General Nov 30, 2021

Lions Ledger: Basketball Heads to Eckerd For Midweek SSC Action

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RECORDS: Saint Leo 3-3, 1-0 SSC | Eckerd 3-2, 1-0 SSC
Saint Leo looks to add to its season opening Sunshine State Conference win on Wednesday at Eckerd. The Lions handled Florida Tech on Nov. 20 as Saint Leo returned with a 63-53 victory from their business trip in Melbourne, Fla. Since then, the Green and Gold dominated Flagler 76-54 in the non-conference rematch in St. Augustine, Fla. Most recently, Saint Leo fell in a tight 69-63 barnburner in the Bowman against St. Edward's University on Saturday.
Amanda Ulrich enters the week as the team's leading scorer. The junior guard averages 17.8 points per game (ppg) while shooting 35.6-percent from the floor and a 76.7-percent from the free throw line. Ulrich isn't the only offensive weapons the Lions have. The Green and Gold also have Ayanna Trigg, who averages nearly a double-double with 11.3 ppg and 9.2 rebounds per game (rpg). The graduate student forward holds a dangerous 66.7-percent from the field and makes 72.7-percent of her free throws. Joining Ulrich and Trigg in scoring double digits is Kiki McIntyre with 10.7 ppg. McIntyre enters the week currently shooting 39.3-percent from the hardwood and 62.5-percent at the line. She also leads the team in steals with 16. To top it all off, Tori Lesko has propelled the Green and Gold with a team-high 23 assists, 9.7 ppg, and 7.5 rpg. When she isn't creating a play, she is shooting an impressive 40.8-percent from the floor and 63-percent on the charity stripe.
Eckerd opened the season unconventionally, meeting Lynn University on the road in a conference match up back on Nov. 20. Eckerd made a statement in the season and conference opener, defeating Lynn 42-29. Since then, the Tritons remain undefeated following a 56-47 win over #16 Bentley and tallying a 62-56 victory over Columbus State.
Two Tritons pace the Blue and Teal offense with double digit scoring. Maya Price and Sofia Persson average 12.7 ppg and 10.0 ppg, respectively. Price has made herself known on the court shooting a 51.7-percent from the field, and 50.0-percent beyond the circle. In addition, she has converts 83.3-percent of trips to the free throw line. Off the glass, Price also leads the Tritons with 7.0 rpg followed by Persson with 6.0 rpg. Lauryn Vieira enters the week as the assist leader with 16 after three games.
HISTORY: Eckerd did not op-in to compete in the 2020-21 season. The last time the Lions and Tritons met, Eckerd squeezed by Saint Leo with 74-60 decision on Wed., Feb. 26 in the Marion Bowman Activities Center. In 2019, during her freshman campaign, Ulrich led the Lions' efforts with 24 points.

SAINT LEO looks to get back in the win column and pick up its first conference win of the year with a trip to Eckerd Wednesday night.
In the last outing, the Green and Gold fell 68-67 to no. 23 Grand Valley State to close out play at the Terrace Hotel Thanksgiving Classic Saturday afternoon. On the weekend, Jared Coomer led the team in scoring with 15.5 points per game, 31, between the two games where he helped pace the team to a 77-67 win over (RV) St. Edward's Friday night in Lakeland.
On the year, Frank Webb Jr. is still the leading scorer with 13.3 points per game (80) while he is near a double-double average at 9.2 rebounds per game (55). Four others average double-figures in Grant Disken (12.5 ppg), Wade Coomer (12.3 ppg), Jared Coomer (11.3 ppg), and Francis Sio (11.2 ppg).
Saint Leo opened SSC play on Nov. 20 and dropped an 80-72 decision at Florida Tech. Frank Webb Jr. was the team's leading scorer with 21 points for the Green and Gold, where he neared a triple-double with his 11 rebounds, which completed his double-double, and eight assists.
ECKERD has returned to the court for the first time since the 2019-20 season where the Tritons have opened the year at 1-4 after back-to-back losses at the Eckerd College Thanksgiving Classic to Bemidji State (67-63) and Ashland (65-57).
On the year, Gianfranco Grafals is the leading Triton in points per game at 17.4 (87) with Daniel Love (11.6 ppg) and Joshua Galloway (10.0) close behind.
The Tritons opened SSC play on Nov. 20 and fell 89-58 at Lynn where Daniel Love was the top scorer with 16 points in the contest.
HISTORY In the last full season, the two teams split the SSC series in 2019-20 where the visiting team won on the road in both instances. Saint Leo won in St. Petersburg on Jan. 22, 2020, 79-77 and Eckerd won in St. Leo 88-80 on Feb. 26, 2020.