LAKELAND, Fla. – The Eckerd women's basketball team stayed within close range of No. 1 Drury (Mo.) early in the game but ultimately fell to the Panthers, 97-57, on the first day of the Florida Southern Terrace Hotel Classic Thursday afternoon.
HOW IT ENDED
Final: Drury 97, Eckerd 57
Records: Eckerd 5-3; Drury 9-0
KEY MOMENTS
- Zoe Richards opened the first quarter with a jumper to put Eckerd up early, but Drury answered with nine straight points to take a 9-2 lead. The Panthers controlled the majority of the quarter. However, Eneritz Larranaga drained a triple with three minutes left to send EC on a 7-4 run to end the first quarter trailing 23-13.
- Azia Lynch laid in the first three points of the second period as the Panthers went on an 8-2 early run. Octavia Loll hit a jumper to start an 11-5 run to bring the Tritons within 10 at the 4:17 mark. Drury answered with 10 straight points as they entered halftime with a 46-26 lead.
- Abby Whiteye opened up the second half scoring with a layup before the teams traded a pair of 3-pointers. With five minutes left in the quarter, EC went on a 6-2 run with Brooke Juday scoring four of the six points during the stretch. Clara Granlund dropped in two free throws for Eckerd as the Panthers followed with a triple from Paige Robinson to end the quarter with Drury up 71-42.
- The fourth quarter started slow for both teams before Richards strung together five consecutive points on a triple and a layup as the Tritons trailed by 28 with six minutes left. The Panthers maintained their significant lead for the rest of the game for a 97-57 victory.
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- Mikayla Kuehne and Richards led the Tritons with 11 points apiece.
- Richards also swatted three shots while grabbing two steals.
- Maya Price led EC on the boards with a season-high seven rebounds. She also collected two steals.
- The Tritons shot 52.5 percent from the floor but struggled from the perimeter shooting at 26.7 percent. EC has shot 50.0 percent or better for the sixth time this season.
- Eckerd had an uncharacteristic 31 turnovers.
UP NEXT
Eckerd continues play in the Florida Southern Terrace Hotel Classic as they take on No. 25 Lindenwood University (Mo.) at 12:00 PM Friday.
