ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Forward Hanna Bognar carved out an unconventional triple-double and Armstrong Atlantic State (Ga.) University took advantage of some uncharacteristic shooting struggles to down the Eckerd College women's basketball program on Saturday afternoon, 67-54.
Bognar achieved the rare statistical feat on the game's last basket as she finished with 11 points, 13 rebounds and 10 swatted shots for the Pirates (6-2, 1-1 PBC). It turned out to be the first triple-double ever recorded by an Armstrong Atlantic State player in the program's history.
Bognar capitalized on a three-point play to split the game's 11th tie with 13:42 left in regulation and a dry EC shooting spell compounded into an eventual 18-point cushion for the Pirates.
Eckerd had whittled down the double-digit lead to nine inside the final 90 seconds as senior
Amy Buccilla extended her streak of at least one three-point field goal made in all possible nine games to date.
The Tritons (6-3, 0-0 SSC) were playing their final contest before turning the page over into the new calendar year and the start of Sunshine State Conference play.
Armstrong Atlantic State turned around a two-point deficit at the break by shooting over 54 percent from the field in the second half.
EC built on its brief halftime lead, but cashed in on just 7-of-32 tries from the field in the final period.
As a result, the Tritons were limited to a season-low 25.4 percent clip from the field (16-of-63) after entering the week ranked eighth nationally in the category.
Bognar and Eckerd senior forward
Liga Vente were battling on the block early on as part of a back-and-forth bruising opening frame that featured nine ties and six different lead changes before the intermission.
Bognar and Vente controlled the interior for their respective teams early on, combining for six rejections in the first six minutes of play.
Junior forward
Ivana Grbic posted her third double-double of the season with an 11 point, 13-rebound effort and Vente added a respective double-double of her own with 15 points and 11 boards before fouling out.
Bognar paced four AASU players in double figures as Tyler Carlson and Michigan State University transfer Bryonna Davis each netted 15 points and Brigitta Barta added 10.
Davis, the team's leading scorer coming in, came up with a pair of successive three-pointers that helped the Pirates pull away, including one with the shot clock winding down.
After receiving a bye week while the rest of the league kicked off the SSC schedule last weekend, the Tritons will open 2014 in the conference slate by hosting No. 4 Nova Southeastern University in the McArthur Center on Saturday, Jan. 4, at 2 p.m.
