Men's basketball defeated by No. 4 Nova Southeastern

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Eckerd Trtions men's basketball team dropped a home contest to the No. 4 ranked Nova Southeastern Sharks on Wednesday, falling by a score of 101-84.

Nova took early control, doubling up Eckerd 10-5 through the first four minutes of action. The Tritons quickly erased the deficit, scoring the next five points to pull even after a triple from Miquel Llompart and a basket by Tim Taiwo. The two teams exchanged baskets over the next several possessions, followed by Eckerd grabbing its first lead since 3-2 after another three from Llompart put the team up 20-18. The Sharks answered with an 8-0 scoring spurt over the span of the next three minutes and eventually reached a double-digit advantage at 6:34 with a score of 33-23. The margin hovered around the 10-point mark until five straight points by Wyatt Triestman cut the deficit in half with four minutes remaining. The Sharks again countered, this time stringing together a 7-0 scoring run to grab their largest lead of the game at 45-33. Triestman notched another three and a late free throw from Llompart inched the Tritons closer heading into the half. Nova shot 46 percent in the opening frame and led 47-37 at the break. Eckerd knocked down six triples through the first 20 minutes of action.

Jacob Davis collected the first points of the second half, with points from Llompart on the ensuing possession keeping the differential at eight. The Sharks quickly erupted for nine straight points over the next minute to extend the cushion to 17. Triestman's three-pointer around the 16-minute mark capped off a surge from the Tritons and brought the team back within 11, but the deficit never dipped into single digits the rest of the way. Eckerd shot 51 percent in the second half, but endured a 55 percent effort from the visitors, which included a 7-12 performance from three in the final 20 minutes. 

Triestman led the Tritons with 22 points in the contest, followed by Taiwo with 17. Llompart added 11, while Davis and Timothy Thompson also cracked double figures with 10 apiece. 

Eckerd will be back in action Saturday at Embry-Riddle.