BASKETBALL GAMEDAY: Eckerd Visits Lynn to Tip Off Second Half of SSC Slate

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The second half of the Sunshine State Conference schedule begins today for the Eckerd basketball teams as the Tritons travel to Boca Raton to face Lynn University.
 

Eckerd (14-3, 8-1 SSC) at Lynn (8-8, 3-6 SSC)
WHEN	Saturday, January 21 | 2:00 PM
WHERE	Boca Raton, Fla.
WATCH	Live Video | Live Stats
SOCIAL MEDIA	Twitter (@ECTritons) | Instagram (@EckerdTritons)
LAST MEETING	Eckerd 78, Lynn 49 (11/30/16)

ABOUT THE KNIGHTS: Lynn has made strides forward under second-year head coach Julia Huddleston, an alumna of the EC women's basketball program.  The Knights have already doubled their win total from last year and been very competitive in losses to some of the SSC's top teams, including a 5-point loss to Florida Southern on January 4.  However, the team's last two games have resulted in lobsided losses and the Knights will look to get back on track in today's game.  Paola Vazquez leads the team and ranks fourth in the conference in scoring, averaging 15.1 points per game.  As a team, Lynn is one of the best rebounding teams in the SSC, pulling in 40.9 per game with a plus-4.4 margin.

LAST TIME THEY MET: The Tritons raced out to a 26-3 lead after the first quarter and cruised to a 78-49 win over Lynn in the McArthur Center on November 30.  Eckerd shot 55.6 percent from the floor in the win while holding Lynn to 27.9 percent.  Victoria Vine and Brooke Juday each scored 14 points to lead the Tritons.

VINE STAYS HOT: Victoria Vine led Eckerd with a 22-point performance on Wednesday as the Tritons defeated Nova Southeastern for the first time since 2013.  It was her third straight game with 20 or more points and fifth of the season.  In her last five games, Vine is shooting 63.6 percent from the floor (35-of-55) and 3-point range (14-of-22).
 

Eckerd (13-4, 6-3 SSC) at Lynn (10-6, 5-4 SSC)
WHEN	Saturday, January 21 | 4:00 PM
WHERE	Boca Raton, Fla.
WATCH	Live Video | Live Stats
SOCIAL MEDIA	Twitter (@ECTritons) | Instagram (@EckerdTritons)
LAST MEETING	Eckerd 73, Lynn 56 (11/30/16)

ABOUT THE KNIGHTS: After a slow start, Lynn worked its way back into the thick of the conference race before losing a little ground after a 73-71 loss to Rollins on Wednesday.  Still, the Knights come into today's contest as winners of eight of their last 10 games and boast a victory over then-No. 19 Tampa during the streak.  Like Eckerd, Lynn relies on defense for its success entering the day ranked second in the SSC allowing 75.3 points per game.  The team's offense runs through Jamal Palmer (16.8 points per game) and Marquan Botley (16.6 points per game); Botley ranks third in the SSC in 3-pointers made per game (3.3).

LAST TIME THEY MET: An 11-0 run early in the second half established the tone for the final 20 minutes as the Tritons defeated Lynn, 73-56, in the McArthur Center on November 30.  Rebounding was a huge factor as Eckerd out-rebounded Lynn, 50-25.  Drushaun McLaurn led the way with 19 points while Keshawn Ingram added 10.

FIGHTING FOR FIRST: With the second half of SSC play beginning today, the Tritons find themselves in a battle for position in the standings.  Eckerd is tied for second place with Tampa, a game behind Barry and a game ahead of both Lynn and Florida Southern.  EC's second-half schedule will be a challenge with road games against Lynn, Barry and Tampa as well as Florida Tech, which defeated the Tritons in November.