WINTER PARK, Fla. (February 5, 2025) - Men's basketball is getting hot at the right time. On Wednesday, they defetaed the Florida Tech Panthers 70-68 for their third straight win and sixth in their last eight tries. The Tars now stand at 14-8 overall with a 7-6 record in the SSC. The Panthers fall to 4-18, 1-13 SSC.
The Rollins offense struggled to get going in the first half, managing just a 29% shooting percentage.
John Latimer III paced the team early with four quick ones. Tech carried a lead for a few minutes shortly after, but a three from
Matus Malovec and a free throw from Latimer had the game tied up with 13:31 remaining.
Shots weren't falling for the Tars, but they managed to stay in the game with efficient work at the free throw line. A putback off an offensive rebound from
William Jobe pulled the Tars within one possession, 33-30, at the break.
Rollins came out of the break confident as a three from Latimer and a
Sergey Grishaev layup had them in the lead within 90 seconds of the start of the second half. Both teams started knocking down shots, including a spurt that saw six straight shots from the floor go in the hoop.
The Tars were especially effective in the paint, using their size and fancy footwork to get good looks just a few feet from the basket. Rollins grew their lead as high as six, but the Panthers were able to erase the deficit on two separate occasions.
With under four minutes to go, a layup from Logan Allen tied the game at 63. The next two Rollins possessions featured an aggressive
Emilis Butkus, who simply could not be stopped on his drives to the basket. His effort, coupled with strong defense, gave Rollins enough room to knock down a few free throws and hang on for a two-point win.
Latimer had 17 points and five rebounds, while Butkus matched his 17 but added four rebounds and five assists. Grishaev turned in a double-double with 14 points and eleven rebounds. The Tars shot 47% from the floor in the second half, a vast improvement on their first half numbers.
Next up for the Tars is a home game against Tampa on Saturday, February 8 Tipoff is scheduled for 4:00 pm, following the women's game.
