Tritons Tripped by Palm Beach Atlantic

Box Score ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Eckerd men's basketball team nearly overcame an 11-point deficit with 1:15 to play but fell one shot short as the Tritons were upended by Palm Beach Atlantic on Saturday, 73-71, in the McArthur Center.

After a Dakota Zinser free throw gave the Sailfish a 73-62 lead, Eckerd went to work.

Shane Phillips made a pair from the free throw line before the Tritons forced three straight turnovers and converted each into a basket.  The final shot, a Matt Beneduci 3-pointer from the right side, brought EC within two points with 25 seconds remaining.

The Tritons then had two chances to tie or take the lead but came up empty both times.  After forcing another PBA turnover, Eckerd's Drushaun McLaurn was whistled for an offensive foul.  EC got another chance following a Sailfish miss on the front end of a 1-and-1 but didn't get a good look at the basket.

"I'm proud that the team didn't give up at the end," said EC head coach Tom Ryan, "but we can't get outworked and out-hustled for 38 minutes in our league and win games.  PBA did a good job of keeping us off-balance and controlling the boards.  We still control our own destiny, though, and will get back to work to prepare for next week's games."

Palm Beach Atlantic (13-11, 9-8 SSC) used defensive pressure to cause problems for Eckerd's offense.  The Tritons committed a season-high 25 turnovers and shot just 30.4 percent from 3-point range.

The Sailfish never trailed in the second half, although their lead was generally tenuous.  When it appeared that PBA was on the verge of pulling away, the Tritons instead pulled closer until a 12-4 run gave the Sailfish an 11-point lead late in the contest.

EC's last lead came with 10:57 to go in the first half after a Travis Bianco 3-pointer put the Tritons ahead, 17-14.  PBA then scored six unanswered points and never trailed again.

The loss dropped Eckerd a half-game behind Barry for first place in the SSC.  The Tritons have two conference games remaining next week while the Bucs have one; Eckerd needs to win those games to have a chance to gain at least a share of the conference's regular-season title for the second year in a row.

McLaurn posted his fifth double-double of the season with 18 points and 14 rebounds.  Trevon Young had 14 points and Kevin Walsh added 10.

Eckerd begins the final week of the regular season on Wednesday, visiting Saint Leo for a 7:30 PM tipoff.