LAKELAND, Fla. - Sofia Persson and Cirkeline Rimdal both tallied a double-double as the No. 8 Eckerd women's basketball team defeated the Truman State (Mo.) Bulldogs, 91-61, on the second day of the Terrace Hotel Classic at Jenkins Field House on Saturday afternoon.
The Tritons shut out the Bulldogs in the first six minutes of the game, going up 22-0 from the hands of Maya Price, Lauryn Vieira, Sofia Persson, Nicole Scales, and Hannah Wentworth. Truman State netted its first points of the game at the 4:08 mark off a pair of free throws from Emma Bulman. A 3-pointer from Persson capped the quarter with the Tritons up 34-7. Truman State answered early in the second quarter with a jumper from Alex Fanning. Shortly after, Price and Persson lengthened the Triton lead to 30. An and-one free throw from Price gave the Tritons a 33-point lead with 2:42 remaining as Eckerd ended the half up 51-22.
Wentworth shot 75 percent beyond the arc in the third quarter and posted 11 points in the period. Persson made a jumper with 1:30 remaining in the quarter to give the Tritons their largest lead of the game (38). Ellie Weltha and Claire Rake answered back for Truman State, but the Tritons led 77-44 at the end of the third quarter. The Bulldogs made an effort to answer as the two teams traded baskets in the early minutes of the fourth quarter, but the push was not enough as the Tritons defeated the Bulldogs 91-61.
HOW IT ENDED
FINAL: No. 8 Eckerd 91, Truman State 61
RECORDS: Eckerd 9-2 (4-0 SSC); Truman State 8-5 (4-1 GLVC)
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- Persson and Rimdal both tallied a double-double, Persson with 21 points and 12 rebounds and Rimdal with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Vieira was one basket away from a double-double with 11 assists and eight points.
- Four Tritons scored double-digit points: Persson (21), Rimdal (17), Price (16), and Wentworth (16).
- Rimdal's 17 points tie her career-high from 2019 during her time at North Dakota State. Her 10 rebounds were a career-high.
- Persson's 12 rebounds tie her career-high set earlier this season against Angelo State (Texas).
- The Tritons shot 73.7 percent from the floor and 71.4 percent from beyond the arc in the first quarter, holding the Bulldogs to 14.3 percent from the floor in that frame.
- The Tritons' largest lead of the game was 38 points at the 1:30 mark of the third quarter.
- Price leads the SSC in both blocks (28) and blocks per game (2.5). Wentworth leads the SSC in 3-pointers per game with 3.2.
- EC's bench outscored TSU's bench 25-16.
QUOTABLE
"We had a dominant start to the game today," stated head coach Paul Honsinger '98. "We played tough defensively and did an excellent job on the boards. We moved the ball well and hit open shots. This was our most impressive offensive performance of the season so far."
UP NEXT
The Tritons return home after the holiday break to resume their conference schedule against Rollins on December 29 at the McArthur Center with a 2:00 PM tipoff.
