UT Prevails on Road Versus Nova Southeastern

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The University of Tampa men's basketball team picked up a Sunshine State Conference victory on the road Wednesday over Nova Southeastern University. 

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:

Final: Tampa 70, Nova Southeastern 65 
Records: Tampa (14-6, 7-4 SSC), Nova Southeastern (5-13, 2-9 SSC)
Location: Taft Center | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
All-time Series: Tampa leads the all-time series with Nova Southeastern by a mark of 19-16.
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HOW IT HAPPENED:
1st Half | Marcel Robinson led Tampa to a 38-32 halftime lead as he registered 15 points. The junior connected on 8-of-9 from the free throw line in the half. Mekhi Biffle also scored in double figures in the first, netting 10 points. The Spartans shot 38.2 percent from the field, though they were just 3-of-18 from long range.

2nd Half |   The Spartans were able to hold off the Sharks as Biffle scored 11 second-half points while Robinson had nine. Tampa shot 45.8 percent from the field, which allowed them to fight back from a three-point deficit with under 10-minutes to play. Leading by three, senior Austin Rettig connected on a 3-pointer with 1:33 to play, followed by a pair of successful free throws by both Duke Shelton and Biffle to solidify the victory.

INSIDE THE STATS:

• Robinson finished with a team-high 24 points, as he was 9-for-10 from the free throw line.
• The Spartans had two players with 20-plus points as Biffle added 21. He also led the team with four steals.
• Freddy Ibrahim dished out a team-high eight assists.
• Shelton scored 11 points, and also added team-highs with eight rebounds and four blocked shots.
• Tampa shot 41.4 percent from the field and 78.9 percent from the free throw line.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

• UT completed the season-sweep of Nova Southeastern with the win.
• Leading-scorer Pat Bacon played for the first time since suffering an injuring against Embry-Riddle on December 3. He saw 14 minutes of action off the bench.

UP NEXT:

Tampa returns to action on Saturday when they travel to Saint Leo University to meet the Lions at 4 p.m. Live stats will be available through TampaStats.com. Fans can watch through TampaSpartans.com.

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