and up six at Rollins at the half, but lost both games.

Florida Tech got off to a good start Saturday, with Jordan Majors hitting two quick threes. Things sagged a little bit later, as they found themselves down 15-8 at one point, but Majors hit two free-throws and had a steal and a dunk with 11:23 to go in the half, putting the visitors up 16-15.

Majors had a double-double, going for 18 points and 11 assists. He also chipped in with six of the Panthers 36 rebounds.

Patrick Anderson hit two threes about one minute apart, giving the Panthers a 24-20 lead with 8:45 to go. With 7:25 to go, he was money again, putting the Panthers up seven. The Panthers went scoreless for 2:39, allowing the Tars back into it, before Sam Daniel laid one in with 3:19 to go, giving the Panthers a 31-28 lead.

The Tars (11-8, 5-5 SSC) cut it to one, 33-32 before Majors hit a three with 32 seconds left in the half. Robert Booth got a rebound with five seconds left and Majors found him streaking to the basket and dished it to him for a thunderous dunk at the horn, putting the Panthers up by six at the break.

“You can’t ask for more momentum than we had walking off the floor at half time,” said Mims. All the momentum is going to the locker room with us and then we come out in the second half and just let Jeff Merton get off.”

The Tars went from nine down to eight up in a hurry, as the second half got underway. They went on a 13-0 run in about three minutes' time and they added to that, outscoring the Panthers 22-4 with 12:03 to go.

“Merton hit three or four threes during that time and we couldn’t buy a bucket,” Mims said. “You take a game that was a really close game and we let them get back in it and once they got back in it, they pulled away from us.”

Merton scored 20 of his 28 points in the second half, including a 4-for-7 showing from downtown. Both teams hit 13 shots from outside, but Rollins hit seven of their first 10 and went 9-for-17 overall in the second half.

The difference in the game for Mims was the second half free-throws. Rollins went 16-for-16 from the stripe in the final 20 minutes and 18-of-19 overall. The Panthers were not too shabby themselves, hitting 13-of-16 overall and 9-of-11 in the second half.

“That seven points (and one bucket) was really the difference in the game,” said Mims. “Our guys played hard down the stretch, they never quit, but ultimately in the end, they made baskets they had to make inside and we didn’t.”

Not to be outdone, Daniel scored 21 of his team-high 27 points in the second half. He struggled from three-point range early and ended up going 0-for-4 in the first half, but he bounced back nicely in the second half, hitting four out of five.

“Merton and Sam were pretty even in the second half,” Mims said. “But the other thing that hurt us was that Rollins put five players in double figures, but we only had three.”

For more info: Florida Tech @ Rollins Box Score

Things don’t get any easier for the Panthers, who travel to Barry Wednesday night, for a 7:30 tip.

“Our next game is the toughest game of the season,” said Mims. “We go on the road to play the number one ranked team in the region, the number one ranked team in our conference… They’re a top 20 team in the nation and last year they made it to the elite eight.”

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