Box Score MELBOURNE, Fla. - Some matchups with certain opponents can prove to be a bit more difficult than others.
That continued to be the case for the Eckerd women's basketball team against Florida Tech as the Panthers posted their fourth straight win in the series on Saturday, 62-55.
Eckerd (10-8, 5-5 SSC) played considerably better the second time around against the Panthers, who handed EC a 20-point loss in December in St. Petersburg.
"We did make some adjustments [from the first game]," said EC head coach
Paul Honsinger, "but they beat us in all the ways they beat everyone - with offensive rebounding, turnovers and free throws. We stressed the importance of not allowing all three facets to get away from us, but those are the areas we gave up."
Indeed, FIT (14-5, 8-2 SSC) did control the game in those areas. The Panthers forced Eckerd into 22 turnovers - compared to 11 of their own - and scored 17 second-chance points thanks to 18 offensive rebounds. They also went 23-of-31 from the free throw line to help make up for a 32.8 percent shooting performance from the floor.
Today, it was the second quarter that played a major role in the outcome of the game.
After taking a 16-13 lead through the first 10 minutes, the Tritons struggled with ball control in the second quarter turning it over eight times. Coupled with a 1-for-7 shooting performance in the quarter, it added up to a nine-point swing by halftime as the Panthers went into the break with a 26-20 lead.
That lead grew to 10 points early in the third quarter as Florida Tech seemed to be on the verge of repeating its earlier performance at Eckerd, but the Tritons didn't let them pull away any further thanks to perimeter shooting. EC knocked down 3-pointers - one from
Anna Deegan and two from
Chelsea Johnson - on three of its next four possessions to pull back within four points.
Unfortunately, Eckerd was unable to get any closer though the team still kept it close. FIT twice built a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter only to see the Tritons get back within five both times. EC had a chance to make it a one-possession game in the final minute, but turned the ball over and the Panthers made three free throws to help seal the win.
Eckerd got solid performances from
Margaret Sundberg,
Anna Deegan and
Ashley Folsom, all reaching double figures and shooting 50 percent or better from the floor. Sundberg led EC with 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting while Deegan added 11 and made 3-of-5 from behind the arc. Folsom had 10 points.
The Tritons return to action on Wednesday, hosting Rollins at 5:30 PM in the McArthur Center. Eckerd won the first matchup of the season against the Tars, 73-59, in Winter Park on November 24.
