Women's basketball escapes with two-point win over Palm Beach Atlantic

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Eckerd Tritons women's basketball team overcame a slow start on Saturday to defeat the visiting Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish at home by a score of 54-52.

Jaylen Ostenson accounted for the first points of the game after knocking down a triple on the team's second possession. Less than two minutes later, Lisa Michaelsen connected on a deep ball to regain a three-point lead for the team, but from there the Tritons endured a near seven-minute scoring drought and found themselves trailing by as many as 10. A three-pointer from Greta Carollo broke the lengthy stretch without a point and a late free throw made it a 16-10 score in favor of PBA after a quarter of play. The Tritons hit just 3-20 looks in the period, but held the Sailfish to 35 percent from the floor.

Despite never leading in the second quarter, Eckerd made up some ground with a 17-14 margin to cut the deficit to just three at 30-27 at the half. Ostenson's second triple of the game got the team within a point at 25-24 before Kailyn Terrell's made shot from deep evened the score at 27-27. A free throw from PBA and a late basket on the final possession earned the three points back to keep the visitors in front at intermission. The Tritons hit four of their nine looks from behind the three-point line in the period and held the Sailfish to just 33 percent shooting.

A defensive battle followed in the third, with each team putting up 10 points apiece to keep the three-point lead for PBA intact heading into the fourth. The visitors knocked down just 25 percent of their shots in the frame, while Eckerd connected on 21 percent. The Tritons erased an eight-point deficit with a 7-2 scoring run in the final four minutes, seeing three made shots come from three different players during the span. PBA led 40-37 entering the final quarter.

The Tritons found their offensive rhythm over the final 10 minutes, knocking down 54 percent of their shots and going 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. Palm Beach Atlantic briefly pushed its advantage to five early in the fourth, but Carollo's second three of the period lifted Eckerd to a 49–48 edge, its first lead since the opening quarter. The teams traded baskets before Terrell buried a triple to give the Tritons their first multi-possession cushion at 54–50 with 3:35 remaining. PBA trimmed the deficit to two near the two-minute mark, but the score held the rest of the way as Eckerd sealed a 54–52 victory, forcing three misses by the Sailfish in the final 10 seconds.

Carollo led the way with 17 points off the bench and five made threes, while Korzane notched a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, also adding five assists. 

With the win, Eckerd improves to 13-4 overall and 8-2 in the SSC. The team will welcome No. 14 Embry-Riddle on Saturday.