MELBOURNE, Fla. – On a neutral court at the campus of Eastern Florida State College, Florida Tech was able to squeeze a close one out following a gripping overtime session against the Eckerd College women's basketball program on Saturday, 64-61.
Neither team could enjoy more than a four-point lead at Titan Coliseum in the first 40 minutes of regulation which eventually included a combined 17 ties and 20 different lead changes.
But after just connecting on 10-of-18 attempts from the free-throw line in regulation, the Panthers (13-6, 4-3 SSC) were perfect on all seven shots at the charity stripe to outscore EC, 13-10, in the extra five-minute session.
Senior forward
Liga Vente scored 20 points and hauled in nine rebounds to lead four players in double figures for the Tritons (7-9, 1-6 SSC), who narrowly dropped their fifth consecutive Sunshine State Conference contest.
Junior guard
Rana Thomas netted 13 before fouling out, senior
Amy Buccilla cashed in for 10 and junior guard
Kayla Bowlin scored 12 while tying a career-best effort by handing out eight assists in the effort.
Buccilla split a trip at the line with 12.5 seconds left to tie at 51-51 and the EC defense forced a pair of misses on attempted game-winning shots as time ran out in the second half.
Despite going the final 5:24 of regulation without a field goal, the Tritons were in it all the way. Vente was 8-for-8 from the field on all shots before a potential go-ahead layup was blocked inside the final minute.
The Tritons scored 20 of their 28 first-half points inside the paint with Vente going to work with 10 before the break.
Florida Tech's Kayk Wilson scored 14 of her game-high 22 points from the free-throw line and labored from the field while finishing 3-for-16. Rita Acevedo made a basket to give the Panthers a one-point lead at the break and finished with a 10 point, 10-rebound double-double.
Tiesha Flagler also had a double-double for Florida Tech with 11 points and 12 boards.
Wilson was assessed a technical foul with 2:55 left in overtime and Bowlin made the second free throw to represent the game's 17th tie at 53-all.
But a three-point play by Ida Gustafsson the next time down the court gave the Panthers the lead for good as Wilson hit four consecutive free throws down the stretch despite a flurry of scoring by the Tritons in the final seconds.
Eckerd held Florida Tech to under 28 percent shooting from the field, but uncharacteristically misfired on half of their 24 free throws.
Bowlin matched her personal-best assist total after dishing out eight dimes against Florida Southern College earlier this year in Lakeland. Buccilla nailed down two more treys to make it 16 consecutive games this season with a made three-point basket.
The Tritons return from their week-long road trip back to the confines of the McArthur Center on Wednesday to host Lynn University for a 5:30 p.m. SSC matchup.
