Rollins Falls Flat In Loss To FIT.

Every coaches worst nightmare after a big win is to have a big letdown to follow. On Wednesday night at Warden Arena the coaching staff at Rollins saw that nightmare become a  reality as they were clobbered 88-65 by last place Florida Tech. With the loss the Tars dropped to 9-9 and 3-7 in the SSC. After the victory Florida Tech improved to 8-10 and 2-8 in the SSC.
  Only three Rollins players scored in double figures in the loss Wednesday. Hutton Yenor came off the bench to lead the Tars with 16 points- Connor McKim added 13 points and six assists- while Jakobi Bonner added 11. The Tars shot 42 percent as a team- 28 percent (8-29) from the 3-point line- and- 78 percent (7-9) at the free throw line. The Tars had 18 assists and 18 turnovers in the contest.
  All five Florida Tech players scored in double figures in the win. Valur Valsson paced the Panthers with 21 points- nine assists- and- six rebounds- Season Russell and Derek Murphy each had 18- Antonis Pefanis added 17- and- Trey Schaneville netted 14. The Panthers shot 47 percent as a team- 42 percent (18-43) from the 3-point line- and- 91 percent (10-11) from the free throw line. The Panthers won the rebounding battle 37-30. They had 25 assists and 15 turnovers as a team.
  The game got off to a slow start offensively for both teams. Rollins got a pair of Trevor Recio free throws to get them on the scoreboard- before the Panthers got a Russell basket that would knot the game at two two minutes in. The game would then be tied at 11 six minutes in. Back to Back Valsson 3-pointer's would make it a six point lead for the Panthers. It would be 22-18 in favor of Tech halfway thru the opening half. It would be a seven points Tars deficit (42-35) at halftime.
  Valsson had 15 to lead Florida Tech in the opening 20 minutes- while Russell added nine. The two Florida Tech Panthers would combine to go nine of nine from the floor in the opening half, including six of six from the 3-point line.  The Panthers shot 52 percent as a team- 43 percent (9-21) from the 3-point line- 50 percent (1-2) at the free throw line. The Panthers had 15 assists and nine turnovers in the opening half.
  Rollins was led by nine points from Bonner- while Yenor and Recio each added six. The Tars shot 46 percent from the field- 27 percent (3-11) from the 3-point line- and- 86 percent (6-7) from the free throw line. The Tars had 12 assists and 11 turnovers in the opening half.
  Rollins got to within two (42-40) after a McKim 3-pointer a minute into the second half. The Panthers would then go on a 15-0 run in the next two and a half minutes to open up a 17 point lead. The Panthers would coast to the victory from there.
Other SSC Scores Wednesday:
Lynn 72 Barry 71
Nova Southeastern 100 Palm Beach Atlantic 95
Eckerd 69 Tampa 59
Florida Southern 86 Saint Leo 83
SSC Standings:
Nova Southeastern 9-1 (15-1)
Lynn 8-2 (15-2)
Eckerd 7-3 (14-4)
Florida Southern 7-3 (14-4)
Barry 5-5 ( 10-7)
Saint Leo 5-5 (8-10)
PBA 4-6 ( 8-10)
Rollins 3-7 (9-9)
Tampa 3-7 (9-9)
Florida Tech 2-8 (8-10)
Embry-Riddle 2-8 (9-12)