ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – For the second straight game, the Eckerd College women's basketball program took its opponent deep into overtime, but ultimately fell just short, this time against Lynn University with a 55-53 final in the McArthur Center on Wednesday evening.
A great start from the Tritons (7-10, 1-7 SSC) was spoiled by a tough ending at the hands of the Fighting Knights (10-8, 3-5 SSC) due to a combination of missed shots and inopportune turnovers at key moments.
After nearly pulling out a road win at Florida Tech in Melbourne on a neutral floor last week, the first half of the Sunshine State Conference schedule ended in disappointment as senior
Amy Buccilla's bid for the game winner fell just short as time ran out.
Junior guard
Rana Thomas scored 12 of her team-high 15 points in the first half and keyed a 19-9 game-opening run for the Eckerd offense.
Thomas scored nine of the team's first 16 points and EC's first double-digit advantage was taken on a deep three from the corner by freshman
Victoria Vine at the 12:19 mark.
Lynn's Shattoria Baker rattled in a pair of back-to-back treys as part of a Fighting Knights' 16-5 run and took their first lead, 25-24.
Vine would nail two more shots from long range in the opening period, none bigger than a triple that tickled the net just as the buzzer sounded before halftime.
Eckerd ended the first half on an 8-1 run to take a nine-point cushion going into the break.
The Tritons connected on 11 of their first 22 shots to begin the game, but struggled from the field in the second half again, making just five field goals out of 25 shots hoisted up.
It took three minutes before the first field goal of the second half was made, but Lynn eventually took a three-point lead and later knotted the game up at 48-48 on a pair of free throws by Tylar Tracy with 38.5 seconds left.
EC's final possession of the second half turned into a tie-up and a three by Sharneka McCatty was off from the wing to force the extra session.
Tracy scored the first two points in overtime, but Thomas and Zachara Bailey exchanged three's for their respective teams. Bailey would hit two more free throws to make it a four-point game.
Vine, senior
Liga Vente and junior
Kayla Bowlin each netted nine points in Eckerd's home effort. Bowlin handed out six assists as she finished the entire 45 minutes on the floor.
McCatty paced the visitors with 13 points and Tracy recorded an 11 point, 12-rebound double-double. Isidora Madzarevic helped Lynn with 10 points and five rebounds in a reserve role.
The Tritons will take a break from the conference slate on Saturday afternoon with a rematch against Palm Beach Atlantic University in the McArthur Center with a 2 p.m. tip-off scheduled.
