COLUMBIA, S.C. – Eckerd outscored Benedict 9-1 over the final two minutes to take a 69-62 victory over Benedict College in a non-conference men's basketball game in the season opener for both teams in the Benjamin E. Mays HRC Arena.
 
A 3-pointer by Cadarius Baggett gave Benedict a 61-60 victory with 2:10 left to play. Eckerd took the lead for good with a 3-pointer with 1:40 left to play. Tony Webb Jr. hit a free throw with 1:15 left to cut the lead to one point, 63-62, with 1:15 remaining. Eckerd scored the final six points.
 
Baggett led the Tigers with 16 points in his Benedict debut. Johnny Taylor Jr. added 12 points, while Webb chipped in 10 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.
 
Benedict had as much as a nine-point lead, 27-18, with five minutes remaining in the first half, and had a 31-25 lead at the half. Eckerd used a 13-4 lead in the second half to cut an eight-point Benedict lead to take a 39-38 lead with 15:17 on the clock. Eckerd later built as much as a 48-41 lead with 12:03 left to play.
 
The Tigers will take on the University of Tampa on Saturday at 6 p.m. in the HRC Arena.