Box Score
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Featuring a laundry list of twists and turns, the Eckerd College men's basketball program overcame an inspired effort from Saint Leo University in the McArthur Center to pull out overtime theatrics on Wednesday night, 61-57.
Senior guard
Woody Taylor drove the length of the floor to convert a go-ahead three-point play with 2:26 left in the extra frame that made the score, 56-55.
Taylor, the Sunshine State Conference leader in free throw percentage (25-of-25), extended a streak of 36 consecutive free throws made dating back to last season. He also handed out five assists.
Following a wild scramble for an offensive rebound that forced SLU to resort to fouling, senior forward
Darrien Mack made a pair of free throws with 3.1 seconds left to seal the win. He finished with 22 points and nine rebounds.
Ultimately, the Tritons (10-4, 4-3 SSC) protected an 11-point halftime lead that was all for naught at the end of regulation.
For the Lions (12-4, 5-2 SSC), it represented their fourth consecutive game where overtime was the deciding factor.
Saint Leo's Marcus Ruh knotted things up in regulation at 51-51 after using a pump fake to drain a three-point field goal with 41 seconds left. Initially ruled a two-point shot, the scoring decision was reversed by the officiating crew after a brief discussion.
Freshman
Jerrick Stevenson misfired on both free throws with 12.1 seconds left and the score still tied, but bounced back to partially block a desperation three from the corner.
Stevenson scored 12 of his 14 points from long range and was one rebound shy of a double-double.
Ruh's game-tying shot capped a tumultuous sequence of events resulting in four consecutive Eckerd turnovers in the last two minutes as the Lions ratcheted up the defensive pressure.
Ruh scored all of his 14 points in the second half after being held scoreless in the first half. Hounded all night by EC junior guard
Alex Bodney, the Saint Leo floor general took a while to get tracked.
Most notably, Bodney tipped an inbounds pass off the hands of Ruh and controlled the ball in midair for a steal. He held Ruh, averaging nearly 18 points per game, to 0-for-2 from the field in the first half.
The Tritons locked down the Lions defensively in the first half with a pair of shot clock violations, limiting the Saint Leo offense to just six field goals and 24 percent shooting. In addition, All-SSC performer Trent Thomas was badgered into 1-for-10 shooting on the night.
Jerrel Harris scored 12 points along with Chim Kadima to help lead the Lions' offense.
EC sophomore
Malcolm Brunner Jr. scored nine of his 12 points in the first half and hammered a two-handed slam.
The Tritons will hit the road this weekend to face Palm Beach Atlantic University at 4 p.m. in West Palm Beach.
