LIVINGSTON, Ala. – An early 18-0 run by West Alabama was hard for the Eckerd men's basketball team to overcome as they fell, 82-63, in the season opener Saturday night in Pruitt Hall.
Despite the early Tiger run, Eckerd managed to pull within seven points late in the first half before UWA distanced themselves in the second half.
HOW IT ENDED
Final: West Alabama 82, Eckerd 63
Records: Eckerd 0-1; West Alabama 1-0
KEY MOMENTS
- Eckerd got on the board quickly with a Malcolm Whitlow layup in the first minute before West Alabama went on an 18-0 run over the next nine minutes. A 3-pointer from Travis Bianco ended Eckerd's scoring drought and sparked a 10-2 Triton run as Eckerd trailed 20-12 with 6:31 left in the half.
- The Tigers lead fluctuated between seven and twelve points over the remainder of the half as EC entered halftime down 32-23.
- A traditional three-point play by O'Shane Taylor-Douglas pulled the Tritons within eight at the start of the second half. UWA followed with an 8-2 run to push in front by 14 before later going up by 20 (63-43) on a Lajuan Hardy triple with 8:34 left.
- Eckerd managed to cut the deficit to 17 following a 5-0 run consisting of a Kristiyan Stavrev 3-pointer and two Taylor-Douglas free throws with just under five minutes left. EC held the Tigers scoreless over the final 2:23 of the game while Bianco knocked down a triple from the corner in the final minute as Eckerd fell 82-63.
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- Four Tritons reached double figures with Stavrev and Bianco posting 14 points apiece while Whitlow and Taylor-Douglas added 10 points each.
- Whitlow led EC on the boards with seven.
- Eckerd bounced back from shooting 26.7 percent from the floor in the first half to shoot at a 45.8 percent clip in the second half. Meanwhile, the Tigers shot better than 50 percent from both the field and beyond the arc during the game.
UP NEXT
Eckerd returns to action tomorrow afternoon at the GSC-SSC crossover for a 2:00 PM (CST) tipoff against Delta State (Miss.).
