MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Barry University men's basketball team lost to Eckerd, 71-66, Saturday night.
The Buccaneers sparked a second-half comeback to take a lead, but the Tritons came up with the knockout blow to finish things off in the final five minutes.
Barry dropped to 10-12 overall, 4-9 in the Sunshine State Conference. Eckerd improved to 15-6 overall, 8-5 in the league.
The Buccaneers trailed by 14 with 13:11 remaining in the first half when Junior McLeod's dunk gave the Tritons an 18-4 lead. Barry cut it to eight twice on a three-point play by Magne Fivelstad at the 3:34 mark and a pair of free throws by Justin McCoy with 17 seconds remaining in the half.
Barry, whose bench was outscored, 17-5, opened the second half with a 7-0 surge on a triple by Vlad Raymonvil, basket by McCoy and two free throws by Fivelstad to trim Eckerd's lead to 33-30. The Tritons pushed it back to 37-32 on McLeod's basket before Aaron Martin canned a triple to pull the Bucs within two.
Filip Toric's three-pointer tied the game at 41-41 at the 12:14 mark. Jerrick Stevenson answered for the Tritons to reclaim the lead for Eckerd, but Raymonvil's three put the Bucs back in front, 44-43 with 11:10 left on the clock. Toric hit a jumper to give Barry its largest lead, 46-43, but Eckerd regained control, 47-46, when Darrien Mack scored at the 8:46 mark.
Fivelstad, who went 10-for-12 from the line and finished with 18 points, four assists and five rebounds, sank two free throws with 7:43 to go to give Barry a 49-47 lead. Alex Bodney sank a pair of free throws to tie the game at 49-49, and Mack scored to put the Tritons ahead by two. Raymonvil hit a jumper in the paint to knot the game up for a fourth time, 51-51, with 6:35 remaining.
Eckerd went ahead, 55-51, on two Stevenson free throws. E.J. Moody hit a triple to push the Tritons lead to six before Raymonvil buried another three to pull the Bucs within three at the 2:21 mark. Toric's bucket kept Barry within three, 63-60, a minute later. But Eckerd sank six free throws down the stretch to hold off the Buccaneers.
Barry was 22 of 55 from the field for 40 percent. Eckerd went 22 of 45 for 48.9 percent. The Tritons were 3-for-10 from long range. The Bucs were 7 of 21.
Eckerd outscored Barry, 32-22, in the paint. The Tritons outrebounded Barry, 36-26. Eckerd committed 21 turnovers, while the Bucs had 15.
Mack had 30 points and 13 rebounds, and Bodney scored 13 for the Tritons.
Toric had 14 points, seven boards and two steals. Raymonvil had 13 points and four steals. McCoy had 12 points and two steals.
Barry hosts Palm Beach Atlantic on homecoming night Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. Fall student-athletes with a 4.0 grade point average will be honored that night. The Miami Heat dancers will also be on hand.