Tritons Top Tampa, Advance to SSC Championship Game

Box Score DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - One week ago, the Eckerd women's basketball team won its first Sunshine State Conference championship by claiming the regular season title.

The Tritons are now one win away from a second championship.

Eckerd knocked down 11 3-pointers and made 9-of-12 free throws in the fourth quarter to defeat the University of Tampa, 70-63, for the third time this season and advance to the SSC championship game on Sunday afternoon at the ICI Center.

"Tampa played hard like they always do," said Eckerd head coach Paul Honsinger.  "They pose a difficult matchup for us.  We were able to get stops when we needed them."

EC (25-4) shot 36.7 percent from behind the arc, making the Spartans pay for staying in their zone defense for much of the game.

Eight of those 3-pointers came in the first half and, while Eckerd didn't shoot quite as well from the perimeter after halftime, the threat it posed helped spread the floor and create opportunities inside.

A few of those interior chances, as well as defense, played an important role late in the game.

Eckerd took a 38-31 lead into halftime, but UT scored the first nine points of the third quarter to go ahead.  The teams swapped the lead four times before the Tritons went on a 7-0 run to finish the period.

Kacie Juday's layup tied the game for the last time with 3:37 left in the third and Ada Yalcin gave EC the lead for good with a 3-pointer from the corner two minutes later.

Juday's work on the offensive boards on the Tritons' last possession sent her to the free throw line with .5 seconds left, where her two free throws put Eckerd ahead, 52-47.

Equally as important was the defense, as EC held the Spartans scoreless in the final four minutes of the quarter while forcing three turnovers.

The Tritons continued the run into the fourth quarter, extending their lead to as many as 10 and Tampa never got closer than five the rest of the way.

The team's defense did its part again late in the final frame, keeping the Spartans scoreless over a three-and-a-half minute stretch starting at the 4:32 mark.  It allowed Eckerd to go ahead by 10 on a layup by Juday with 1:31 to play after the Tritons worked the shot clock down to its final seconds.

Honsinger praised his team's contributions across the board, including that of his bench which combined for 15 points and five assists.

"This was a win by committee," he said. "Our bench really provided for us during our key run."

Juday led Eckerd with 17 points, 12 of which came in the final 11 minutes of the game.  Yalcin and Victoria Vine both added 12.

The win puts the Tritons into the SSC championship game for the first time in program history.  Eckerd will face the winner of the second semifinal game which features second-seeded Florida Southern and sixth-seeded Florida Tech.