Spartans Return Home for Saint Leo

TAMPA, Fla. - The University of Tampa men's, women's basketball programs will host Saint Leo University on Wednesday evening.

WOMEN'S:

The Matchup: University of Tampa Spartans (10-5, 4-3 SSC) vs. Saint Leo University Lions (7-8, 2-5 SSC)

Date/Time: Wednesday, January 16 at 5:30 pm. 

Location: Bob Martinez Athletics Center | Tampa, Fla. | 400 N Blvd, Tampa, FL 33606

Series History: The Spartans have owned the series with 80 wins and 16 losses; Tampa is on a six game winning streak against Saint Leo, dating back to Feb. 2015. 

Last Time Out: UT traveled to Fort Lauderdale and dropped the conference matchup against Nova Southeastern, 66-52. The Sharks drained five three-pointers in the first quarter and led 21-9 after the opening 10 minutes. Despite holding NSU to 36% from three-point range, the Spartans could not rally at the Rick Case Arena. Dori Nagy led the way with 17 points and secured six boards, which tied with Staja Tyghter for the team lead in rebounds. Tyghter logged 12 points and dished four assists in 36 minutes of play. Nova Southeastern's Alison Hughes scored 23 points, draining five three-pointers, and swiped a career-high six steals.

About the Spartans (Women): Since the beginning of last season, Tampa is 21-4 at the Martinez Athletics Center (7-1 this season). Head coach Tom Jessee's team allows 51.9 points per game, which ranks 5th in the NCAA. The offense is shooting 47.7% from the field, which ranks 9th in the nation. The Spartans average 30 defensive rebounds per game, 19th-best in the NCAA. Nagy (8.9 rpg) and Tyghter (8.3 rpg) have combined for 258 rebounds; the duo ranks first and second, respectively, in the Sunshine State Conference in rebounds/rebounds per game. Tyghter, a senior from Orlando, leads the team in scoring at 13.9 points per game. The senior-leader has scored in double-figures in 14 straight games. Julia Ingram is ranked 53rd in the NCAA, shooting 40.6% from three-point range.

About the Lions (Women): Saint Leo is coming off a 67-61 victory over Florida Tech on January 9. The Lions scored 23 points in the fourth quarter, shooting 72.7% from the field. Three players scored in double figures as Alani Gallagher led the way for Saint Leo, notching 17 points on 8-of-10 from the floor. Prior to the victory, the Lions were on a three-game losing streak to SSC competition. Casey Wortley, a graduate student from Azusa Pacific University, leads the team in points (10.2) and rebounds (5.9). Gallagher, a sophomore forward, ranks second on the team in rebounds (5.3) and third in scoring (8.5). 

MEN'S:

The Matchup: University of Tampa Spartans (9-6, 3-4 SSC) vs. Saint Leo University Lions (6-9, 3-4 SSC)

Date/Time: Wednesday, January 16 at 7:30 pm. 

Location: Bob Martinez Athletics Center | Tampa, Fla. | 400 N Blvd, Tampa, FL 33606

Series History: Tampa leads the series 59-20, however UT has lost the last three games to Saint Leo.

Last Time Out: UT fought to the finish with No. 4 Nova Southeastern, but the Sharks secured the 90-79 victory at the Rick Case Arena on Saturday afternoon. The Spartans led the game with 16:23 remaining, then NSU bounced back with a 17-2 scoring stretch. Anthony Gamble led the team with 25 points on 50% shooting from the field, and he grabbed seven rebounds in 38 minutes of play. Alberto Moreno posted a career-high 19 points, and Cedric Belemene registered a double-double (16 pts., 10 rebs.) for the third consecutive game.

About the Spartans (Men): Tampa has dropped two of the last three games; but the defense ranks third in the SSC, allowing 71.1 points per game. The Spartans rank second in the SSC, accumulating 27.3 defensive rebounds per game. The rebounds come, in large part, from Belemene; the junior from Congo leads the SSC in rebounds (146) and is tied for 23rd in the NCAA. Gamble, the team's leading-scorer, ranks 6th in the SSC at 17.7 points per game. He's scored at least 22 points in four of the last five games. The senior has made 44 three-pointers this year, which ranks third in the SSC. Moreno is ranked 4th in the SSC with 2.1 steals per game. 

About the Lions (Men): Saint Leo has won back-to-back games, and they've been led by Kyran McClure. McClure, the team's leading scorer, has registered 27 points in consecutive games, as he went a perfect 13-for-13 from the free-throw line on Wednesday night against Florida Tech. The junior tallied 24 points in the second half in a 71-57 win over FIT. Yalen Reed logged 10 points and led the way with nine rebounds for Saint Leo. McClure leads the team with 15.1 points per game, while Reed racks up 5.6 rebounds per game. 

Tickets: General admission ticket prices for all Tampa regular season athletic events are $5. Youth (ages 12 and under) are admitted free of charge. UT students and faculty/staff are admitted free with a valid Spartan ID.

Follow UT Athletics: @TampaSpartans on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube.

Text Alerts: UT also offers a free text messaging service that sends text alerts following all Spartan events. To sign up, please register at www.tampaspartans.com.

Front Row: Download the official app of UT Athletics on the Apple or Android store. Look for Tampa Spartans Front Row app to receive notifications from your favorite Spartan teams. The app is completely free.