Tritons Terminate Spartans Season

TAMPA, Fla.  – The University of Tampa women's basketball team traveled to Daytona Beach for the next rounds of the Sunshine State Conference Tournament. They took on the Eckerd College Tritons and fell short of a victory to end their season. 

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Tampa 63, Eckerd 70   
Records: Spartans (17-11, 12-7 SSC), Tritons (25-4, 16-2 SSC)
Location: ICI Center | Daytona Beach, Fla.
All-time Series: Tampa leads the all-time series with the Eckerd Tritons with a 71-18 mark. 
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HOW IT HAPPENED:

1st Quarter |  Junior Karma Jeremie was the first player on the floor to score after sshe put in a layup. The Tritons didnt waste any time as they scored on their next drive. Junior Faith Sanders sparked the offense after she made a layup assisted by senior Elena de Alfredo. A jumper from senior Jenny Horvatinovic would give the Spartans a three point lead. The Tritons retaliated with a small run of their own that would give them a one point lead heading into the second quarter. 

2nd Quarter | The Tritons were the first to score in the second quarter on a layup but they were quickly mirrored by the Spartans as Sanders made a layup of her own. The Tritons took the largest lead of the game after they made a three pointer that gave them a nine point lead. A layup by Jeremie sparked the Spartans offense as Sanders and de Alfredo made back to back three pointers, closing the Eckerd lead to only one. The Tritons went up by 10 points with 20 seconds left in the second quarter but a three pointer from freshman Rachel Warden with two seconds left made the score 31-38. Sanders led all Spartans in the first half with 11 points. 

3rd Quarter | Jeremie was the first to score in the third quarter on a layup. The Spartans and the Tritons continued to trade baskets as neither team led by more than five points in the quarter. The Spartans trailed 52-47 heading into the final quarter. 

4th Quarter | The Tritons offense came out energized in the fourth quarter. They led by 10 points with six and half minutes left on the clock. But the Spartans would not go down without a fight, with a minute left de Alfredo made a jumper that would bring UT within eight points. Then, junior Morgan Lumb hit a clutch three pointer that made the score 65-59 with 34 seconds left in the game. Lumb struck again with a jumper that brought the Spartans within five points with only 16 seconds left in the game. But the Spartans efforts werent enough to take down the Tritons. Eckerd College went on to win 70-63 and will advance to the SSC Tournament Finals. 

INSIDE THE STATS:

•  Sanders was the leading point scorer for the Spartans with 21 points.
• Jeremie was the second leading point scorer with 16 points.
• As a team, the Spartans shot 56.5 percent from the field. 

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

•  The Spartans finish their season at 17-11 and 12-7 in the SSC.

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