SAINT LEO, Fla. – Despite trailing for most of the game, the No. 16/24 Eckerd women's basketball team used two key moments to fuel its 13th win of the season: a 10-0 run in the second quarter and a game-winning layup by Maya Price. The two pivotal moments led Eckerd past Saint Leo, 79-78, Wednesday evening at the Marion Bowman Center.
Both Eckerd and Saint Leo came out blazing in the first quarter, as each squad shot better than 50 percent from the field. The difference was beyond the arc, as Saint Leo went 3-for-4 and Eckerd 1-for-4. EC trailed by five at the end of the first, 21-16.
The Lions kept momentum squarely in their favor for the opening minutes of the second quarter, beginning with a 7-0 run for their largest lead of the game, 28-16. The Tritons responded with a pivotal 10-0 run while holding Saint Leo scoreless for nearly four minutes, tying the game, 28-28, with 4:54 left. A 5-0 run to close the second gave SLU the lead, 33-28, at the half.
Price's heroics began in the third quarter, as she turned in an 11 point scoring effort on 5-for-6 shooting. EC trailed for nearly the entire quarter, except for a one-point advantage at the 6:32 minute mark. The Lions took a slim four-point favor, 59-55, into the final frame.
In the fourth quarter, Lauryn Vieira answered the bell, adding her own double-digit scoring performance with 10 points, going 4-for-7. A layup with 3:52 to go gave Vieira a career-high 21 points, putting Eckerd ahead for just the third time, 70-68. EC maintained its lead until the six-second mark when Saint Leo's Kiki McIntyre buried a go-ahead jumper, giving SLU the lead, 78-77.
The Tritons' last chance to win the game proved fruitful, as Hannah Wentworth's inbound pass found Sofia Persson, whose miss was put back by Price, for the game-winning layup at the buzzer.
HOW IT ENDED
FINAL: No. 16/24 Eckerd 79, Saint Leo 78
RECORDS: Eckerd 13-1 (9-3 SSC); Saint Leo 13-7 (8-4 SSC)
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- Four Tritons scored in double-digits, with two posting 20 or more points: Price (23), Vieira (21), Wentworth (10), and Macie Knapp (10).
- Vieira's 21 points are a career-high. She was on double-double watch late in the game with nine assists, nearly matching her career mark of 10.
- Price's 20 point effort gives her three games this season with 20 or more points. She went 10-for-13 from the floor.
- Price led the team with six boards.
- Vieira played the entire 40 minutes, with Persson just shy with 37 minutes.
- Wentworth played a career-high 31 minutes off the bench.
- The Tritons shot 53.4 percent from the floor, marking the sixth time this season shooting 50 percent or better.
- EC's bench has combined for 20 or more points for the fourth consecutive game.
QUOTABLE
"This was an exciting road win for our team. It was a very back-and-forth game and we had several players make big plays down the stretch," added head coach Paul Honsinger '98.
UP NEXT
Eckerd continues its road trip with a contest at Nova Southeastern on Saturday at 2:00 PM.
