SAINT LEO, Fla. – Senior guard
Amy Buccilla converted four three-point field goals as part of her team-high 16 points, but the long-range precision demonstrated by the Eckerd College women's basketball program fell just short on the road against Saint Leo University on Wednesday, 67-63.
Looking to end a three-game slide in Sunshine State Conference play, the Tritons (7-8, 1-5 SSC) were within striking distance the whole duration, but the Lions (13-3, 4-2 SSC) maintained their spot in the top half of the league standings.
After Eckerd connected on five three-point field goals, the first half resulted in a 32-32 draw. The Tritons fell victim to a 10-2 run to start, but bounced back with help from the long ball and ended up making a total of nine shots from deep.
Buccilla knotted things at 14-14 with a three -- extending her streak of 15 consecutive games with one made field goal -- and freshman
Victoria Vine nailed a trey that gave the Tritons their first lead of the game.
Junior guard
Kayla Bowlin, ranked sixth in the SSC in scoring in conference games only (13.2 ppg), helped the offense get tracked with five points in a 7-2 run in the early stages of the first half. She hit a three and knocked down a tough jumper with the shot clock expiring on back-to-back possessions.
Vine would strip the ball and bank in a layup on the break on the next defensive possession as EC led by as many four in the opening frame.
Saint Leo began the second half on an 8-2 run and junior
Ivana Grbic hit EC's first triple of the second half in an attempt to slow down the Lions' momentum.
Eckerd was in the bonus with 11 minutes to go and a Saint Leo lead was cut down to one on a three by Buccilla in the corner. Following a defensive stop on the other end, Vine dove into the lane for a layup that gave the Tritons their first lead of the second half with 5:29 left.
But the Lions' Chachi Guzman hit a midrange jumper -- her only field goal of the game -- with the shot clock expiring inside the final minute as Saint Leo restored a six-point cushion.
Buccilla converted a trip to the charity stripe with 36 seconds left and nailed another three from the top of the key with 5.5 ticks on the clock. Saint Leo threw the ball out of bounds, but time ran out on EC's valiant rally attempt.
Vente fouled out with 2:12 remaining with 11 points and eight rebounds. She entered tonight's game as the SSC's top rebounder in conference games only.
Buccilla returned to a comfortable site where she netted a career-high 23 points in the Bowman Center back in November. The Tritons defeated Webber International University and Saint Augustine's (N.C.) University to begin the year at the Saint Leo Classic.
Defensively, Eckerd limited the production of SLU leading scorer Teresa Manigrasso as she finished with eight points on 3-of-12 shooting. Chelsea Williams left the floor briefly with an injury and scored a dozen in the first half en route to a game-high 19 points.
The Tritons continue the rugged trail on the road this weekend with a Saturday matchup against Florida Tech in Melbourne at Titan Coliseum on the campus of Eastern Florida State College. The women's game will begin at 5:30 p.m.
