ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Eckerd men's basketball team enters the second half of the Sunshine State Conference schedule looking to hang on to its top spot in conference as the Tritons visit Saint Leo tonight for a 7:30 PM tipoff.
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ABOUT THE LIONS- Saint Leo has been very tough at home this season, entering tonight's game with a 10-2 record in the Bowman Center. The Lions have also hit their stride in January, winning five of six games to start the new year. Four of those wins have come by seven points or fewer.
- The Lions have been hot from 3-point range in January, shooting 43.9 percent from behind the arc. Marcus Dewberry, the team's leading scorer, has been a big part of that high conversion rate. The 6-foot junior is shooting 48.0 percent on his 3-point attempts over his last six games and averages four 3's per game. Twice during that stretch, Dewberry has eclipsed the 30-point mark including 34 against Palm Beach Atlantic on January 2.
- Sophomore guard Tyreece Brice has given Saint Leo a lift off the bench lately. After starting the first nine game of the season, Brice has become the team's sixth man and has done it quite effectively. He is third on the team in scoring with 13.9 points per game and shoots 52.9 percent from the floor. Brice scored a career-high 26 points on Saturday in a win over Nova Southeastern.
- The Lions lead the SSC in 3-point field goal defense, limiting opponents to 32.2 percent shooting behind the arc.
ABOUT THE TRITONS- Eckerd enters the second half of conference play with a two-game lead in the SSC standings over Barry and a 2.5-game lead over Rollins. Five of Eckerd's final eight conference games will be on the road.
- The Tritons bounced back on Saturday with a 79-67 win over Palm Beach Atlantic. The final score was a bit deceiving as Eckerd led by as many as 30 points in the second half. Eckerd improved its home record on the season to 12-0 with the victory.
- Defense has been Eckerd's main strength for the majority of the season. The Tritons routinely hold opponents well below their season scoring averages and will have the opportunity to do it again tonight against a Saint Leo squad that averages nearly 85 points per game. EC has allowed an opponent to score 80 points only three times this year.
- While most teams in the conference feature a dominant scorer or two, the Tritons have experienced success with a balanced offense that makes the team difficult to stop. Four players enter tonight averaging in double figures:
Jerrick Stevenson (12.5),
Drushaun McLaurn (11.7),
Kevin Walsh (11.3) and
Trevon Young (10.6). Six different players have led the team in scoring this season and nine players have scored in double-figures at least once.
LOOKING BACKThe Tritons steamrolled to a 26-point lead in the second half, then held off a late push by the Lions for an 80-68 win in the McArthur Center on November 18.Â
Trevon Young led EC with 14 points while
Jerrick Stevenson (11),
E.J. Moody (12) and
Drushaun McLaurn (12) also reached double-figures in scoring.
