ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Senior Day for the Eckerd women's basketball team couldn't have started much better.
The Tritons opened the game on a 17-0 run and never looked back in defeating Embry-Riddle in the final game of the regular season, 73-48.
Seniors
Chelsea Johnson and
Yarden Danan combined for 11 of the team's 17 points in the run.
The win was important for Eckerd in a number of ways as it secured a third-place spot in the final conference standings and marked the program's fourth 20-win season in the last five years.
HOW IT ENDED
Final: Eckerd 73, Embry-Riddle 48
Records: Eckerd 20-8 (14-6 SSC); Embry-Riddle 17-10 (12-8 SSC)
KEY MOMENTS
- After each team opened the game with a missed 3-pointer and two turnovers, Danan got Eckerd's early-game run started with a 3-pointer. The Tritons scored on seven of 11 possessions in the run while keeping Embry-Riddle without a point for nearly eight minutes. Zoe Richards' layup at the 2:54 mark capped the run before Marisa Koopman finally got the Eagles on the board with 2:07 to go in the quarter.
- The Tritons kept pushing as the second quarter began, scoring the first eight points on a Richards layup and back-to-back 3-pointers by Johnson and Eneritz Larranaga to extend the lead to 25. The lead later reached 28 after another Johnson 3-pointer made it a 39-11 Eckerd advantage.
- EC struggled offensively in the third quarter, scoring on just two of its first 11 possessions, but the team's defense kept Embry-Riddle from being able to trim much of the deficit. Â The Tritons finished strong in the final minute of the period getting layups from Richards and Abby Whiteye to push the lead back to 26 entering the fourth quarter.
- The lead remained over 20 points throughout the final period, reaching as high as 29 on two occasions before settling on the comfortable 25-point victory.
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- Eckerd completed the regular-season sweep of Embry-Riddle after winning on the road in January, 66-60.
- Johnson scored 16 of her 18 points in the first half. She left the game in the third quarter after taking a hard fall in the paint. Richards had 15 points off the bench while Whiteye added 11.
- The Tritons finished in third place in the SSC standings, a game ahead of Nova Southeastern. Eckerd will be the No. 3 seed in next week's conference tournament.
- The win was Eckerd's 20th of the season. Under Coach Paul Honsinger, the Tritons have won 20 or more games in four of the last five seasons. The program had never enjoyed a 20-win season before then.
- The game was the final regular-season contest in the McArthur Center for the team's three seniors: Johnson, Danan, and Armi Anttila.
UP NEXT
Eckerd will host Lynn University on Wednesday, March 6, in the first round of the Sunshine State Conference tournament at 5:30 PM.