TAMPA, Fla. - Eckerd men's basketball head coach
Tom Ryan constantly stresses defense and rebounding as staples of his team's success.
The Tritons flawlessly executed both in Wednesday night's Sunshine State Conference opener at Tampa, resulting in a 16-point win over the Spartans.
HOW IT ENDED
Final: Eckerd 65, Tampa 49
Records: Eckerd 3-0 (1-0 SSC); Tampa 2-1 (0-1 SSC)
All-Time Series: Tampa leads, 50-37
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Eckerd led for the majority of the game. Tampa took its only lead at the 17:45 mark of the first half on a free throw by Duke Shelton. Paulius Zabilevicius answered with a jumper, and the Tritons never trailed for the rest of the game. UT tied the game one more time at 8-8, but EC answered with six straight points.
- The Spartans stayed within striking distance for the remainder of the first half, although Eckerd began to build some separation late. The Triton lead reached 12 after Drushaun McLaurn made a transition layup with four seconds left, but Tampa hustled the ball down the floor and earned a pair of free throws with .03 seconds on the clock. Mekhi Biffle made both, sending Eckerd into halftime with a 30-20 lead.
- Perhaps the key moment in the game took place midway through the second half. Eckerd still held an 11-point lead, then went on a 10-0 run to take a 53-32 lead with 6:50 to play. That put the game well in hand for Eckerd despite a late run by the Spartans that saw them pull within 12 before the Tritons secured a 16-point victory.
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- While Tampa's Pat Bacon managed to score 28 points, no other Spartan scored more than seven points and combined to shoot 17.6 percent from the field.
- The Tritons were dominant on the boards, holding a 52-33 rebounding edge over Tampa. EC scored 13 second-chance points while holding Tampa to a mere two.
- McLaurn (17 points, 14 rebounds) and Trevon Young (15 points, 10 rebounds) both posted double-doubles for Eckerd. McLaurn's 14 rebounds tied his career high, set last season against Palm Beach Atlantic.
QUOTABLE
"We really rebounded and defended tonight. They've got two very good scorers in Bacon and Shelton. We were able to limit Shelton's touches inside. We were a little more patient on offense and it gave us some good opportunities." - EC head coach
Tom Ryan
UP NEXT
The Tritons face a tough test in their home opener on Saturday hosting No. 5/12 Barry University at 3:00 PM. The Bucs were easy winners tonight in a non-conference contest against St. Thomas (Fla.).
