Box Score
WINTER PARK, Fla. – With 1.6 seconds left on the clock, sophomore
Taylor Bestry sank a pair of free throws to vault the upset-minded Eckerd College women's basketball program over 13th-ranked Rollins College in its Sunshine State Conference opener on Saturday afternoon, 68-67.
Already in the double-bonus, Rollins' Sarah Blackburn was the beneficiary of a foul call on the floor following a wild scramble for a rebound with 14 seconds left, converting a pair of free throws that put the Tars (5-2, 0-1 SSC) ahead by a point, 67-66.
But with a foul to give, the Tars neglected to foul a slashing Bestry until she made her way to the basket to draw contact and earn a trip to the line.
A desperation heave from beyond half court by Ashley Jones was offline as time ran out.
“I knew I needed to make both free throws for us to win or one to make to overtime,” Bestry said. “I was just relaxing and really wasn't focusing on anything else.”
Memories of last year's 41-point margin of defeat in Winter Park were pushed by the wayside as the Tritons defeated Rollins on the road for the third time in Eckerd Head Coach
Paul Honsinger's seven-year tenure (2007-08, 2010-11, 2012-13).
It was the best way for the Tritons (4-2, 1-0 SSC) to begin the month of December against a team tabbed to win the Sunshine State Conference in the preseason coaches' poll and picked fourth nationally in the first edition of the WBCA/
USA Today Top-25 Coaches Poll.
“I'm really proud of the win today and really proud of the players on our team,” Honsinger said. “It was a really gutsy win on the road for us. It was a great college game that was going back-and-forth in our first conference game.”
Junior forward
Liga Vente and freshman guard
Annie Armstrong each scored 18 points, Bestry finished with a dozen and senior
Krystal Charles added 11.
Jones and Emmalee Schill also scored 18 apiece for the Tars, who held the game's largest lead of six after the first bucket in the second half.
Vente scored eight of the team's first 16 points and the Tritons knotted things up at 21-21, the first of 13 ties, following a three from the corner by freshman Armstrong.
Armstrong finished the game 6-of-8 from the field, sinking all three-point shots attempted. She has started an impressive rookie season 13-of-17 beyond the arc through six games played.
Vente's impact on defense was just as noticeable as her offensive output. Her long wingspan altered the path of several Rollins' shots around the rim as she finished with a season-high five swats.
Rollins did the bulk of its damage from long range in the first half as the Tars made six three-point baskets. Outside of a 6-for-10 effort from deep, the Tars only shot 5-for-26 inside the three-point line in the first period and ended up just a shade over 30 percent overall.
Effective pressure by Rollins on the inbounds resulted in a number of EC turnovers, most notably coming when Jones nailed a long three as the first-half buzzer sounded.
Trailing by five out of the first media timeout in the second half, the Tritons pulled even again at 43-43 after Armstrong's second three and a streaking layup by Charles.
Bestry then snapped an 0-for-12 drought from three-point territory dating back to the last game and dialed up a trey from the corner to give EC a 55-52 lead with over six minutes left in regulation.
Charles intercepted a pass from half court and glided to the basket to maintain a three-point cushion around the five-minute mark. Vente again delivered from the post with the left hand for a 61-58 lead to force the Tars into a timeout.
After Jones nailed a three, her fourth of the game, to tie at 61-61, Rollins forced a five-second violation on the ensuing inbounds play.
But another Bestry three inside two minutes to play restored the Tritons' edge, and Armstrong came through in the clutch with a soft running floater along the baseline as the shot clock was winding down.
The Tritons have two weeks off before facing another strong South regional test in the form against non-conference opponent Valdosta State (Ga.) University on Friday, Dec. 14, at 7 p.m.
