Women's basketball comes up short in season opener

VALDOSTA, Ga. -- The Eckerd women's basketball team dropped its season opener on Friday night on the road, falling to the Valdosta State Blazers by a score of 66-58.

It was a slow start offensively for the Tritons, hitting just three of 18 shots in the opening 10 minutes of action. Despite trailing by as many as 10 points in the first, Eckerd cut the deficit in half with a 7-2 scoring run in the final 2:11 to close out the quarter and get within five at 17-12 entering the second. 

In the second, Valdosta State built a cushion back out to 10 on two different occasions, with the latest coming at 31-21 around the halfway point of the period. Hekla Nokkvadottir collected five of the final eight points for the Tritons, while the defense held the Blazers to just two points the rest of the half. Both teams finished at 50 percent shooting in the second quarter alone, but Eckerd had a plus-two advantage in made threes to help cut down the differential. Valdosta State led 33-29 at the break.

The two teams traded baskets to begin the third until a three-pointer by Jaylen Ostenson got the Tritons within a point at 37-36. The Blazers countered with a slight scoring run and eventually moved their lead back out to as many as eight around the three-minute mark. Consecutive baskets by Emma Egan and a bucket in the paint from Kailyn Terrell pulled the Tritons closer at 48-46, but the home team notched the final four points to take a 52-46 advantage into the final frame.

Valdosta State quickly extended its cushion out to 10 early in the fourth before Eckerd brought the game back to a one-possession game after an 8-0 run fueled by a pair of threes from Ostenson. The two teams traded points to set up a 60-58 game with 1:22 to go, but the Tritons went the rest of the way without a point and the Blazers sealed the game at the free throw line.

Both teams shot 38 percent from the field, with Eckerd led in points by Ostenson with 18 to go with her 11 rebounds. Egan was next for the Tritons with 14 points and nine rebounds, while Nokkvadottir added nine points off the bench.

Eckerd will be back in action tomorrow vs. West Florida.