Box Score St. Petersburg, Fla. – On their first game of the new year, the Eckerd College women's basketball team gave No. 14 Nova Southeastern all they could handle falling just short
on Saturday, 77-71.
The first half became a back and forth battle with each team answering the other at every basket.
Rana Thomas was active early and often with the basketball scoring four points in the first five minutes including a layup to tie the game at 8-8.
Taking a four point lead with 12 minutes remaining, the Sharks were looking to pull away.
Ivana Grbic and Thomas knocked in baskets bringing the Tritons within one before NSU answered back with a bucket of their own.
Victoria Vine took the next Eckerd possession and hit a big three to tie it up at 18-18.
Grbic gave the Tritons their second lead of the game with back-to-back free throws with six minutes remaining in the half to go up 22-21. The Sharks regained the lead, but Thomas put the ball in off the glass with just over a minute left on the clock to knot it up at 33-33. NSU scored five unanswered points in the final minute of play to take a 38-33 lead into the locker room.
After exchanging baskets to open the second half, the Sharks went on a 10-2 run and began to pull away. EC trailed by 17 with just under 13 minutes remaining in the game and began to claw their way back.
A big three pointer from Thomas brought her team within eight with 11 minutes left. Grbic managed to drive the lane and grab a layup while drawing a foul and hitting her free throw to bring the score to 66-60.
Vine was able to use the backboard to drop in a layup closing the gap, trailing by just four points with under five minutes remaining in regulation. With
1:33 left on the clock, Thomas knocked home both of her free throws as Eckerd was now within two. That would be as close as EC would get with NSU hitting their free throws down the stretch clinching the 77-71 victory.
Thomas finished the game with 24 points, one point shy of matching her career high. Grbic, who played most of the second half with four fouls, ended with 18 points.
Trine Kasemagi posted a solid game under the basket with 10 points and five rebounds.
Eckerd moves to 9-3 overall and 0-2 in SSC play. The Tritons will host No. 10 Tampa (8-3, 2-0)
on Wednesday with tip-off scheduled for
5:30 p.m.
