Slow Start Can't Stop Tritons Against No. 25 Delta State

CLEVELAND, Miss. - In what was a bit of a role reversal from a year ago, the Eckerd men's basketball team exacted a measure of revenge from 25th-ranked Delta State (Miss.) in the team's season opener on Friday.

After seeing a double-digit lead slip away last year against the Statesmen, the Tritons returned the favor on Delta State's home floor on the way to a 61-55 win.

HOW IT ENDED
Final: Eckerd 61, #25 Delta State 55
Records: Eckerd 1-0; Delta State 0-1
All-Time Series: Delta State leads, 5-1

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Things didn't quite get off to a blazing start for the Tritons, who found themselves down by double digits just 11 minutes into the game.  The Statesmen lead for all but 15 seconds of the first half, thanks in part to frigid shooting by Eckerd.  DSU's lead reached 10 at the 9:00 mark and grew to 12 points on three occasions before taking a 32-21 lead into halftime.
• Delta State extended the lead to 13 points early in the second half before Eckerd finally began to make its move.  An 11-0 run quickly whittled the deficit down to two points with 13:11 left.  After a P.J. Davis basket broke the scoreless streak for DSU, Travis Bianco knocked down a 3-point and Blake Morrow followed with a jumper to give the Tritons their first lead of the night.
• After the teams swapped baskets, Eckerd scored eight unanswered points for a 51-44 lead at the 6:21 mark following a layup by Paulius Zabilevicius.  Keshawn Ingram converted a traditional 3-point play on EC's next possession, and the Triton lead stayed at seven or more until a last-second layup by Davis made the final margin 61-55.

NOTES AND NUMBERS

• Tonight marked Eckerd's first win over Delta State.  The Statesmen had beaten Eckerd in each of the last four seasons heading into tonight's game.
• The Tritons won despite missing their first 12 attempts from 3-point range.  Ingram broke the drought with 16 seconds left in the first half, and Eckerd proceeded to make 3-of-7 in the second half.
• Ingram led all scorers with 16 points while going 5-of-10 from the floor.  Trevon Young grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds as EC out-rebounded Delta State, 42-35.

QUOTABLE
"We weren't moving the ball well in the first half but we hung in there and kept battling. We finally made a few shots and got some confidence in our offense. We also got some big stops late in the game. It was a scrappy, physical battle and we had to grind it out." - EC head coach Tom Ryan

UP NEXT
The Tritons take on West Alabama on Saturday at 6:00 PM to wrap up the event.  The Tigers knocked off Florida Southern on Friday, 85-78.