BOCA RATON, Fla. - Behind a standout all-around performance from Braydon Iuli and a dominant second-half surge, the Lynn Fighting Knights pulled away from Florida Tech Panthers for an 85-72 victory on Wednesday night at the de Hoernle Sports & Cultural Center. Lynn erased an early deficit, seized momentum late in the first half, and outscored the Panthers 44-30 after the break to improve to 10-4 overall and 5-2 in Sunshine State Conference play.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Lynn weathered an early Florida Tech three and quick 7-2 deficit before Iuli opened the scoring for the Fighting Knights with a strong finish in the paint
- After a brief Panthers run, Justin Bubak jump-started Lynn in transition with a driving layup, helping settle the offense in the opening minutes
- Matthew Puodziukaitis provided an early defensive presence, recording a block and securing rebounds to help Lynn slow Florida Tech's momentum around the first media timeout
- Iuli continued to anchor the Lynn offense inside, while John Roland connected from deep to trim the deficit as the Fighting Knights began to find rhythm, 15-10
- Lynn's ball movement paid off late in the half, as Antoine Jacks and Bubak each buried three-pointers to ignite a run that pulled the Fighting Knights within four, 28-24
- The Blue and White kept the pressure on defensively, forcing turnovers that led to transition scoring opportunities, including back-to-back baskets from Iuli
- Iuli delivered a key surge in the closing minutes, scoring on a turnaround jumper and then drilling a fast-break three to briefly give Lynn its first lead, 38-37
- Florida Tech answered in the final seconds, but Lynn headed into halftime right on the Panthers' heels, trailing by just one, 42-41
- Lynn opened the second half aggressively, as Iuli scored on a turnaround jumper in the paint to immediately put the Fighting Knights back in front, 43-42
- Max Polk sparked the break with a fast-break finish to tie the game at 48, as Lynn continued to push the pace
- Lynn's defensive pressure paid dividends midway through the half, as Puodziukaitis forced a turnover that led to a Polk fast-break layup and another Lynn lead, 52-51
- A turning point came when Sveinn Birgisson knocked down a three-pointer off a turnover, giving Lynn its largest lead of the half at that point, 65-58
- The Blue and White locked in defensively, forcing multiple Florida Tech turnovers that led directly to transition scores
- Bubak delivered back-to-back finishes, including a fast-break dunk, as Lynn ripped off a decisive run to stretch the lead into double figures, 72-61
- Polk followed with a three-pointer from the wing, extending the Fighting Knights' advantage and energizing the home crowd
- Lynn continued to dominate second-chance opportunities, capped by a Polk putback to push the lead to 16, 77-61
- Bubak put the finishing touch on the night with a fast-break layup off another Iuli assist, pushing Lynn's lead to 15 in the final minute
- Florida Tech added late free throws, but Lynn closed out the game with defensive rebounds and poise, sealing an 85-72 Sunshine State Conference victory at home
 
FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS:
- Iuli left it all out on the floor with 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting, adding seven assists, three steals and two rebounds while shooting 67% from the floor
- Iuli's 25-point performance marks a team high for the Fighting Knights so far in the 2025-26 campaign
- Bubak delivered a strong all-around performance with 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals, shooting 8-of-12 from the field
- Polk chipped in 16 points, including 2-of-5 from three, and added 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting in Lynn's decisive second-half run
- Roland anchored the interior with 10 rebounds (5 offensive / 5 defensive), adding 9 points and helping Lynn control the glass down the stretch
- Jacks finished with 10 points and a 5 assists, knocking down 2 three-pointers
- Lynn shot 49.3% (33-of-67) from the field and 40.0% (10-of-25) from beyond the arc
- The Fighting Knights outscored Florida Tech 44-30 in the second half, pulling away late to secure the win
- Lynn dominated inside with 46 points in the paint and held a 42–32 rebounding advantage
- The Blue and White converted defense into offense with 21 points off turnovers and 21 fast-break points
- Lynn received 14 bench points and totaled 15 assists on 33 made field goals
 
UP NEXT:
The Fighting Knights hit the road to take on Embry-Riddle on Saturday for a SSC matchup set for 4:00 pm.