Box Score LAKELAND, Fla. – In a game that took two extra sessions to decide a winner, the Florida Southern College women's basketball team dropped an 84-75 decision to Eckerd College on Wednesday night. With the loss, Eckerd (18-5, 14-3 SSC) remains in second place in the Sunshine State Conference, with the Mocs (16-19, 13-5 SSC) right behind in third.
Playing in their final regular season home game, seniors Elsa Landberg and Katerina Pazzaglia-Khomenko each had strong performances. Landberg set a career-high with 15 points, as Pazzaglia-Khomenko had 14 points and seven rebounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• 1st Quarter | Eckerd exploded out of the gate, scoring the first eight points of the game in just the first 81 seconds. The Mocs finally got on the board when freshman Kaja Wroblewska laid the basketball up and in at the 7:56 mark. Sophomore guard Bekki Kalaydjiev followed with a three-pointer before Pazzaglia-Khomenko had her own layup, and suddenly the score was 8-7, in favor of Eckerd. The teams traded baskets, until the Mocs tied the score at 13 apiece on a turnaround jumper in the paint by junior forward Julia Jenike. Southern would finally take the lead, 15-13, on a pair of free throws by Pazzaglia-Khomenko with 1:42 remaining in the period. Southern would go on and hold the lead, 23-18, after one.
• 2nd Quarter | The Mocs continued their hot shooting to open the second quarter, as Jenike scored the first six points of the period, pushing the lead to a game-high 11 points, 29-18. After a Triton run, Landberg would hit a three-pointer to return the lead to nine points, 32-23, with 3:23 remaining before halftime. Eckerd would go on their own 7-1 run to finish the half. After 20 minutes of play, the Mocs held the lead, 33-30.
• 3rd Quarter | Barely three minutes into the second stanza, the Mocs led by seven points, on a Kalaydjiev layup. The teams would trade baskets back and forth, until the Tritons took the lead with just 1:08 to play, 43-42. The score would remain that way headed into the fourth and final quarter of regulation.
• 4th Quarter | Southern would recapture the lead on their first possession of the fourth quarter, as Wroblewska banked in a turnaround jumper from the top of the key. After an Eckerd layup, Landberg would knock down a triple and push the lead back to two points, 47-45, just 75 seconds in. The lead would swing back and forth for most of the quarter, with Southern maintaining a three-point lead with 1:51 to play, 57-54, when Wroblewska made a key layup in traffic. The lead would become just two points with 21 seconds remaining on a Landberg free throw. The Tritons would tie the score with 17 seconds, setting up a last-second shot for the Mocs. However, Jenike's last second layup would rim out, and the stage was set for bonus basketball, with the score tied at 58-58.
• 1st Overtime | Eckerd would make one free throw 38 seconds in, before Pazzaglia-Khomenko hit a jumper as the Mocs retook the lead, 60-59. The teams literally traded baskets, with the lead changing back and forth. Jenike would eventually hit a jumper with 33 seconds remaining, giving the Mocs the lead again, 66-65. On the next Eckerd possession, Kalaydjiev would grab the rebound after a missed layup, get fouled, then go to the line and make a free throw, pushing the lead to 67-65 with 21 seconds remaining. On the ensuing Triton possession, Pazzaglia-Khomenko played great defense, forcing a travelling violation, and the Mocs had the ball back with a two-point lead and 18 seconds remaining. Jenike would hit a pair of free throws, followed by a pair from Eckerd, and the score was 69-67 with six seconds to go. However, as time expired, Eckerd's Octavia Loll hit a runner from midcourt to send the game into double overtime tied at 70-70.
• 2nd Overtime | Eckerd scored the first five points of the sixth session in less than two minutes, before Pazzaglia-Khomenko made a traditional three-point play to make the score 75-73, with 2:41 remaining. Eckerd would make nine free throw down the stretch, winning 84-75.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- This is the first double overtime game of the season for the Mocs. The last time Florida Southern played a double overtime game was on January 31, 2018, which resulted in an 85-78 win over Eckerd.
- Jenike scored 17 of her 23 points in the first half. She has now recorded 891 points in her college career, including her freshman year at Florida Atlantic. Jenike has now scored at least 20 points five times this season.
- Three others scored at least ten points tonight, including Landberg (15), Pazzaglia-Khomenko (14), and Wrobewska (10).
- Southern was out-rebounded tonight, 41-39. Jenike, Pazzzaglia-Khomenko, and Wroblewska each had seven.
- Three different Mocs played at least 40 minutes tonight, led by Jenike, who played 49 out of a possible 50 minutes. Kalaydjiev and Wroblewska each played 42 minutes.
- Southern made 26 baskets tonight, as Eckerd made 24. The Tritons, however, made more three pointers (9 to 6), and more free throws (27 to 17).
- FSC forced 18 Eckerd turnovers, which led directly to 21 Moc points.
- Head coach Betsy Harris sits on 199 career coaching victories. She has gone 131-49 in six seasons at Florida Southern, and was 68-27 in three seasons at Coastal Georgia, good for an overall record of 199-76. Harris' 131 wins at Florida Southern are third-best all-time among Moccasin head coaches, trailing only Norm Benn (250-97) and Diane Foli (170-93).
UP NEXT
Southern will enjoy its second bye of the season this Saturday, before rounding out the regular season next week with a pair of road games, at Tampa on February 26, and at Palm Beach Atlantic on February 29.
