Box Score
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Senior guard
Taylor Young scored a career-high 25 points, but the Eckerd College women's basketball team was tipped on the road against Southern Connecticut State University on Monday evening, 68-73.
Freshman
Emilie Hesseldal was one point shy of tying her season-best scoring total as she finished with 18.
Kati Rausberg, coming off another three-point explosion against Adelphi (N.Y.) University on Sunday, added 10.
The Tritons (7-2 overall) had a six-game win streak halted by the Owls (6-3 overall) in their final game of the calendar year.
Young was unstoppable against the SCSU defense, lighting up the box score for 7-of-10 shooting from the field and 10-of-13 tries from the free throw line. She eclipsed her previous-best scoring total after recording 23 against Flagler College (12/9/09).
Hesseldal tallied 19 in her collegiate debut in the regular-season opener against the University of West Florida. She was also deadly at the charity stripe, sinking 12 free throws.
Young and Hesseldal each hauled in eight rebounds to lead the Tritons.
After the scoring the game's first bucket, the Tritons played the rest of the game from behind, trailing by as much as 18 in the first half. Leading by four early in the first period, Southern Connecticut State reeled off a 10-1 run that pushed the lead to 27-14 with 11:42 before the break.
But the Tritons clawed back to make it a respectable 10-point margin at halftime, 31-41.
The deficit was gradually whittled down as the second half progressed and Eckerd was within striking distance and in position to reclaim the lead.
With less than 10 minutes left in regulation, Young accounted for five consecutive EC points on free throws as SCSU led 59-51.
A pair of free throws by Hesseldal cut the lead to six and a steal and layup from Young had EC down by just four with over six minutes to go.
Inside a minute to go though, the Owls were unfazed and converted six straight free throws to preserve their slim lead.
Eckerd will come back into Sunshine State Conference play in 2012, traveling to Lakeland for a matchup against No. 20 Florida Southern College on Jan. 4. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
