WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Palm Beach Atlantic men's basketball team returned home to host Eckerd on Saturday afternoon.

The matchup went down to the final possession with PBA (4-5, 2-2 SSC) holding a one-point lead. A missed free throw by the Sailfish set the Tritons up with a possession with just under 10 seconds left. PBA's defense forced a loose ball and a scramble leading to a kicked ball with .5 seconds remaining. Eckerd (1-8, 0-4 SSC) had a throw-in from under the basket but failed to get off an attempt as PBA held on to win, 65-64.

Alexander Gorton led the Sailfish with 18 points shooting 7-for-12 from the field with four triples, three assists, and two steals. Jakob Hester was the only other PBA player to reach double-digits, scoring 12 points with nine rebounds and a block. Jules Jasmin finished with nine points and eight rebounds with a pair of steals. Will Lee added six points with three assists and two threes. Marcus Montalvo and Ivan Raut each added six points on a pair of threes off the bench.

The Sailfish offense got off to a slow start in today's matchup. PBA's first bucket did not come until over five minutes into the game. The Sailfish defense kept the deficit close until the PBA offense got going. PBA's offense got going with 3-pointers from Gorton and Lee to gain some momentum for the 'Fish. A basket from Hester gave PBA its first lead of the game with just over six minutes left in the first period. A 3-pointer from Raut allowed the Sailfish to take a 34-27 lead at the break.

PBA had the hot hand from outside in the first half. The Sailfish shot 44 percent from three in the first period. The 'Fish defense also did well running the Tritons off the 3-point line. Eckerd shot just 1-for-6 from beyond the arc in the period.

The Sailfish led throughout the entire second half, but the Tritons refused to make it easy for PBA. With PBA holding a five-point lead with less than five minutes to go, the Tritons hit some free throws and two clutch threes down the stretch to make it a two-point game with two minutes to go. 

Lee set up a layup from Gorton with 1:40 to go made it 65-61. A pair of turnovers kept the Sailfish from closing out the game easily. An Eckerd bucket following a steal made it a two-point game with 53 seconds left. Eckerd had a chance to tie it with a pair of free throws with 15 seconds left. The Tritons missed the first and made the second to make the score 65-64. Lee was sent to the line with a chance to make it a 3-point game but came up empty. Thankfully, PBA's stop at the buzzer sealed the one-point win.

PBA outshot the Tritons, 47 percent to 44 percent in the game. Eckerd improved on its 3-point shot in the second half, hitting 5-of-9 attempts in the period. PBA won the battle of the boards, 35-31, and the Sailfish bench outscored the Triton's 16-4.

The Sailfish hit the road for a pair of non-conference games next week. PBA faces off at West Alabama on Tuesday.