Box Score SAINT LEO, Fla. - The Eckerd women's basketball team is now just one win away from making more program history.
The No. 14/18 Tritons put themselves in a position to play for the Sunshine State Conference regular season championship on Saturday following a 64-40 win over Saint Leo on Wednesday.
Eckerd (22-4, 15-2 SSC) shot a blistering 60.7 percent in the first half, aided greatly by a 16-of-21 performance on its shots inside the arc. The result was a 38-22 lead at the break, a sizable advantage that the Tritons maintained for the remainder of the game.
"We executed well in the first half for lay-ups and backdoor cuts," said EC head coach
Paul Honsinger. "We were attacking north and south and getting good looks early on. I was also very pleased with our rebounding effort on both ends."
A 12-1 run to close the first quarter helped set the tone as the Tritons took an 11-point lead.
Saint Leo (9-16, 4-13 SSC) managed to cut the lead down to six midway through the second quarter but Eckerd again finished the period strong, using a 12-2 run over the final 3:19 of the first half to build a 16-point lead at the break. The Tritons' offensive efficiency was on display during the run, scoring eight points in a span of just over a minute.
The hot shooting subsided in the second half, but Eckerd's defense did not. EC held the Lions to 25.9 percent shooting in the final 20 minutes and allowed a mere four points in the fourth quarter.
EC's lead grew to 24 points in the third quarter on the heels of nine unanswered points and reached that margin again after a pair of
Kacie Juday free throws accounted for the game's final points.
Victoria Vine led a balanced attack with 15 points while Juday and
Ashley Folsom both had 14. Folsom was nearly perfect from the floor, making 7-of-8 shots.
Ada Yalcin swiped five of EC's 11 steals.
The win sets the stage for Saturday's regular-season finale against Florida Southern, which will determine the SSC regular season championship. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 PM with senior day recognition ceremonies taking place before the game.
