Eckerd-Assumption Box Score
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Lance Kearse scored a career-high 17 points, and the Eckerd College men's basketball team continued its strong early-season shooting in a 79-75 win over Assumption on Saturday at the Jay McCormick Memorial Classic.
Kearse was 6-for-7 from the field, helping Eckerd (4-1) shoot 55 percent overall. It is the third straight game Eckerd has shot 55 percent or better from the field.
Senior center Dale Carn had 15 points and a game-high nine rebounds, while senior guard John Harper added 13 points.
Mike Baldarelli had a game-high 23 points for Assumption (2-3). The senior guard scored 17 points in the first half to help the Greyhounds to a 41-35 halftime lead.
Tobin Haase had 16 points and seven rebounds, helping the Greyhounds win the rebounding battle 36-34 (18-12 offensive).
Assumption made eight 3-pointers in the opening half, with Baldarelli and Haase combining for seven treys and 29 points. The Greyhounds led by as many as 13 points in the first 20 minutes.
But Eckerd held the Greyhounds to just 2-for-11 shooting from 3-point range in the second half.
“In the first half, we weren't getting out on their shooters and gave them a lot of good looks,” said Eckerd head coach Tom Ryan. “In the second half, they still got some good looks, but we limited them. We played a lot better defensively, but we gave them too many second chances throughout the game.”
Eckerd was down by as many as eight points in the second half before chipping away. The Tritons grabbed their first lead of the game (57-56) on Carn's layup with 9:26 remaining.
The game went back and forth from there, with Eckerd breaking a 73-73 tie on a Carn dunk with 1:28 left. The Tritons never relinquished the lead and held Assumption without a field goal for the final 2:55.
“Lance did a little bit of everything for us today,” Ryan said. “Dale Carn was really active, and we needed everything they gave us to get out of here with a win.”
The Tritons will host the Eckerd College Thanksgiving Classic on Friday and Saturday. Eckerd will open with Puerto Rico-Bayamon at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
