Box Score ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – After a back and forth battle in the second half, the Eckerd College men's basketball team suffered their first loss in the SSC
Wednesday night to the University of Tampa, 73-71.
Ray Darnell dropped in the first two points of the game with an assist from
Jerrick Stevenson.
Malcolm Brunner Jr. was able to drive in for a layup drawing the foul and making his free throw to go up 7-2. Tampa then went on an 11-2 run spanning four minutes to take a 13-9 lead.
Midway through the first half UT held a ten point lead over Eckerd, 22-12.
Kevin Walsh managed to get off a clean jump shot for two bringing EC within four points with six and a half minutes left in the first half. Walsh got it even closer with a pass from
Keshawn Ingram hitting a deep three pointer.
Tampa managed to grab a five point lead with
3:13 remaining until halftime. Free throws from Darnell and a bucket by Stevenson in the final seconds sent Eckerd into the locker room trailing 35-32.
The second half turned into a prize fight with both teams giving everything they had to pull out the victory. Tampa led the first seven minutes of the half until Stevenson knocked down a three to give Eckerd a one point lead.
After one lead change and a tie ball game, UT grabbed the lead, 61-60, with less than four minutes to play. Every bucket that the Tritons made Tampa had an answer for. With 20 seconds left in the contest Eckerd trailed by six.
Walsh drained an NBA range three to bring his team within one, down 72-71. Tampa's Matt Johnson went to the line and made his first free throw, but missed his second with Stevenson pulling down the rebound and nine seconds remaining in the game. Stevenson rushed down the court, pulled up for the deep three with the ball bouncing off the rim and no time left on the clock.
Stevenson led the team with a season high 24 points. Three other Tritons finished the night in double digits. Walsh ended with 13 while Brunner Jr. and Darnell each totaled 10 and 12 points respectively.
Eckerd (8-4, 2-1) will take on Lynn University (8-2, 2-0) on the road
Saturday. The game is slated to begin at
4 p.m.
