WINTER PARK, FLA. (December 3, 2025) – Rollins women's basketball dropped a close midweek battle on Wednesday night, falling 57–54 to Florida Tech inside Warden Arena.
Zai Mitchell opened the scoring with a three to give Rollins the early edge before both teams went nearly four minutes without a field goal.
McKenna Murphy broke the drought with a driving layup, and Mitchell and
Victoria Escribano followed with buckets of their own to answer a pair of Panther scores and bring things even at nine.
Claire Erickson connected from deep to reclaim the lead, but Florida Tech responded quickly. In the closing seconds, Murphy found
Faith Newton for a jumper to send Rollins into the first break up 14–13.
Erickson pushed the momentum further with a bucket to start the second, but a Panther three evened the score right back up.
Grace Craig's first points of the night swung the lead back toward Rollins before a brief scoring lull allowed FIT to edge ahead.
Ellie Thompson changed the tone, scoring back-to-back baskets and igniting a personal 10–2 run to close the half, giving the Tars a 28–23 lead heading into the locker room.
The second half opened with Craig trading baskets with the Panthers to maintain the advantage, but Florida Tech seized momentum with a 12-point run that swung the Tars into an eight-point deficit.
Makayla Daube's layup provided a spark, but FIT extended the lead into double digits entering the fourth.
Florida Tech added to its cushion to start the final frame, but Escribano and Thompson responded with timely scores to bring Rollins within range. Back-to-back threes from Thompson and Erickson fueled the comeback push, and additional buckets from Erickson, followed by a Mitchell three, brought the Tars within one possession in the final minute. Rollins forced the defensive stop needed, but the potential game-tying look on the other end fell short, sealing the 57–54 finish.
Thompson led the Tars with an all-around standout performance of 16 points, six rebounds, and six assists while shooting 50% from both the field and beyond the arc. Erickson added 12, and Mitchell and Craig each tallied eight, with Mitchell pulling down 10 rebounds and Craig adding nine. As a team, Rollins shot 37% from the floor and 32% from three, producing 26 points in the paint.
Rollins falls to 4–2 on the season and 0–2 in SSC play, while Florida Tech moves to 4–4 (1–1 SSC). The Tars return to action Saturday, Dec. 6, for a 2 p.m. road contest at Florida Southern.
