ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The No. 16 Eckerd women's basketball team used a furious third-quarter attack on both ends of the floor to build a double-digit lead, one the Tritons wouldn't relinquish the rest of the way, en route to a blowout win against Rollins Wednesday evening at the McArthur Center, 82-58.
The Tritons jumped out to a seven-point lead, 16-9, in the first period before the Tars answered with a 7-0 run to close the gap, 18-16, after one quarter of play. EC's defense turned up the intensity midway through the second stanza, with Rollins unable to record a field goal for 4:30 minutes. In that time, Eckerd scored 16 points to take a double-digit lead, 38-25, with 3:39 left. The Tritons and Tars traded baskets for the remainder of the second, as Rollins nearly trimmed Eckerd's lead to single digits at the half, 46-35.
Eckerd was hellacious on defense in the third quarter, holding the Tars to only one field goal and four total points. The Tritons scored 23 points in the third frame and led by 30 heading into the final quarter. EC maintained a 20-point lead for the entire fourth to take home the win.
HOW IT ENDED
FINAL: No. 16 Eckerd 82, Rollins 58
RECORDS: Eckerd 16-2 (12-4 SSC); Rollins 5-16 (2-14 SSC)
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- Maya Price's 10 rebounds give her three games with 10 or more boards this season. Her 10 rebounds are one shy of her season-high, set vs. Columbus St. (Ga.) on November 27.
- Lauryn Vieira was the only player to play the entire 40 minutes, a figure she has met eight times this season.
- Four Tritons scored in double-digits: Nicole Scales (22), Sofia Persson (12), Vieira (12), and Cirkeline Rimdal (11).
- Scales' 22 points set a career-high mark. She also made a career-high five 3-pointers.
- Price just missed what would have been her third double-double of the season, with nine points and 10 rebounds.
- EC led the rebounding margin, 38-30.
- Rimdal's 11 points give her four games this season with double-digit scoring figures.
- Vieira's six assists mark the 11th time she has dished out five or more this season. She leads the SSC in assists per game with 5.5.
QUOTABLE
"As a team, we were very unselfish tonight," said head coach Paul Honsinger '98. "We had a number of different offensive contributors, and our defensive intensity picked up in the second half."
UP NEXT
Eckerd is on the road next Wednesday at Embry-Riddle for a 5:30 PM tip.
