Free Throw Shooting Helps Tritons Cap Thanksgiving With Win Over Minnesota State-Mankato

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - One night after suffering their first loss of the season, the Eckerd men's basketball team got right back on track making key plays down the stretch in a 78-67 win over Minnesota State-Mankato on Saturday night in the McArthur Center to wrap up the EC Thanksgiving Classic.

One of the main turnarounds came at the free throw line as Eckerd went 28-of-31 from the stripe with several of those makes coming in the final minutes of the contest.

HOW IT ENDED
Final: Eckerd 78, MSU-Mankato 67
Records: Eckerd 5-1, MSU-Mankato 3-2

KEY MOMENTS

• A 3-pointer by Kristiyan Stavrev three minutes into the game gave Eckerd the lead for good as part of a 9-0 Triton run.
• Eckerd later outscored the Mavericks, 16-6, over an eight-plus minute stretch to build a 12-point lead with just under seven minutes left in the first half.  MSU-Mankato, however, soon pulled back within four via an 8-0 run.  
• A layup by Marco Behori with 1:20 to play pushed the Triton lead back to six (33-27) where it remained until halftime as both teams missed very good looks in the final seconds.
• Eckerd scored the first six points of the second half on four free throws and a Myron Hagins tip-in. Moments later, the Tritons took their largest lead of the game at 14 points after Drushaun McLaurn slashed through the defense for a layup with 14:08 left.
• EC's lead fluctuated between nine and 13 points for the next 10 minutes before the Mavericks narrowed their deficit to eight with 4:20 left.  McLaurn came up big on Eckerd's next possession, sticking back a missed 3-pointer.
• MSU-Mankato again got within eight points with just over two minutes remaining and began to foul the Tritons with hopes of further trimming the deficit.  The Tritons didn't allow it, making 10-of-11 free throws in the final two minutes to seal the win.

NOTES AND NUMBERS

• The Tritons returned to their dominance on the boards out-rebounding the Mavericks, 46-32.
• Hagins recorded his first career double-double with 15 points and a career-high 11 rebounds.
• McLaurn scored a season-high 26 points, the third time in five games in which he has scored at least 20.
• Behori flirted with a triple-double and ended the night with eight points, seven rebounds, and eight assists.
• Eckerd's 28-for-31 performance from the free throw line is the team's best on at least 30 attempts since going 36-for-40 against Salem International on December 2, 2005.
• Both Eckerd and Minnesota State reached the Sweet 16 last season.

UP NEXT
The Tritons begin Sunshine State Conference play on Wednesday hosting Saint Leo for a 7:30 PM tipoff.