MELBOURNE, Fla.- The Palm Beach Atlantic women's basketball battled hard but came up short against Florida Tech, falling 51-47 after a tightly contested game at the Clemente Center. Despite PBA's impressive eight blocks and eight steals, Florida Tech's strong fourth quarter sealed the win.

Breeje Schuler led the scoring for PBA with 14 points, hitting six of her 14 shots and grabbing six rebounds. Anabel Ellison chipped in with 12 points, six rebounds, and two steals. KB Hadley made her presence felt on defense with three blocks and two steals, while Anaya Smith contributed eight points, two blocks, and two steals.

The 'Fish jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter, sparked by a 3-pointer from Schuler at 7:55, thanks to an assist from Darria Whitley. Whitley added another three at 6:41 after a steal by Smith, helping PBA maintain their edge with a solid defensive effort that included three blocks. Despite a late push from Florida Tech, the Sailfish ended the quarter ahead 13–11.

PBA continued to assert themselves in the second quarter with a strong inside game, racking up eight points in the paint. Blanche Toualeu kicked things off with a layup, and Ellison's three-point play at 2:11 gave the Sailfish a 23–20 lead. The quarter wrapped up with PBA holding a 27–23 advantage.

In the third quarter, the 'Fish came out firing with back-to-back 3-pointers. Hadley drilled a three at 8:01, assisted by Smith, followed by another from Schuler at 7:44 off an assist from Ellison. This helped PBA build their lead, although Florida Tech regrouped with a timeout and matched their scoring, leaving the quarter tied at 10 points each. The Sailfish entered the final quarter leading 37-33.

PBA maintained a slim lead early in the fourth, with Smith's free throw and layup pushing the score to 44-41 at 5:53. Schuler added crucial layups, including one at 2:51 to extend the lead to 46-41. Despite Ellison's key steal at 2:18, Florida Tech rallied with a series of scores, overtaking the Sailfish in the dying moments.

Florida Tech clinched the game with late free throws and sealed a 51-47 victory over the 'Fish.

The Sailfish women's basketball program returns home on Saturday at 2 p.m. to take on the Eckerd Tritons. In the previous matchup between the two at Eckerd, the Tritons took the win 54-52. The Sailfish had a chance to tie or win that game in the final possession but couldn't find the bottom of the net.