ST. PETERSBURG -- Koa Baker and
Wyatt Triestman each put up 20 points to help lift the Eckerd men's basketball team to a 91-65 season-opening victory over the Kentucky State Thorobreds at home Friday night.
In a back-and-forth start to the game, neither team held a lead of more than one possession through the first nine minutes of action. Kentucky State was the first team to eclipse a lead of more than three, using an 8-0 run to grab an 18-13 advantage around the halfway point. A pair of free throws by Triestman and a basket by Baker brought the Tritons back within one, with the team eventually regaining the lead for good at 23-22 following a layup by
Jacob Davis.
Miquel Llompart's three-pointer with 3:20 remaining in the half closed out an 18-5 scoring run and extended the Eckerd lead to double figures at 35-25. The Thorobreds moved the differential down to six before the break, but five made free throws by the Tritons in final 17 seconds helped push the margin back out to 10 at 44-34 entering halftime. Kentucky State held a slight advantage shooting the ball at 39 percent to Eckerd's 36, but the Tritons went 16-17 from the free throw line in the first compared to the visitor's 11-16 mark.Â
Kentucky State notched the first basket of the second half, but it was the last time the lead for the Tritons went into single digits as three-pointer by Triestman quickly put the team back in front by 11. The lead for Eckerd doubled to a 22-point margin just seven minutes later after a
Caden Walton made shot capped off a 19-5 scoring run to begin the period. The Thorobreds got within 15 at one point around the seven-minute mark, but a 20-7 scoring outburst from the Tritons over the span of the next five minutes put the game out of reach for good. Four different players accounted for the final four made shots to close out the 25-point victory.
A total of 10 players for Eckerd scored in the win, led by Baker's double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds, and Triestman's 20-point, five-steal effort. Llompart also reached double figures with 15 points, while Davis added 13 and
Carlos Cortijo contributed 10. The Tritons shot 58 percent from the field in the second half and 47 percent for the game.
Eckerd will remain home to face Anderson on Tuesday.
