Sloppy Second Half Haunts Spartans
January 2, 2019

Sloppy Second Half Haunts Spartans

PBA forces 14 second-half turnovers to complete comeback win.

TAMPA, Fla. - The University of Tampa men's basketball team had its four-game win streak snapped by Palm Beach Atlantic University on Wednesday at the Martinez Center.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final Score: Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish 74, Tampa Spartans 63
Records: Tampa (8-5, 2-3 SSC), PBA (5-7, 1-3 SSC)
Location: Martinez Center || Tampa, Fla.
All-Time Series: UT leads the all-time series 23-8, though the Sailfish have now won two straight.


 HOW IT HAPPENED:

1st Half | It was a tale of two halves, with the Spartans holding a hefty lead throughout the opening 20 minutes. Tampa would take a 39-27 lead to the break after holding the advantage for the final 10-plus minutes. Cedric Belemene came off the bench to lead the Spartans with 14 points and 10 rebounds. The story of the half was turnovers, with the visiting Sailfish committing 16 compared to 13 for UT.

2nd Half | Tampa would stretch its lead to 18 as it grabbed a 46-28 edge with 15:55 remaining in the game. PBA would draw even at 52-52 with 9:53 to go, and would proceed to outscore the Spartans 22-11 over the remainder of the game. UT would commit 14 turnovers in the final 20 minutes as the Spartans shot just 27.6 percent from the field.

INSIDE THE STATS:

  • Belemene would finish with 17 points and 16 rebounds, both team highs.
  • Also scoring double figures was Anthony Gamble and Freddy Ibrahim with 13 and 12 respectively.
  • Alberto Moreno led the Spartans with four assists.
  • A team-leading four steals was registered by Vincent Biffle.
  • Moreno and freshman Marco Downer each had two blocked shots.

BEYOND THE BOX:

  • UT had its four-game win streak and two-game SSC streak snapped.

UP NEXT: Tampa hosts Rollins College on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., at the Martinez Center.

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