FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - After making their first four 3-pointers of the game, the Eckerd women's basketball team went into a slump.
The Tritons missed their next 16 shots behind the arc and saw a 16-point second quarter lead over Rollins completely disappear five minutes into the third quarter.
Eckerd, though, stayed tenacious on defense, setting the stage for
Mikayla Kuehne to become the catalyst for the offense to send the Tritons into the Sunshine State Conference championship game with a 67-55 victory at Rick Case Arena in Fort Lauderdale.
Kuehne scored 16 straight points over a seven-minute span, and
Chelsea Johnson drained a late 3-pointer that sealed the win.
HOW IT ENDED
Final: Eckerd 67, Rollins 55
Records: Eckerd 22-8; Rollins 12-16
KEY MOMENTS
- An early 8-0 run gave Eckerd a 10-7 lead. After Rachel Jablonski tied the game with a 3-pointer, the Tritons closed the first quarter on a 10-0 run to take a 20-10 lead.
- Eckerd's run extended to 16-0 after scoring the first six points of the second quarter. The Tritons scored on only two of their final nine possessions of the half while Rollins started to make shots, getting within eight points by halftime, 30-22.
- A 9-0 run that began early in the third quarter saw the Tars tie the game at 33-33 with 4:57 to go in the period. EC missed two 3-pointers on its next possession, but kept it alive with two offensive rebounds allowing Zoe Richards to get a basket in the paint. Richards followed with another for a four-point lead, and a minute later Kuehne drained the first of four 3-pointers as Eckerd maintained a 42-38 lead after three quarters.
- The teams traded baskets in the first minutes of the fourth quarter before back-to-back Kuehne 3-pointers extended Eckerd's lead to seven (53-46) with 5:50 to play.
- Rollins didn't allow Eckerd to pull away, getting back within one with 1:44 to play behind seven straight points from Carly McLendon.
- Yarden Danan drew a foul on EC's next possession and made both free throws for a three-point lead. Eckerd then forced a Rollins miss and Johnson connected on a clutch 3-pointer to give the Tritons a 61-55 lead with 53 seconds to go.
- Rollins missed its next five shots while Eckerd knocked down four free throws and a press-breaking layup to grow the final margin to 12.
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- Eckerd earned its second trip to the conference championship game in the last three seasons.
- Kuehne's 16 points were a career-high for the sophomore. They all came over a seven-minute stretch in the third and fourth quarters as she went 6-of-6 from the floor and 4-of-4 from 3-point range.
- Despite the shooting struggles, Eckerd helped itself at the free throw line making 16-of-18.
- The Tritons held a plus-11 advantage on the boards. Rollins had out-rebounded Eckerd in the previous two meetings.
- Eckerd defeated the Tars in all three meetings this year.
UP NEXT
Eckerd will face regular-season champion Florida Southern in the SSC Championship on Sunday at 1:05 PM. The game will be streamed on ESPN3 and the ESPN app.
