TAMPA, Fla. - Kristiyan Stavrev's perimeter shooting helped lead a strong second-half effort for the Eckerd men's basketball team as the Tritons pulled away in the final 10 minutes for a 70-54 win over Limestone (S.C.) at the Tampa Classic on Wednesday evening.
Stavrev went 6-of-9 from behind the arc, including a perfect 4-of-4 in the second half, on his way to a career-high 20 points.
HOW IT ENDED
Final: Eckerd 70, Limestone 54
Records: Eckerd 9-2, Limestone 6-6
KEY MOMENTS
- Strong defense in the first 11 minutes helped the Tritons build a 21-14 lead at the 8:30 mark of the first half after back-to-back layups by Admir Radoncic.
- Eckerd struggled from the floor late in the first half, missing nine straight shots over a five-plus minute stretch. Limestone took advantage with an 8-0 run for a 22-21 lead. Kristiyan Stavrev finally broke the cold spell with a 3-pointer from the left corner with 3:15 left in the half.
- The Tritons went on a 14-4 run midway through the second half bolstered by a trio of 3-pointers from Stavrev and Gianni Dailey. Marquis Gilbert capped the run with a traditional 3-point play, giving Eckerd a 52-43 lead with 9:05 left.
- Limestone soon cut the lead to four, but Eckerd rolled off seven straight points to extend the lead to 11 on another Stavrev 3-pointer with 4:21 to play.
- The Tritons continued to pull away, using a 9-0 run to go ahead by 19 (68-49) two minutes later to put the game out of reach.
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- Stavrev set a new career high for the second straight game and is averaging 16.5 points per game in his last four games.
- Drushaun McLaurn posted his second double-double of the year ending the night with 11 points and 10 rebounds. It was the 17th double-double of his career.
- Myron Hagins and Admir Radoncic both reached double figures with 10 points apiece.
- Eckerd shot a season-low 12 free throws but tied a season high in rebounds with 44.
UP NEXT
The Tritons return to conference play on Saturday, December 29, hosting Lynn University at 4:00 PM.
