TAMPA, Fla. - Despite a first-half lead, the Eckerd men's basketball team fell, 80-73, to Tampa at the Bob Martinez Center Saturday afternoon.
The Spartans jumped out to a 15-7 lead. EC rallied with a 6-1 run to trail by one, 23-22, with 7:14 remaining. A Daniel Love triple with 4:18 left tied the game at 27-27 before Eckerd entered the half up 36-34.
The teams remained within one possession of each other through the opening 10 minutes of the second half with five lead changes. The Spartans went ahead for good at the 10:41 mark on a pair of free throws. UT pushed out by six, but a Carr Thiam triple pulled Eckerd within one with 7:37 left. The Spartans went on an 8-0 run to go up by 10, with three minutes remaining. EC cut its deficit to five but was unable to make up the difference in the final minute.
HOW IT ENDED
FINAL: Tampa 80, Eckerd 73
RECORDS: Eckerd 6-9 (3-6 SSC); Tampa 6-9 (5-4 SSC)
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- Love led Eckerd with 22 points, while Thiam and Kent Garard rounded out the double-figure scorers with 17 and 12 points, respectively.
- Eckerd held a 39-31 advantage on the boards. Love and David Swedura led the team with six, while Daimar Dyall-Richards and Roque Rosario added five each.
- Thiam, Swedura, and Dyall-Richards grabbed two steals each.
- Eckerd scored 17 second-chance points.
UP NEXT
Eckerd travels to Florida Tech on Wednesday for a 7:30 PM start.
