HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- Barry University's 19th-ranked men's basketball team opened the NCAA Division II Tournament with a win over Eckerd at Alabama-Huntsville's Spragins Hall Saturday night.

The Buccaneers led by as many as 11 twice in a game where the score changed hands eight times and the two teams found themselves tied on seven occasions. Eckerd got within one, 87-86, on Drushaun McLaurn's layup with 16 seconds left, but Elvar Fridriksson and Arie Williams each sank a free throw in the last 10 seconds, and Evan Walshe came up with a huge offensive rebound to send the Bucs on to the second round.

Fridriksson finished with 29 points, eight assists and five rebounds. He shot 9 of 14 from the floor and 8 of 11 from the free throw line. Kenan Guzonjic had his third double-double of the season, scoring 16 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. 


INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Barry 91, Eckerd 87
Records: Barry 23-6, Eckerd 21-9
All-Time Series: Barry trails the series, 44-28

SUMMARY: 

• The Buccaneers built an 80-69 lead on Arie Williams' basket with 4:16 to go. The Tritons used a 6-0 run to pull within five. After Fridriksson scored, Keshawn Ingram buried a three, and McLaurn scored with 2:15 to go to cut it to 82-80.
• Daniel Mortensen, who finished with 11 points and seven rebounds, canned a big 3-pointer at the 1:40 mark to bump Barry's lead back to five. Eckerd cut it to three on a pair of Obi Kyei free throws, and after Fridriksson missed a triple, McLaurn's basket pulled the Tritons within one, setting the stage for the free throw contest.
• Barry was 14 of 20 from the free throw line. Eckerd went 24 of 31.
• Arie Williams had 15 points and two steals. He was 5 of 12 from the floor.
• The Bucs outscored the Tritons, 36-26, in the paint.

NOTEWORTHY

• The win was Barry's first over Eckerd in the postseason in 17 years. The Bucs won that game, 73-70, in the Sunshine State Conference Tournament in Lakeland on Feb. 26, 2001.
• Williams scored his first basket inside the three-point line in a month. He had two of them. Williams has 94 triples this season.
• McLaurn scored 30 points, becoming the third opponent to reach that total against the Bucs this season.
• Barry hit 11 triples, marking the 23rd game this season the Bucs have buried at least 10.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING:

"I thought Kenan Guzonjic played perhaps his best game of the year. Elvar Fridriksson was Elvar Fridriksson."
        -- Barry head coach Butch Estes

ON THE HORIZON:

Barry meets host Alabama-Huntsville in the second round of the NCAA Tournament 8:30 p.m. ET Sunday.

Coach Estes post-game press conference
Players post-game press conference