Spartans Defeated in Close Game by Barry

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. - The University of Tampa men's basketball team could not outlast the Barry Buccaneers as they lost 71-62 on Saturday night.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP: 
Final Score: Barry 71, Tampa 62
Records: University of Tampa Spartans (9-10, 3-8 SSC), Barry University Buccaneers (11-7, 6-5 SSC)
Location: Miami Shores, Fla. || Health & Sports Center
All-Time Series: Tampa leads 44-28; the last 10 were split 5-5.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
1st Half | Barry scored first to start the game off. Tampa got on the board from two made free-throws from Anthony Gamble. Neither team was able to gain a decent lead within the first eight minutes. Freddy Ibrahim then drained a free-throw which started a 6-0 run to give the Spartans a five-point lead. Tampa maintained their lead for about five minutes before the Buccaneers went on a 11-0 run that started off a layup from Tylan Birts. With 7:35 remaining, both teams were shooting 7-20 (35%) from the field. Barry held the lead for the rest of the half as their leading scorer was Birts with 10 points to end the first 20:00. Tampa's leading scorer was Devon Colley with seven points. To close the half, Tampa had five players with two personal fouls.

2nd Half | Opening up the half, Tampa knocked down three three-pointers, two coming from Gamble and one coming from Colley. Colley's three-pointer gave the Spartans a two-point lead. Birts overtook the lead again off a dunk on a fast-break. Barry went on a 6-0, all scoring coming from Birts. Tyler Wilson came in the game off a time-out to put an end to the Buccaneers run. With 12 minutes remaining in the second half, Tampa trailed by one and was outrebounding Barry 29-21. Barry continued to hold the lead for most of the half, but Tampa kept it close by trailing no more than four points. In the last two minutes of the game, Barry went on a scoring run to give them the largest lead of the game, nine. 

INSIDE THE STATS:

• Colley, Gamble, and Belemene scored in double-digits, combining for 34. 
• Gamble has scored in double-digits in 11 of last 12 games. 
• As a team, Tampa shot 94.7% from the free-throw line.

BEYOND THE BOX:

• The Spartans have dropped five straight conference games, and six of the last seven games.
• Wilson grabbed a career-high of nine rebounds. 

UP NEXT: The University of Tampa will play Florida Southern Wednesday night in Tampa. Tip-off will be a 7:30 p.m. At halftime, the athletic department will honor the women's volleyball team on their third national championship in school history.

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