Box Score Box Score
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Newcomers
Liga Vente and
Annie Armstrong each scored 18 points to spear a potent offensive attack as the Eckerd College women's basketball program emerged a winner in its home opener as part of the EC Thanksgiving Classic on Friday afternoon, 83-55.
The Tritons (2-1, 0-0 SSC) shot over 57 percentfrom the field -- nearly 69 percent in the second half alone -- against the overmatched Vaqueras (0-4 overall).
Senior
Krystal Charles recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds and sophomore
Taylor Bestry added nine. Kathia Torres led UPR-Bayamon with 13 points.
The Tritons dished out a 24 assists as a team, including five by Charles and four each by sophomores Bestry and
Rana Thomas.
Eckerd led wire-to-wire from the onset, opening the game on a 17-7 run in the first seven minutes of action.
The Tritons operated at will in the interior against their undersized opponent, running the inside-outside offensive game with an efficiency that translated into 34 points inside the paint (versus just 10 for their opponent) and 10 three-point field goals.
Leading the three-point barrage was the sweet-shooting Armstrong, who rained in four baskets from long distance. She finished 6-of-9 from the floor and converted both free throw tries to go with four rebounds.
Armstrong opened the game's scoring with a layup and her first three at the 14:57 mark in the first half gave the Tritons a 13-7 edge.
Her next triple gave EC its largest lead of the first half at 14 even though the Vaqueras whittled down a pair of double-digit deficits to six by halftime thanks to an 8-2 run.
If the Tritons were heating up from long distance in the first half, they simply caught fire in the final period. EC was a scorching 7-of-9 from behind the arc in the last 20 minutes as Armstrong and freshman
Kaitlin Jackson went 2-for-2.
Vente scored 10 of her 18 in the second half, shooting a perfect 3-of-3 from the floor. She now leads the team in scoring three through games at a 14.3 ppg clip.
A pair of free throws by Bestry put the Tritons up by 20 for the first time with 10:29 left in regulation.
EC doubled up the Vaqueras (translated to cowgirls in English) in the scoring column in the second half on the strength of 13-of-19 shooting, 44-22.
The Tritons will wrap up the EC Thanksgiving Classic tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m. in the McArthur Center, meeting North Georgia College & State University. The Saints played Florida Southern College to tip off the afternoon festivities, with the Mocs holding the upper hand in a physical battle.
Live stats and video/audio between Eckerd and North Georgia College & State will be streamed live on EckerdTritons.com.
