ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Despite holding the nationally-ranked Sharks to nearly 20 points below their scoring average, the Eckerd men's basketball team fell, 79-60, Saturday afternoon in a Sunshine State Conference contest with No. 6 Nova Southeastern at the McArthur Center.
Both teams struggled offensively for most of the first half as the Sharks held a slight favor throughout. EC trailed 18-16 with 4:33 left in the half before NSU pushed out to an eight-point lead a minute later as Eckerd entered the half trailing 28-21.
The Sharks opened the second half with a 9-2 run to take a double-digit favor. NSU followed with an 11-2 run over the next two minutes as they took a 50-30 lead with 13:21 left. The Sharks then cruised the rest of the way.
HOW IT ENDED
FINAL: #6 Nova Southeastern 79, Eckerd 60
RECORDS: Eckerd 1-6 (0-3 SSC); Nova Southeastern 5-0 (3-0 SSC)
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- Gianfranco Grafals and Daniel Love posted double figures with 19 and 18 points, respectively. They led EC on the glass as well with six and five rebounds, respectively.
- Eckerd held the Sharks to a 34.4 field goal percentage in the first half.
- The Tritons held NSU to 17.5 points below their scoring average.
- The game featured a combined 56 turnovers.
- EC posted its best shooting percentage of the season at 52.2 percent.
- Eckerd grabbed a season-high 15 steals. Grafals led the way with a career-high five swipes, while Love had four.
UP NEXT
Eckerd starts a four-game road stretch as they travel to Palm Beach Atlantic on Saturday for a 4:00 PM start.
