Tritons Suffer First Loss of Season at Hands of Virginia Union

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Frantic defensive pressure by visiting Virginia Union was just enough to result in the first loss of the season for the Eckerd men's basketball team as the Panthers clipped the Tritons, 70-64, on Friday night in the McArthur Center.

Eckerd overcame an early 11-point deficit but fell victim to a late banked-in 3-pointer as part of a 10-3 run that essentially sealed the win for Virginia Union.

HOW IT ENDED
Final: Virginia Union 70, Eckerd 64
Records: Eckerd 4-1, Virginia Union 2-2

KEY MOMENTS

• Eckerd struggled against the Panthers' trapping defense from the opening tip, allowing VUU to race out to an 18-5 lead after seven minutes.  Marquis Gilbert scored nine straight points following the opening run to help keep the Tritons within arm's length of the Panthers.
• The Tritons were able to eventually find a way to handle the pressure and made a late run to close the first half, pulling within three points on a layup by Marco Behori with 1:45 left on the clock.  Eckerd then got a pair of stops but failed to capitalize on offense, and VUU scored in the final 30 seconds to take a 33-28 lead into halftime.
• A traditional 3-point play by Myron Hagins and a 3-pointer by Kristiyan Stavrev gave EC its first lead of the game early in the second half as Stavrev's shot put the Tritons ahead, 34-33.  The Panthers, however, retook the lead shortly thereafter and kept it until two Hagins free throws with 8:40 left gave Eckerd a 48-46 lead.
• Virginia Union answered with a 3-pointer on its next possession and didn't trail the rest of the game.  Eckerd tied the game for a final time at 51-51 on a Drushaun McLaurn 3-pointer with 7:04 to play and had two chances to take the lead on the following possessions but could not convert.
• The Panthers received a fortunate break with under two minutes to play leading by three.  EC put together a strong defensive possession, forcing Jemal Smith to take an off-balanced shot from 25 feet out.  Smith's heave, however, banked in to double VUU's lead to six with 1:17 left.  Eckerd missed twice on its next possession, leaving the team without enough time to mount another comeback.

NOTES AND NUMBERS

• Eckerd's loss is its first at the annual EC Thanksgiving Classic since 2014 against tomorrow's opponent, Minnesota State-Mankato.
• Free throw shooting turned out to be a big difference-maker in the outcome.  VUU went 14-of-15 from the line while Eckerd went 20-of-32 and missed several attempts with a chance to tie or take the lead.
• Travis Bianco, in his first career start, sustained an injury 30 seconds into the game and did not return.
• Facing an extended zone most of the night, Eckerd wasn't able to make the Panthers pay from the perimeter knocking down just 8-of-24 from 3-point range.
• McLaurn led Eckerd with 17 points while Behori added a season-high 15. Gilbert scored 14, 12 in the first half, and Hagins rounded out EC's double-digit scorers with 10.

UP NEXT
The Tritons host Minnesota State-Mankato in the final game of the EC Thanksgiving Classic on Saturday at 7:30 PM.