ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Eckerd women's basketball team aims to build on the momentum of Wednesday's win at Saint Leo when the Tritons visit Florida Tech on Saturday for a 2:00 PM tip-off.
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ABOUT THE PANTHERS- Florida Tech comes into today's contest sitting in second place in the SSC standings, 1.5 games behind Nova Southeastern and a half-game ahead of Florida Southern. The Panthers are coming off a thrilling 49-46 win over a hot Tampa squad on Wednesday night.
- The Panthers have won three straight after losing two in a row, and have been incredibly stingy on the defensive end in those wins allowing an average of only 43.0 points per game. FIT has held opponents to a paltry 32.3 percent shooting from the floor and 22.5 percent from 3-point range. The team has also been dominant on the boards with a +11.7 rebounding margin in the three victories.
- Defense and rebounding have been FIT's calling card all season. The Panthers rank second in the conference and 35th in D-II in scoring defense (58.3 ppg) while leading the conference and ranking 16th in the nation in rebounding margin (+8.4). They've held opponents below 60 points on 10 occassions this season.
- If Florida Tech has a weakness, it's been offensive efficiency. The Panthers shoot only 36.5 percent from the field and 28.9 percent from 3-point range. Only one player in the regular rotation - Julie McCarthy - shoots over 40 percent (48.5).
ABOUT THE TRITONS- Eckerd finds itself in a fight for fourth place in the conference standings, currently in a tie for fifth with Barry. EC is a half-game behind Tampa for fourth place but holds just a one-game lead over Rollins.
- The Tritons were able to enjoy a less-stressful win on Wednesday, taking a 22-point lead into the fourth quarter in a 63-48 victory at Saint Leo. Before that, every game EC had played in January was a one-possession game with under five minutes left in regulation.
- After a rough shooting stretch early in the month,
Margaret Sundberg has been able to get back on track. The senior has scored in double-figures in each of her last three games, averaging 13 points per game during the stretch, and has knocked down eight 3-pointers. She is also a perfect 7-of-7 from the line.
- Like the Panthers, Eckerd boasts one of the top defenses in the conference and in the country. The Tritons rank third in the SSC and 48th in D-II in scoring defense (59.6 ppg) and second in the conference and 42nd in D-II in defensive field goal percentage (36.2 percent).
LOOKING BACKEckerd struggled against FIT's pressure in the first matchup of the season, dropping a 69-49 final to the Panthers on December 2 in the McArthur Center. The Tritons shot just 24.0 percent in the game and were out-rebounded, 42-30. Shequana Harris led all scorers with 22 points.
