WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The Eckerd Tritons women's basketball team picked up a 62-58 road victory over the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish on Saturday.
Each team made six field goals on the way to a high-scoring opening quarter. The game featured four lead changes through the first 2:30 of play before Palm Beach Atlantic used a 6–0 scoring run to take a 10–5 lead. Eckerd responded with a pair of successful trips down the floor, as a layup by Jaylen Ostenson and a triple from Ieva Korzane evened the score. PBA never lost the lead the rest of the quarter, despite one more tie in the final minute, and carried an 18-16 advantage into the second.
The Tritons and Sailfish mirrored their first-quarter efforts with six made field goals apiece in the second. Savannah Borowicz's basket three minutes in gave the Tritons their first lead since the opening minutes of the game. Eckerd remained in front for the next five minutes, but Palm Beach Atlantic closed the half on a 10–3 run to take a 35–31 lead into the halftime break.
In the third quarter, the Tritons faced their largest deficit of the game of eight after the home team opened the half with back-to-back baskets. A three-pointer from Jaylen Ostenson at the eight-minute mark halted the momentum and sparked an 8-1 run that pulled Eckerd within a point at 40-39. The margin stayed within a single possession until the final minute, when a three by Sarah Racaud and a pair of free throws from Borowicz capped a 7-0 surge to give the Tritons a 46-42 lead heading into the fourth.
Korzane scored the first five points of the fourth quarter for Eckerd to help build a five-point lead at 51-46 two minutes in, but Palm Beach Atlantic answered with an 8-0 run to regain the advantage. A free throw by Emma Egan around the three-minute mark snapped a four-minute scoreless stretch for the Tritons, and the game was tied shortly after on two more free throws from Ostenson. The Sailfish briefly moved back in front with a 1-for-2 trip to the line, but Egan's layup with 58 seconds remaining gave Eckerd a 56-55 lead. After a defensive stop, Korzane knocked down a pair of free throws to push the margin to three. The Sailfish cut the deficit to one on the ensuing possession, but Korzane went a perfect 4-for-4 at the line in the final 10 seconds to seal the win.
Korzane led Eckerd with 18 points, while Ostenson followed with 11. Egan added nine points, 16 rebounds, and six assists.
The Tritons improve to 19-5 overall and 14-3 in the SSC. The team will be back in action Wednesday to host Saint Leo.
