Box Score
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Iconic Eckerd College men's basketball coach
Tom Ryan reached a rare career milestone and collected his 300th career win on the sidelines against Nova Southeastern University on Wednesday, 78-72.
Ryan came into the current season with 286 wins entering his 16th year at the helm and the two-time SSC Coach of the Year has taken his program to a total of six NCAA Championship appearances.
That number could very well be seven this year with the Tritons continuing to turn heads with their consistent play and establishing themselves as a viable SSC contender.
The Tritons (14-5, 7-3 SSC) remained on a roll through the second half of the Sunshine State Conference schedule and moved into a three-way logjam with Florida Tech and Rollins College at the top of the league standings.
Eckerd, winners of three straight, got to the charity stripe at will against the Sharks (9-10, 4-6 SSC) to complete the regular-season sweep, sinking 36-of-48 tries on the night.
Lance Kearse had 17 makes from the free throw line to complete his monster game with 30 points and seven rebounds in just 29 minutes while
Alex Bodney had 10 made free throws as part of his 17.
Darrien Mack added 12 and
Wayne Sears Jr. netted 11.
The Tritons had to overcome a 11-point first-half deficit against Nova Southeastern and came back to take the lead with just over three minutes to go in the first half.
The game was tied for the 10th time in the second half at the 12:56 mark. A jumper by Bodney and a pair of free-throw tries by Kearse snapped a 51-51 tie and had EC up by four.
Kearse rained in a shot from downtown to increase the lead to six and he offset a Robert Huntington layup with two more free throws to restore the six-point edge down the stretch. NSU made a three with six seconds left to cut the deficit to four, but it was too little too late for the Sharks.
The Tritons have a big showdown looming against SSC co-leader Rollins College on Saturday afternoon in the McArthur Center. Eckerd defeated the Tars in Winter Park in the teams' first meeting.
