Tritons Fall in Final Seconds in Sweet 16

ATLANTA - It was everything one could have expected from two evenly-matched teams taking on each other for the fourth time this season.

The outcome wasn't decided until the final seconds and in the end, Barry University emerged with a 79-72 win and a regional championship bringing an end to the season for the Triton men's basketball team in the Sweet 16.

Eckerd overcame a 15-point first-half deficit and, despite a rapid scoring flurry by SSC Player of the Year Elvar Fridriksson, was at the free throw line with a chance to go back ahead with 2:07 left.

Unfortunately for the Tritons, they missed three straight free throws and didn't score for the rest of the game as the Bucs padded their margin of victory in the final seconds. 

Down three with 20 seconds left, Eckerd still had a chance to tie by missed a clean look from behind the arc.  Barry secured the rebound and made four free throws in the final 14 seconds.

HOW IT ENDED
Final: Barry 79, Eckerd 72
Records: Eckerd 26-7, Barry 23-8
All-Time Series: Eckerd leads, 45-14

KEY MOMENTS

• Neither team was able to gain much of an edge in the first half until Barry went on an 11-0 run to take its largest lead of the game (40-25) with 3:12 to play in the half.
• Eckerd responded with seven straight points and later pulled within seven of the lead before Fridriksson nailed a jumper just before halftime to send Barry into the break ahead, 46-37.
• Evan Walshe made a layup to open the second half, giving Barry an 11-point lead, before Eckerd went on a tear.  The Tritons scored 20 unanswered points for a 60-51 advantage with 13:04 left.
• Fridriksson and Keshawn Ingram swapped 3-pointers, keeping EC's lead at nine. Eckerd then forced Fridriksson into an off-balance shot on Barry's next possession, but the Bucs ran down the long rebound.  Fridriksson launched another contested attempt from deep, except this attempt banked in and signified a rapid turn of events.
• Fueled by his shot, Fridriksson went on a run by himself with 11 straight points to help Barry retake the lead with 10:25 left.  
• The next eight minutes were about as back-and-forth as they could be with three ties and nine lead changes as the two teams traded blows.  Eckerd, however, missed seven of eight free throw attempts during the stretch and that would end up coming back to haunt the Tritons.  The last three misses turned out to be EC's last chance at taking the lead.
• With the game tied at 72-72, Kooper Glick slashed to the basket and was fouled while converting an acrobatic shot in the lane.  His ensuing free throw gave the Bucs a three-point lead.  Barry got a stop on Eckerd's next trip down the floor, but Daniel Mortensen missed a 3-pointer and the Tritons got out in transition where Drushaun McLaurn found Keshawn Ingram open in the left corner.  Ingram's game-tying attempt hit side iron.  The Bucs secured the rebound and, two free throws later, the game.

NOTES AND NUMBERS

• Eckerd finishes the season with the second-most wins in program history (26) while earning the team's third trip to the Sweet 16 and first since 2007.
• Ingram led Eckerd with 22 points while knocking down six 3-pointers.  Barry, however, limited Eckerd's 1-2 punch of McLaurn and Young to combined 5-of-19 shooting and 19 points.
• The Tritons made only 10-of-18 from the free throw line in the second half.
• The game brought an end to the careers of Ingram, Young, and Paulius Zabilevicius.  Young and Ingram were part of two conference championship teams and three 20-win seasons.

QUOTABLE
"We had 10 seniors in the last two years so, in a lot of people's minds, this was going to be a rebounding year.  PZ filled an important role and made our team better.  Keshawn was always in the shadows until this year and had some really big games, especially down the stretch, and played great defense.  TY had been a warrior and a beast and is a pretty good passer who gave his perimeter players some good chances.  These three players helped take us to a new level.  They've definitely elevated the basketball program here and I'm very proud of them." - EC head coach Tom Ryan on his three seniors.

"We showed our personality that we've had all year.  We could have very easily folded in the first half down by 15.  They've been blowing everyone out and shooting it well, but the pride and grit of this team wasn't going to let it happen.  The inner character of guys like Trevon, Drushaun, and Marco rubbed off on the whole team." - Ryan on his team's success this season.