Spartans Take First Meeting With Saint Leo

TAMPA, Fla. - A strong showing in the final minutes of the game allowed The University of Tampa (8-5, 2-2 SSC) men's basketball team to take a 70-52 victory over Saint Leo University (7-10, 1-4 SSC) in a Sunshine State Conference showdown.

The game was close for the majority of the first half, which consisted of five lead changes and three ties. Saint Leo held a 21-18 lead with 6:45 remaining in the half before UT closed out the half on a 15-2 run to take a 33-23 advantage to the half.

The Spartans held on to their lead for the remainder of the game, despite allowing the Lions to come within four points on two occasions. Similar to the first half, Tampa dominated the closing minutes of the contest while outscoring SLU by an 18-4 mark in the final eight minutes.

Rashad Callaway led a group of three UT double figure scorers with a game-high 23 points. The sophomore point guard also turned in a team-high six assists. Anthony LaBruno added 18 points on 7-13 shooting from the field while Fred Woods chipped in 10.

Johnathan Ball grabbed a team-high nine rebounds to lead Tampa while Woods had three blocked shots. For the game, the Spartans connected on nine three-pointers while the Lions made just two. Callaway had four from beyond the arc while Matt Tomaszewski added three.

Quentin Cullop led SLU with 17 points and five assists while Josue Vazquez (15) and Jordan Prais (13) also added double figures. Vazquez led the Lions with eight rebounds while Prais also contributed two blocked shots.

The Spartans return to action on Saturday when Barry visits for a 4 p.m. meeting. A live audio/video webcast and live stats will be available through www.tampaspartans.com. Fans may also sign up for eScores, a free service that sends text message alerts to fans at the conclusion of Spartan athletic events. Please visit the official athletics website to sign up.