Spartans, Fighting Knights to Clash

TAMPA, Fla. - The University of Tampa men's, women's basketball programs continue competitive conference play on Saturday afternoon, as they welcome Lynn University to the Martinez Athletics Center. 

WOMEN'S:

The Matchup: University of Tampa Spartans (11-5, 5-3 SSC) vs. Lynn University Fighting Knights (11-3, 5-3 SSC)

Date/Time: Saturday, January 19 at 2:00 pm. 

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

Series History: The Spartans lead the series 40-10; Prior to Lynn's victory on January 20, 2018, UT won 12-straight games against the Fighting Knights. 

Last Time Out: Tampa defended home court against Saint Leo on Wednesday night, as UT locked down the Lions' offense, securing a 59-46 victory at the Martinez Athletics Center. The Spartans held their opponent to under 50 points for the ninth time this season. Lauren Kotey grabbed eight rebounds in the first quarter, leading to a career-high 10 rebounds in 22 minutes of action. Staja Tyghter logged her fifth double-double of the year, 15 points and 11 rebounds. Dori Nagy tallied 15 points as well, and dished out a team-high five assists. Tampa dominated in the paint, out-scoring Saint Leo 26-8 in the low-post.

About the Spartans (Women): Tampa enters the contest tied with Lynn, Eckerd, and Rollins for third place in the Sunshine State Conference. The Spartans are 8-1 at home this season, riding a three-game home winning streak into Saturday's matchup. UT's defense is ranked 5th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 51.5 points per game. The offense is shooting 47.4% from the field which ranks 10th in the NCAA. Tyghter, the senior from Orlando, is the team's leading scorer at 13.9 points per game. The Florida native has scored in double-figures in 15-straight games. Nagy has secured 8.6 rebounds per game, which leads the team. The sophomore from Hungary is ranked 2nd in the conference, shooting 54.1% from the field. Emily Eshoo is ranked 3rd in the SSC from the free-throw line, converting at 84.3%. 

About the Fighting Knights (Women): Lynn has won the last two of three games, but lost their last game against Nova Southeastern. The Sharks posted 100 points against the Fighting Knights' defense as NSU shot 55.1% from the field. Nova Southeastern out-scored Lynn, 54-20, in the paint and went into halftime leading by 21. Christina Potts led the way for Lynn with 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Despite a rough game against NSU, the Fighting Knights are off to their best start since 2007-08. Lynn ranks atop the conference in three-point defense, allowing 26.5% shooting from long-range. The Fighting Knights grab 12.9 offensive rebounds per game, which ranks 2nd in the SSC. Jaylen Snipes, a junior guard, leads the team with 10.1 points per game. Kelsi Fizer is ranked 2nd on the team, logging 9.2 points per game. Fizer, a sophomore from Georgia, is ranked 3rd in the SSC in rebounding at 8.1 boards per game; which trails only Nagy (8.6) and Tyghter (8.4).

MEN'S:

The Matchup: University of Tampa Spartans (9-7, 3-5 SSC) vs. No. 17 Lynn University Fighting Knights (13-2, 6-2 SSC)

Date/Time: Saturday, January 19 at 4:00 pm. 

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

Series History: Tampa trails 25-20 in the series; UT has won the last two meetings at the Martinez Athletics Center.

Last Time Out: UT was defeated by Saint Leo, 72-66, at home on Wednesday evening. The Spartans got off to a fast start, but could not contain Kyran McClure. McClure posted 23 points for Saint Leo, converting on 9-of-10 free-throws heading down the stretch. Anthony Gamble tallied a team-high 22 points, the senior has logged at least 22 points in five of the last six games. Cedric Belemene racked up a game-high nine rebounds in 34 minutes of play. 

About the Spartans (Men): After a four-game winning streak, Tampa has dropped the last three of four games. Belemene owns the glass for the Spartans, accumulating 9.7 boards per game. The junior from Congo leads the SSC, and ranks 13th in the NCAA with 155 rebounds. The Spartans secure 27.1 defensive rebounds per game, second-best in the SSC. Gamble ranks 4th in the SSC, totaling 18.0 points per game. The senior has knocked down the third-most (45) three-pointers in the conference. Marco Downer leads the SSC in blocks, rejecting 2.1 shots per game. Alberto Moreno has registered 1.9 steals per game, which ranks 7th in the SSC.

About the Fighting Knights (Men): No. 17 Lynn lost at the buzzer to No. 5 Nova Southeastern, 87-85, on Wednesday night. The two teams traded the lead 26 times in the contest, as No. 5 NSU held off the Fighting Knights to remain the top seed in the conference. Jamal Palmer and Darius Moore logged 28 points apiece, as Moore shot 8-of-9 from long-range. No. 17 Lynn shot 51.7% from the field, but could not pull off the upset. Four Fighting Knights average double-digit scoring; led by Palmer and Michael Baez, both players score 15.1 points per game. No. 17 Lynn has five players who average at least 4 rebounds per game, as Daniel Cooper leads the team grabbing 6.5 boards 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.

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