WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Eckerd women's basketball team cruised past Palm Beach Atlantic Saturday afternoon for an 88-59 victory in Rubin Arena.
Mikayla Kuehne led the Tritons with a career-high 19 points while shooting 5-5 from 3-point range and grabbing six rebounds.
HOW IT ENDED
Final: Eckerd 88, Palm Beach Atlantic 59
Records: Eckerd 2-0 (1-0 SSC); Palm Beach Atlantic 1-6 (0-1 SSC)
KEY MOMENTS
- Eckerd started the game strong with a triple from Mikayla Kuehne. The Sailfish answered with a three-pointer of their own, but a jumper from Zoe Richards followed by back-to-back threes from Kuehne and Eneritz Larranaga gave the Tritons an 11-3 lead. Over the next five minutes, EC went on a 17-4 run to bring their lead to 28-7. Palm Beach Atlantic's Avree Carpenter stopped the streak with a triple, but Kuehn quickly answered with another three. A layup from Abby Whiteye ended the first quarter with Eckerd up 35-12.
- The second period started slowly as the teams traded baskets over the first six and a half minutes of the quarter. Maya Price scored Eckerd's final nine points of the half as part of a 9-4 Triton run to end the half with EC up 53-26.
- The Tritons came out hot in the third quarter scoring six straight points as Eckerd built its largest lead of the game (33 points). PBA's Kennedi Rodgers made a 3-pointer to end the run, but Richards answered for the Tritons with a layup. Palm Beach Atlantic went on a 10-5 streak over the next five minutes, but Eckerd answered with five straight points. A triple from Claire Bady fell just before the end of the quarter as EC led 72-44.
- Caroline Patrick hit a three to start the fourth off for the Sailfish. Clara Granlund answered with a triple as EC still led by 28. With just under five minutes left in the quarter, a layup from Mar Ibern sent the Tritons on a 10-4 run to end the game.
QUOTABLE
"We had an excellent start to the game thanks to good ball movement and hot perimeter shooting. The 23-point first-quarter lead set the tone for the game," said head coach
Paul Honsinger. "I was happy with the energy we brought defensively from the start and the balance we had in the scoring department."
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- Kuehne's five triples were the first time a Triton went 5-5 behind the arc since Eneritz Larranaga also went 5-5 against Cedarville (Dec. 17, 2018).
- Kuehne led EC with a career-high 19 points as three other Tritons- Price (18 points), Ibern (16), and Richards (14)- also recorded double-digits.
- Eckerd shot 55.2 percent from the floor compared to Palm Beach Atlantic's 40.0 percent.
UP NEXT
The Tritons head to the Valdosta State Thanksgiving Tournament beginning next Friday, as Eckerd takes on Columbus State at 5:00 PM.
