Tritons Rally Falls Short Against Panthers

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Eckerd men's basketball team rallied in the second half to tie the game. However, EC's last-second attempt at the game-winner missed as the Tritons dropped their SSC matchup with Florida Tech, 71-69, on Saturday at the McArthur Center.

The Panthers started the game strong, with a 17-5 advantage at the 13:41 mark. Florida Tech held between a seven- and 12-point advantage over the next six minutes, but Eckerd scored seven consecutive points to pull within three with five minutes left. The Panthers pushed back out by eight before taking a 36-31 lead at the break. 

Eckerd and Florida Tech traded baskets to start the second stanza. The Tritons rolled off seven consecutive points to take a 48-47 favor at the 13:11 mark. The two teams swapped leads for the rest of the half, with neither team able to generate more than a three-point lead. Tied at 67-67 with 2:41 left, the Panther added a pair of free throws and a layup for a four-point lead. EC cut the deficit to two with forty seconds left and forced a missed Panthers' shot on the next possession. However, Eckerd's game-winning shot missed as the Panthers took the tight win.  

HOW IT ENDED 

FINAL: Florida Tech 71, Eckerd 69 
RECORDS: Eckerd 9-12 (4-9 SSC); Florida Tech 4-17 (1-12 SSC) 

NOTES AND NUMBERS 

• Timothy Thompson led Eckerd with 17 points, while Isaiah Placide and Mekhi Perry added double figures with 10 points each. 
• Thompson also led Eckerd on the boards with seven. 
• The game featured a combined 18 tied and lead changes.

UP NEXT 

Eckerd returns to action on Wednesday, hosting No. 20 Florida Southern at 7:30 PM.