AMERICUS, Ga. — Georgia Southwestern State University traded blows with Florida Tech for 40 minutes on Wednesday afternoon inside the Storm Dome, but a late surge from the Panthers handed the Hurricanes a 69-61 setback in their final game of November. The matchup featured 21 lead changes and eight ties, with GSW carrying a three-point lead into halftime before Florida Tech closed the game on a decisive run.
Junior guard
Deonte Williams paced the Hurricanes with 12 points, four rebounds, two assists, three blocks and a steal in 36 minutes, while sophomore
Rafael Rubel came off the bench to deliver a key spark, scoring 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting with three made threes.
First Half: Hurricanes Control Tempo, Take Halftime Lead
GSW struck quickly, opening the game with a 5-0 run and holding the lead throughout much of the first half. The Hurricanes' ball pressure and rebounding kept Florida Tech off balance, while a balanced offensive attack produced timely scoring.
Rubel buried a pair of 3-pointers, and
Markel Freeman added 10 points with two triples of his own, helping GSW build a 34-31 halftime advantage. The Hurricanes knocked down five from beyond the arc in the opening period and scored 14 points off the bench.
Back-and-Forth Second Half Turns in Florida Tech's Favor Late
The second half carried the same back-and-forth pace, with both teams trading the lead multiple times through the first 10 minutes. GSW continued to get contributions across the roster — including a gritty seven-rebound effort from
Amir Reaves, as well as offensive boosts from
Keshawn Brown Jr. (six points, 4-for-4 from the charity stripe) and
Hasani Rivera (four points, seven rebounds).
But Florida Tech's size on the glass and a string of timely perimeter shots shifted momentum down the stretch. The Panthers hit four second-half threes and used a late 10-2 run to create separation in the final minute. A go-ahead 3-pointer from FIT's Xavier Ford-Belton with just over a minute remaining put the Panthers in front for good.
GSW finished the day with 38 rebounds, 22 bench points, and 26 points in the paint, but shot just 7-for-30 (23.33 percent) in the second half as Florida Tech held on.
The Lowdown
- GSW's eight made 3-pointers marked a season low
- The Hurricanes' 32.3% field goal shooting and 25.0% from 3-point range were both season lows
- GSW finished with 11 assists, matching its fewest in a game this season
- The game featured 21 lead changes and eight ties, the most in a single contest this year
Next Up
GSW returns to the Storm Dome next week to open Peach Belt Conference play on Wednesday evening. The Hurricanes host league-newcomer Middle Georgia State University at 7:45 p.m.
