TAMPA, Fla. - Sofia Persson and Lauryn Vieira combined for 56 points and 23 rebounds as the Eckerd women's basketball team fended off a fourth-quarter surge by Nova Southeastern Friday afternoon. EC held a 13-point lead in the fourth, but the Sharks rallied to pull within four. However, Eckerd made its free throws down the stretch to seal the win, 79-73, in the first round of the NCAA South Regional Tournament at the Bob Martinez Center.
Persson and Viera gave Eckerd a 5-0 start in the first minute and a half. However, NSU followed with eight consecutive points to take an 8-5 lead. The Sharks stretched out to a seven-point lead with 57 seconds left in the first, but a layup by Vieira and a pair of free throws pulled EC within three, 17-14, to end the opening frame.
Eckerd opened the second period on a 9-2 run to take a 24-19 lead at the 7:26 mark. The teams traded baskets the rest of the half, with the Tritons maintaining between a two and five-point lead before an Ieva Korzane triple gave EC a 34-28 favor at intermission.
Eckerd went cold from the floor for the opening three minutes of the second half as the Sharks pulled within two. EC's offense hit its stride with six straight points before going up by 10, 46-36, at the 2:33 mark. Vieira capped the stanza with a traditional three-point play as EC took a 54-42 advantage to end the third.
Ragnheidur Einarsdottir's triple at the 7:13 mark gave the Tritons their largest lead, 59-46. However, NSU rallied to pull within four at the 5:22 mark following nine consecutive points. EC made eight of 10 free throws over the next five minutes to push in front by 12. Nova Southeastern went on a 10-2 run to trail by four with 37 seconds left, but Eckerd made seven of eight free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
HOW IT ENDED
FINAL: No. 13 Eckerd 79, Nova Southeastern 73
RECORDS: Eckerd 25-5; Nova Southeastern 21-9
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- Sofia Persson led Eckerd with a career-high 35 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. She also grabbed three steals.
- Lauryn Vieria tied her career-high with 21 points. She also added eight boards and two steals.
- Persson's 35 points are the most by a Triton in a single game since Gabby Gattuso scored 40 in 2006-07. Only two players in program history have scored more points in a single game than Persson.
- Persson moves her season total to 541, breaking the single-season points record of 536 set by Lena Elliott in 1995-96.
- Eckerd went 30-for-43 from the charity stripe. The 30 made free throws are the most since February 22, 2010, also making 30. The 43 attempts are the most since 48 on January 3, 2003.
- Persson went 17-for-20 from the free throw line, the most free throws made since at least 2002-03.
- Eckerd shot 48.7 percent from the floor.
- The victory is just Eckerd's third NCAA South Regional win. The first came in 2017 over Lee (Tenn.). The Tritons will appear in the semifinals for the second consecutive year.
UP NEXT
Eckerd plays Union (Tenn.) in the semifinals tomorrow at 5:00 PM in the Bob Martinez Center.
