DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Eckerd men's basketball team is in the SSC tournament finals for the first time since 2011 as the Tritons will face Barry University for the conference championship today at 1:00 PM.
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SCOUTING THE BUCS: Offensively, there is no more dangerous team in the conference than Barry. The Bucs, who took the top seed in the conference tournament via tiebreaker over Eckerd and Rollins, average 93.6 points per game and have scored 100 or more points eight times this season. They are led by the SSC Player of the Year, Yunio Barrueta, with 24.8 points per game. Five other players also average in double-figures, making Barry a very difficult team to stop.
HOW THEY GOT HERE: Barry has posted two comfortable wins on its way to the title game, besting Florida Southern in the quarterfinals, 95-79, before dominating Saint Leo in the semifinals, 91-72. Eckerd had no trouble with Florida Tech in the quarterfinals, handing the Panthers a 95-70 defeat, but had to hold off a comeback by Lynn for a 64-61 win over the Knights.
REGULAR SEASON SERIES: The two teams split games in the regular season, with each team winning on its home floor. Eckerd handled the Bucs in St. Petersburg on January 16, 90-74, but Barry got a measure of revenge in Miami Shores on February 27 with an 82-69 win that gave the Bucs a share of the regular season title and the top overall seed in the tournament.
REGION HOST: With Alabama-Huntsville's loss yesterday in the Gulf South Conference championship, the winner of today's game very well may end up as the top seed in the South Region and the host of the upcoming South Region tournament. The NCAA Division II Selection Show takes place tonight at 10:30, where the region tournament qualifiers and site will be revealed.
BENCH BOOST: Drushaun McLaurn and
Ray Darnell have been giving Eckerd quite a boost off the bench recently. Darnell, a senior, has been playing his best basketball of the season recently averaging 13.5 points per game over his last four while shooting 67.7 percent from the floor. McLaurn, a freshman, leads the team in scoring with 12.1 points per game. During the SSC tournament, he is averaging 18.0 points per game on 14-of-20 shooting from the floor.
CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: Today will mark the seventh appearance for Eckerd in the SSC championship game. The Tritons are 3-3 all-time in the finals with wins in 1995, 2004 and 2007. EC last appeared in the title game in 2011, losing to Rollins 75-66. Barry, meanwhile, is looking for its first tournament championship in six tries. The Bucs are 0-5 in the SSC finals including a 93-83 loss to Florida Southern in last year's finals.
