LAKELAND, Fla. - The Eckerd women's basketball team makes its fourth trip to the NCAA South Regional Tournament in the last five years on Friday when the sixth-seeded Tritons take on the University of West Florida in the first game of the day at 12:00 PM.
Eckerd (22-9) guaranteed itself a berth after advancing to the Sunshine State Conference championship game to solidify the six-seed.
The Tritons look to earn their second win in the national tournament against a West Florida squad that wants to rebound from a first-round loss in the Gulf South Conference tournament. Â Before the upset loss to West Georgia, the Argonauts (23-5) had rolled off 13 wins in a row and had not lost since January 10.
UWF is led by the two-pronged offensive attack of seniors Toni Brewer and Halee Nieman, both of whom were part of the Argos' region championship in 2017 won on Eckerd's home floor. Brewer, a 5-foot-10 forward who averages 18.0 points and 11.1 rebounds per game, will create an important assignment in the paint for Triton defensive stopper
Armi Anttila. Â Nieman, a 5-foot-11 forward, is a dual-threat who can stretch the floor as evidenced by her 44 3-pointers and 37.9 shooting percentage from behind the arc. She averages 17.9 points per contest.
Belle Bistrow leads the team from 3-point range, knocking down 78 while shooting 40.8 percent on her way to an 11.5 scoring average. Â Another senior, Anna Hall, has recorded three triple-doubles this season.
One of the Argos' numerous strengths is rebounding margin, a category in which the team ranks third in Division II at plus-11.1.
Bistrow, Hall, and Brewer rarely come off the floor. All three average more than 33 minutes per game.
Eckerd, on the other hand, has again made defense its calling card this season. The Tritons rank 14th in Division II in scoring defense allowing an average of just 55.0 points per game.
Top-seeded Florida Southern is this year's south regional host with the games played in the Jenkins Field House. Â Eckerd is one of four Sunshine State Conference schools to qualify for the field, joining three from the Gulf South and one from the SIAC.
The winner of the game will face the winner of Union (Tenn.)/Nova Southeastern on Saturday.
