Men's basketball cruises to 41-point victory over UPR-Mayaguez

ST. PETERSBURG -- Five players scored in double figures for the Eckerd men's basketball team on Wednesday as the Tritons defeated the Puerto Rico-Mayaguez Tarzans by a score of 92-51.

Eckerd jumped out in front early with the first four points, but the two teams saw a pair of ties at 4-4 and again at 8-8. The Tarzans were the first to double figures after securing their first lead with a made three-pointer, but four straight triples from the Tritons helped fuel a 14-3 scoring run to take a 22-14 advantage. Mayaguez remained within striking distance after cutting the margin down to four, but the Tritons again responded with another big scoring outburst, this time with 15 straight points to turn a 22-18 score into a 19-point cushion at 37-18. Miquel Llompart led the way with six points during the spurt, while Koa Baker and Carlos Cortijo each added four along the way. Jacob Davis' put-back dunk with seconds remaining wrapped up the first 20 minutes and gave the Tritons a 42-23 lead at the break. Eckerd shot 44 percent in the frame, while holding UPRM to just a 28 percent clip.

Consecutive baskets by Timothy Thompson and Llompart accounted for the first four points of the second half before six straight from Baker moved the differential out to 27 points just three minutes in. The Tarzans pulled within 21 at 14:29, but a 9-0 run from the Tritons quickly extended the cushion out to 30 points. The margin hovered between 25-30 for the next six minutes until Brady Patterson's three-pointer gave the team its largest lead of the game at the time at 79-45. Wyatt Triestman's triple with three minutes to go moved the advantage over 40 and the team coasted to a 41-point triumph as time expired.

The Tritons shot 48.5 percent from the field for the game and were led by Llompart's 19 points, followed by Baker with 18 to go with his 11 rebounds. Triestman was next for Eckerd with 16 points and Cortijo and Tim Taiwo each added 10 off the bench. As a team, the Tritons out-rebounded the Tarzans 53-27 and had five players with five or more boards. 

With the win, Eckerd improves to 3-2 on the season. The team will resume SSC play next Wednesday at home vs. Tampa.