IWC drops final Florida game

MELBOURNE, Fla. ? The IWC men?s basketball team took the court on Wednesday night for their second game down in Florida.

The Tigers will return home without a win during the trip, as they lost 97-78 to Florida Tech on Wednesday night.

The Tigers couldn?t handle the hot shooting by the Panthers? Chris Carter, who had a game-high 34 points.

Carter scored 19 in the first half, leading the Panthers to a 45-33 advantage at halftime. Julius Reid, currently the leader in the NCAA DII in steals per game, also did some damage as he pressured the Tigers and had five steals in the first half.

In the second half, the Tigers were only able to get within eight points before the Panthers pulled away for a commanding lead.

The Tigers? deficit grew to as much as 22 points in the second half before Dan Missey hit a three-pointer with 14 seconds left to end the game.

Missey led the Tigers with 19 points on seven-of-nine shooting, including three-for-four from deep. His season average is 8.1 points per game. Missey also had a team-high three steals.

Kyle Warner added 12 points. He was three-for-nine from beyond the arc. Warner also had a team-high eight rebounds, bringing his season average to 6.8 rebounds per game.

Jon Umoren had a double-double, adding 11 points and 11 assists for the Tigers. He was a perfect three-for-three from the field, including one-for-one from deep, and he was also a perfect four-for-four from the free throw line.

Joe Evans also reached double figures, scoring 10 points. Evans shot four-for-nine from the field. Evans and Warner each had a block for the Tigers.

As a team, the Tigers shot 50 percent from the field and were 34.6 percent from beyond the arc. In the end, though, the hot hand of the Panthers? Carter was too much as the Tigers losing streak reaches four games now.

The Tigers will return to action on Saturday, Jan. 12, as they head to Mt. Mercy University.

Tip-off against the Mustangs is set for 3 p.m.