Yalcin's Career Day Lifts Tritons Past Saint Leo

Box Score ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A 19-point standout performance by junior Ada Yalcin led the Eckerd women's basketball team past Saint Leo University at home Saturday afternoon, 78-67.

The victory gave the Tritons (7-2, 4-0 SSC) their fifth straight win and kept them in first place in the Sunshine State Conference, tied with Florida Southern College.

Saint Leo (3-5, 0-3 SSC) made it onto the board first with a jumper by Gina Brierley but Eckerd responded quickly with a long 3-pointer by Yalcin. Momentum switched back and forth for the remainder of the first quarter but the Tritons maintained a steady lead.

"We shot the ball very well tonight as a team," EC head coach Paul Honsinger said. "That helped us jump out to a lead in the first half."

In the second quarter, Eckerd began to pull away with Victoria Vine and Yalcin connecting on back-to-back 3's to cap a 10-0 run that gave the Tritons a 13-point lead with 3:11 left in the half. Saint Leo, though, managed to cut the deficit to 10 points by halftime and then pulled within seven early in the third quarter.

But Eckerd again had an answer, as Kacie Juday and Anna Deegan converted on layups to push the lead back to double digits. Saint Leo's Brierley closed the gap once more with her only 3-pointer of the game but a layup by Kacie Juday and another 3-pointer by Yalcin gave Eckerd a 13-point cushion. Juday scored eight points in the quarter which saw EC regain control and take a 60-46 lead into the final frame. 

Eckerd's largest lead came in the fourth quarter with 7:31 to play following a 3-pointer by Brooke Juday to make the score 68-51.

Four of the five Eckerd starters reached double digits in scoring. Yalcin's 19 points led the way while Vine scored 17; both went 4-of-6 from behind the arc as the Tritons knocked down a season-high 10 3-pointers. Kacie Juday added 14 points and Anna Deegan chipped in 12.

"Our energy was excellent tonight," Honsinger said. "It was another balanced attack on both sides of the ball and that's the way we like it."

The Tritons are back in action on Friday, December 16, at 4:00 PM, traveling to Lakeland to compete in Florida Southern's Christmas Classic taking on Auburn-Montgomery (Ala.).