Last-Second Shot Narrowly Misses as Tritons Fall to No. 4 Sharks

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A game-winning 3-pointer by Myron Hagins was narrowly off the mark, keeping the Eckerd men's basketball team from pulling off a second straight upset over fourth-ranked Nova Southeastern on Wednesday night in the McArthur Center.

Eckerd got off to a slow start and trailed by as many as 15 before a furious second-half rally led by Marquis Gilbert saw the Tritons go ahead by six with 6:25 to play.

The Sharks, however, inched back in front and took their final lead on a David Dennis basket with 12 seconds left. Eckerd had a clean look for the final shot and Hagins' attempt, despite being on-line, careened off the back iron.

HOW IT ENDED
Final: #4 Nova Southeastern 72, Eckerd 70
Records: Eckerd 17-6 (10-5 SSC); Nova Southeastern 20-2 (14-2 SSC)

KEY MOMENTS

• The Tritons struggled mightily on the offensive end in the first half, going stretches of seven and six consecutive possessions without a point and enduring a stretch of nearly six minutes without a field goal. Nova Southeastern, despite having some woes of its own, used the Eckerd drought to build a 24-9 lead with the 8:30 mark of the half.
• EC managed to cut the deficit down to nine points with 2:15 to play, but NSU's Dwayne Gibson scored eight straight points as the Sharks took a 37-23 lead into halftime.
• Nova Southeastern's lead remained in double digits for the first few minutes of the second half until a run of seven unanswered Triton points trimmed that lead in half to seven. Moments later, Eckerd rolled off eight straight points to pull within one at 53-52 with 11:00 to go following a 3-pointer by Gilbert.
• After a David Dennis basket for NSU, the Tritons went on a 9-0 run and took a six-point lead with 6:25 left.  The Sharks tied the game less than a minute later, but another Gilbert 3-pointer extended EC's lead back to four points (66-62) with 4:00 to play.  Eckerd got a stop and had a chance to add to the lead but missed three shots on its next possession.
• The Tritons went three more possessions without point allowing NSU to reclaim the lead. Hagins got a key putback from an offensive rebound to break the scoreless streak and, after NSU made 1-of-2 from the free throw line, Drushaun McLaurn followed with a stick-back to tie the game at 70-70.
• Dennis made a tough shot in the lane with 12.5 seconds to go, putting the Sharks ahead by two. Playing for the last shot, Hagins had a chance to win the game from the right wing behind the arc. From the moment it left his hand, the shot looked like it was going to go in but it was a little too strong, instead bouncing off the back of the rim and into the corner as time expired.

NOTES AND NUMBERS

• Gilbert carried the Tritons offensively during the second-half run, scoring 22 of his career-high 27 points after halftime.
• The Tritons remained in fourth place in the SSC standings, now 1.5 games behind Lynn and Florida Southern.
• Eckerd's last two losses - both to ranked teams - were by two points.
• Shaquille Harris scored a career-best 12 points. McLaurn also scored 12 points while pulling in 11 rebounds; Hagins rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10.  McLaurn and Hagins also blocked three shots each.
• Despite the loss, Eckerd held NSU to a season-low 72 points.

UP NEXT
The Tritons travel to face Palm Beach Atlantic on Saturday for a 4:00 PM tipoff.