Spartans Sweep in Holiday Classic

Final Score: Tampa 115, Shaw 98

Records: University of Tampa Spartans (7-4, 1-2 SSC), Shaw University Bears (5-5, 1-1 CIAA)

Location: Bob Martinez Athletics Center || Tampa, Fla.

All-Time Series: Tampa leads 4-3; UT has won the last three meetings at the Martinez Athletics Center.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

1st Half | Anthony Gamble opened the game with back-to-back three-pointers to give UT an initial 6-3 lead, however Shaw bounced back with a 10-0 scoring stretch. Gamble knocked down seven three-pointers in the first half, but Shaw's Amir Hinton stole the show with 29 points. Hinton went 10-for-17 from the field and tacked on eight free-throws on 10 attempts. Alberto Moreno continued to lead the team as he posted 10 points and four assists in the opening half. Vincent Biffle tallied 13 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field, along with four made free-throws. Shaw University dominated the low-post as they out-scored UT 24-12 in the paint. Tampa received contributions from the bench as the Spartans' bench registered 15 points compared to the Bears' two bench points. In large part to Gamble, UT shot 11-for-20 (55%) from long-range in the first 20 minutes. 

2nd Half | Shaw opened the half with two free-throws, but then the Spartans dominated the competition. Tampa went on a 19-0 scoring run to begin the half, which ultimately drained the momentum from the Bears' late push in the first half. Devon Colley showed off his offensive talent in the second half as he logged 12 points, while he also dished out four assists and swiped three steals. Cedric Belemene provided an all-around performance for UT with nine points and eight boards, six of which were offensive rebounds.

INSIDE THE STATS:

• Gamble tied his career-high with 32 points in 37 minutes. The senior from Riverview, Florida notched his career-high against Florida Tech on December 10, 2016.
• The division II leading scorer, Amir Hinton, rattled off 52 points in 40 minutes. Through the first nine games, Hinton averaged 33 points per game. 
• Tampa had three players with six assists: Colley, Moreno and Freddy Ibrahim.

BEYOND THE BOX:

• The Spartans scored the sixth most points in school history; UT scored 128 points against Alabama-Huntsville in 1991 which stands as the record. 
• Tampa had at least four scorers in double-figures for the third consecutive game. 

UP NEXT: The University of Tampa will head to Daytona Beach next Saturday, as the Spartans are set to face Embry-Riddle at 6 p.m.

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