Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
By ERIC MUSKATEVC
© St. Petersburg Times, published December 8, 2000
PALM HARBOR -- A week after the Hurricanes lost a 14-point fourth-quarter lead to Tarpon Springs only to pull out a close victory, Palm Harbor U. was in familiar territory Thursday, entering the fourth quarter with an 11-point lead over East Lake.
This time the Hurricanes held onto their lead for a 45-34 win.
"I think tonight we turned it up going into the last quarter instead of struggling like we have been lately," PHU coach Rob McCoy said.
Adrienne Cromwell was quiet for much of the game but scored five consecutive points midway through the fourth after the Eagles trimmed the deficit to eight. Cromwell tied teammate Megan East with a game-high 10 points.
"It was good to see Cromwell and Amanda Ray (nine points overall) come alive for us in the fourth," McCoy said. "It seemed like we had a little more horsepower going down the stretch."
The teams traded leads in the first half with PHU taking a six-point lead in the third quarter. Until then, no team led by more than four.
East Lake battled back after the Hurricanes ended the third quarter with a 12-3 run, getting within eight with 4:30 to go.
Samaria Jones scored six points and dished out five assists for the Eagles. Teammate Nicole Britenricker grabbed nine rebounds and blocked two shots.
"I had higher expectations than what we showed tonight," Eagle coach Mike Walter said. "The girls have to learn they can't let up."