Box Score
KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Senior forward
Walade Wade enjoyed a career night as the third-seeded Eckerd College men's basketball program pulled away from No. 6 Nova Southeastern University on Friday night in one of four Sunshine State Conference Championship quarterfinal contests, 62-48.
Wade erupted for a personal-best 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting to go with seven rebounds and five steals, in just 26 minutes. He nearly doubled his previous scoring-high total of 13 netted against Barry University as a junior and Queen (N.C.) University as a sophomore.
The Tritons (20-6, 11-5 SSC) won their seventh straight dating back to Feb. 13 while the Sharks exited the tournament bracket and concluded their season with a 15-12 overall record.
Eckerd is now set up for a semifinal clash against No. 2 Florida Southern College on Saturday night in Silver Spurs Arena with a 7:30 p.m. tip-off. The Mocs defeated seventh-seeded Barry University in the game prior to move on.
Six different EC players scored to begin the night as part of a 9-2 run and the Tritons' defense limited the Sharks to a 2-for-9 start from the floor with six turnovers.
But NSU took its first lead of the game inside the final two minutes of the first half as Brian Cahill briefly caught fire, including a buzzer beater to cap an 8-0 run and give the Sharks a six-point lead at halftime.
Cahill, a former SSC Freshman of the Year, scored 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting in the first half. He was held off the scoresheet in the second half.
EC erased the minor deficit in a hurry out of the break, marking a 6-0 run to tie things at 27-27 in the first two minutes elapsed from three-pointers by junior guard
Alex Bodney and Wade.
Wade hit another three shortly after from the top of the key and picked apart the defense in the low post with an array of moves that kept the defense off balance. He missed a handful of games this season due to an injury to his shooting hand, but has returned to the form that made him runner-up in SSC Defensive Player of the Year balloting a year ago.
Play was unexpectedly delayed following an injury to an official and a replacement was summoned to fill in. The Tritons resumed their second-half surge out of the stoppage and began to pull away.
Freshman guard
E.J. Moody hit two free throws and freshman
Jerrick Stevenson ripped the cords from deep following the official's timeout in the midst of a 14-0 run as the Tritons opened up their first double-digit lead with just over 12 minutes left to play.
The Tritons led by as many as 17 with just over five minutes remaining in regulation and limited the Sharks to under 27 percent shooting in the second half alone (7-of-26).
Newly-appointed First Team All-SSC selection
Darrien Mack scored the game's first field goal and brought the crowd to its feet with a one-handed flush off the inbounds play in the second half. He finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.
Mack and Stevenson were both recognized by the conference earlier today as part of the All-SSC Team.
The Tritons, also ranked 25th in the most recent NABC Top-25 Coaches' Poll and third in the NCAA South Region rankings, split with the Sharks during the regular season.
Live video and audio will be streamed live courtesy of the conference and live stats are also available. Links will be posted on EckerdTritons.com.
