LAKE WALES, Fla. – Senior center
Kristiana Stauere scored a career-high 23 points and senior guard
Amy Buccilla put on another torrid shooting clinic as the Eckerd College women's basketball program took care of business on the road against Warner University on Saturday afternoon, 83-54.
After enduring a tough stretch with two losses in three games last week, the high-octane offense that temporarily had Eckerd ranked first in the country in terms of field-goal percentage, resurfaced.
The Tritons (6-2, 0-0 SSC) shot nearly 60 percent from the field and nailed eight of their nine total threes in the first half alone while assembling a 15-0 run to methodically pull away from the Royals (8-2, 2-0 TSC).
EC entered the new week ranked 12th nationally in field-goal percentage and effectively snapped a five-game Warner win streak. Stauere hauled in eight rebounds and finished 10-of-15 from the field to lead another balanced scoring effort.
Junior
Kayla Bowlin (five assists, five rebounds), freshman
Victoria Vine and senior
Liga Vente, each netted seven points while junior forward
Ivana Grbic had eight as all 10 players on the active roster found their way on to the floor.
Eighth-year Eckerd Head Coach
Paul Honsinger also pocketed career win No. 101 after reaching the memorable milestone to tip off the EC Thanksgiving Classic against the University of Puerto Rico-Bayamon.
"Our team moved the ball very well today and knocked open shots to post 54 points in the first half," he said afterwards. "I was also happy with our bench which chipped in with 38 points and preserved our lead in the second half."
Buccilla scored 17 of her 19 points in the first half and Stauere poured in 14 before the break as Warner's Kelly Brennan, a transfer from Rollins College, singlehandedly tried to keep her team in contention.
Brennan scored 20 of her team's first 22 points as EC's defensive pressure hounded the Royals into low shooting percentages. Warner's first field goal other than Brennan came with eight minutes left in the first half as the Tritons executed the offense efficiently.
A string of back-to-back-to-back triples drained by Buccilla ignited the offense in the early going and put the Tritons in the driver's seat, 15-7.
After erupting for a career-high 23 against Saint Augustine's (N.C.) University (Nov. 15), the co-captain's transformation into a deadly offensive weapon continued as she has extended her streak to making at least one three-point field goal in all eight possible games this year.
EC made 19-of-32 tries from the floor and led by as many as 29 in the opening frame as Stauere knocked down a three before halftime.
For Stauere, today's 23-point outburst shattered a previous personal-best scoring total of 14 points recorded against Adelphi (N.Y.) University during her junior campaign. Her all-around contributions on both ends of the floor in 32 minutes allowed the Tritons to control the tempo in their half-court offensive sets.
Thanks to steady production from the bench, Eckerd maintained a comfortable lead with the starters resting for most of the final 20 minutes and Brennan cooling down from her hot start.
The Tritons will return to their home floor to tangle against Armstrong Atlantic State (Ga.) University on Saturday, Dec. 21, in the midst of a busy day at the McArthur Center. Eckerd will host the Pirates at 3 p.m. in between four scheduled games of the Div. III women's basketball tournament presented by Basketball Destinations.
