ST. PETERSBURG -- The Eckerd Tritons women's basketball team claimed the Sunshine State Conference regular season title on Saturday after defeating the visiting Barry Buccaneers on Senior Day by a score of 58-39. The regular season title is the first for the program since the 2016-17 and just the second ever.
In a low-scoring opening quarter that saw both teams shoot below 35 percent, the Tritons got a three-pointer from Lisa Michaelsen on their opening possession and quickly jumped out to a 7-2 lead after two minutes. Ieva Korzane scored six points in the period and Michaelsen had five to help Eckerd take a 13-8 lead after 10 minutes.
The Tritons broke the game open in the second quarter with a 24-9 advantage. Eckerd scored the first 20 points of the frame and held the Buccaneers scoreless for more than six minutes. Emma Egan started the surge with a three-point play before Jaylen Ostenson hit back-to-back three-pointers. Three additional made threes, each by a different player, capped the 20-0 run and pushed the score to 33-13. The 20-point margin remained intact through halftime as Eckerd led 37-17.
Eckerd doubled up the Buccaneers in the third quarter, holding them to single-digit points for the third straight period. The differential reached as high as 28 during the 10-minute stretch, which included a 53-25 cushion for Eckerd entering the fourth. Barry won the final quarter by nine, but the Tritons were far enough ahead to secure a 19-point victory.
Four players scored in double figures for Eckerd, led by Egan's double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds. Michaelsen added 12, while Korzane and Ostenson each had 11.
The win, combined with a Nova Southeastern loss, secures the No. 1 seed for the Tritons in the upcoming SSC tournament. Eckerd will host No. 8 Florida Tech on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
