Box Score
MELBOURNE, Fla. – Senior guard
Kati Rausberg caught fire from long range, matching a career-high six three-point field goals to spark the Eckerd College women's basketball program against Florida Tech in the Sunshine State Conference opener on Saturday, 73-62.
Senior
Linsey Niles tied her season-high scoring output of 13, freshman
Emilie Hesseldal contributed 11 and freshman
Taylor Bestry poured in 10 for the Tritons (4-1, 1-0 SSC), who won their third straight to begin the month of December and league play.
The Panthers (6-2, 0-1 SSC), who struggled to 25-percent shooting in the first half, were paced by 18 points and 13 rebounds from Briauna Hagins. The Eckerd defense held Florida Tech to just a shade over 30 percent on the game, compared to over a 46-percent rate fired by the Tritons.
Rausberg connected on all six attempts she hoisted from beyond the arc to finish with a game-high 20 points. She was just one trey from tying the single-game school record of seven, set twice by Lori Warriner (1993-94) and Becky Falkler (1994-95).
All told, Rausberg finished 7-of-9 from the field and ripped the cords for six treys for the second time in her career, equaling a 6-for-6 effort against Palm Beach Atlantic University (1/30/11) when she netted a career-high 28.
The Tritons broke a close game open early with a 7-0 run that provided a 19-10 cushion with just under eight minutes to go in the first half.
Rausberg's second three of the afternoon had EC leading by double-digits for the first time, Niles gave Eckerd its largest lead of the first half (13) with a jumper from the free-throw line extended, and the Tritons carried a nine-point advantage into the break.
A pair of free throws by Niles after halftime swelled the lead to 17 and back-to-back triples from Rausberg and freshman
Kayla Bowlin had the rout on at a 28-point margin.
But Florida Tech chipped away at the large deficit, knocking it down to 22 after a free throw by Hagins and then 17 after a jumper by Rita Acevedo. Rausberg's lone field goal that wasn't from long distance was recorded with just over three minutes to play and kept the Tritons' edge at 15.
The Panthers eventually closed the gap to 10 with a 1:40 left on the clock after a three by Ashton McLairen, but the Tritons converted seven free throws down the stretch to preserve the win.
Eckerd returns to the court in the McArthur Center this Wednesday, playing host to Northwood (Fla.) University for a 6 p.m. non-conference affair.
