ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - It's not often that a player makes two buzzer-beaters in one game, but
Zoe Richards did just as the No. 24 Eckerd women's basketball team downed Rollins at the McArthur Center on Saturday afternoon in a tight contest.
Richards netted the first buzzer-beater from near half court to end the first half, and the second in closer but more dramatic fashion with 1.3 seconds left in overtime to clinch the victory.
HOW IT ENDED
Final: Eckerd 75, Rollins 74 (OT)
Records: Eckerd 11-2 (5-1 SSC), Rollins 8-4 (3-3 SSC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The game was close from the tip as Rollins scored the opening basket, but moments later Eckerd took the lead on a Yarden Danan 3-pointer. Both teams' offenses went cold for the rest of the quarter as over three minutes went by without another basket. Richards scored the last four points of the quarter for Eckerd putting the Tritons up by five, 11-6, at the end of the opening period.
- Kacie Juday netted a layup to open the second quarter giving Eckerd its largest lead of the game at seven points. The Tars then went on to score six straight points over the next three minutes pulling within one before Dallas Dickerson sunk a 3-pointer to put the Tritons back up by four. Rollins then went on an 11-3 run to gain the lead with just under a minute to go. The defense came up with a big stop before half, forcing a Tars turnover with 0.6 seconds left to set up the first of Richards' two buzzer-beaters. Danan in-bounded the ball to half-court finding an open Richards who got the ball off just before the horn to tie the game at 29-29 at the half.
- Eckerd began the second half with a quick five points off a Juday layup and a Danan 3-pointer, but the Tars went on another run to gain the lead at 36-34 with 6:13 left. The game remained within two points for the next three minutes before Chelsea Johnson sank a 3 to give Eckerd another five-point lead with 3:46 left. Rollins again rallied and tied the game once again at 46-46 as the third period closed.
- Eckerd held a one-possession advantage for the majority of the fourth quarter, stretching its lead to as many as six after a Danan 3-pointer at the 2:22 mark. Rollins' Vernisha Andrews then scored five points in the final 10 seconds to tie the game at 65-65 to force the game into overtime. Juday had a chance at a game-winning 3-pointer as time expired after dribbling the length of the court, but her attempt went off the back iron.
- The tightness of the contest would remain just the same in overtime as it did in regulation. This time, however, Eckerd needed the basket in the final moments to clinch the game. The Tars had a one-point lead with one minute left before Johnson knocked down a clutch 3-pointer from the corner giving Eckerd a 73-71 lead. The Tritons then got a stop and forced Rollins to foul, but missed both free throws and a chance to make it a two-possession game. Andrews made EC pay, slashing to the basket and drawing a foul to convert a traditional 3-point play with 8.1 seconds left. After an Eckerd timeout advanced the ball to half-court, Danan drove to the basket and was knocked off-balance but found Richards directly underneath who took one dribble and laid it in with 1.3 seconds left to give Eckerd the 75-74 victory.
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- Richards played a tremendous game for Eckerd setting a new career-high 26 points to go along with her two buzzer-beaters. Richards went 11-for-12 from the floor. Johnson (15) and Juday (11) also added double-digit points for Eckerd. Juday also grabbed 12 rebounds for her fifth double-double this season.
- Eckerd scored more than half of its points off the bench as Richards and Johnson combined for 41 of the Tritons' 42 bench points. Tonight's game marked the return of Johnson to the lineup who had missed the previous two weeks with an injury.
- The close contest saw 15 lead changes and nine ties.
- Today's game was the first overtime game for Eckerd since January 13, 2016. The Tritons have won their last three games that have gone into overtime.
QUOTABLE
"There is a lot to learn from today's win. We have to be better defensively to close out games, but we never quit right to the final possession. I thought Zoe played great today so it was fitting that she hit the game-winner for our team." - EC head coach
Paul Honsinger
UP NEXT
Eckerd will continue conference action in the new year as they travel to Nova Southeastern on Wednesday for a 5:30 PM tip-off in Fort Lauderdale.
