LAKELAND, Fla. – The Eckerd women's basketball lead for the majority of the game, but a 14-0 Cedarville run and buzzer-beating 3-pointer forced the game to overtime where the Tritons ultimately fell, 94-89, at the Florida Southern Terrace Hotel Classic Monday afternoon.
HOW IT ENDED
Final: Cedarville 94 Eckerd 89 (OT)
Records: Eckerd 5-3, Cedarville 9-1
KEY MOMENTS
- The teams traded baskets over the opening five minutes before Eckerd used a 7-0 run over the next minute to create some early distance from the Yellow Jackets. The two teams traded baskets again over the final four minutes with the Tritons holding an eight point lead after a Mikayla Kuehne 3-pointer to end the quarter.
- After two Cedarville buckets to open the second quarter the Tritons used an 11-3 run capped by a Chelsea Johnson 3-pointer to push their lead to 14 at the 7:02 mark. The remainder of the half stayed even until Cedarville made two late baskets to cut the Tritons lead to eight at the half.
- The Yellow Jackets opened the second half cutting the Triton lead to just six before Yarden Danan and Abby Whiteye sunk back-to-back threes to stretch the lead to 12 with seven minutes left. Minutes later EC went on a 7-2 run to extend their lead to 14 with just under four minutes left. However, Cedarville made two late 3-pointers to cut the lead to 64-56.
- The Yellow Jackets continued their hot hand opening the final period on an 8-0 run to even the score at 64-64 with 7:25 left in the game. Eneritz Larranaga and Octavia Loll responded with back-to-back triples to put EC up by six. Cedarville managed to pull back within one possession with 3:28 left, but Eckerd quickly pushed the lead to eight with 2:44 left. Cedarville pulled within four points inside the final minute before the Yellow Jackets made two 3-pointers in the final 11 seconds including a pocket 3-pointer by Abby Wolford as the clock expired to tie the game and send it to overtime.
- Overtime remained tight, as neither team was able to generate more than a one-possession lead throughout the opening three minutes. Larranaga made two free throws for the Tritons to tie the score at 89-89 with 1:21 left. Ashlyn Huffman then converted on a traditional three-point play to give the Yellow Jackets a three-point lead. Eckerd missed its next shot while Cedarville added a layup on the next possession pulling ahead by five with 20 seconds left and the Tritons were unable to make up the difference in the final seconds.
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- Larranaga led five Tritons in double figures with a career-high 19 points. Danan and Johnson added 14 points each while Whiteye and Zoe Richards contributed 12 apiece.
- Danan and Loll led Eckerd on the boards with seven rebounds each.
- The Tritons shot 45.1 percent from the floor and 45.2 percent from behind the arc making 14 triples. Cedarville shot 52.3 percent from the floor and 52.6 from 3-point range.
UP NEXT
Eckerd faces a quick turnaround as they play Saginaw Valley State tomorrow for a 12:00 PM start at the Florida Southern Terrace Hotel Classic.
