Spartan Basketball Teams To Battle Eckerd Once Again
TAMPA, Fla. - The University of Tampa men's and women's basketball teams are set to hit the hardwood for the second time this season versus Eckerd College, featuring closely ranked Sunshine State Conference opponents.
The matchup takes place on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. for the women and 7:30 p.m. for the men inside the Bob Martinez Sports Center.
Both Spartan teams are ranked within the top five in the Sunshine State Conference. The women are currently ranked in the third spot with an SSC record of 8-3 and an overall record of 16-5. The men are positioned third with an SSC record of 7-4 and an overall record of 18-4.
For the opponents, the Eckerd women's team holds an overall record of 13-8 and is fifth in the SSC (6-5). The Eckerd men are ranked fourth in the SSC (6-5) and hold an overall record of 15-6 on the season.
Tampa's teams defeated the Tritons earlier this season during the first session of conference play. In the women's battle, the Spartans were led by a trio of double digit scorers; Lindsey Watson dropped an impressive 20 points, followed by Gianna Messina with 15 points and Taja Green who's tenacity sparked the only double-double of the game with 14 points and 14 rebounds in the 63-54 contest.
For the men, the battle was intense, but a few poised starters led the way with double digit scoring. Anthony Griffis led all scorers with 24 points and a rebound shy of a double-double. Ashton Graham and senior Rashad Callaway contributed 15 and 14 points respectively for the 77-70 victory.
Head coach Tom Jessee's Spartans are commanded by a senior duo and a fearless freshman. Senior Taja Green leads the way on the season averaging 17.3 ppg, 7.1 rebounds. Green is among the top in the country as she is placed within the top 30 of the NCAA leaderboard for her notable field goal percentage of 54.1. Senior Gianna Messina holds an average of 16.3 ppg and is ranked within the top 20 on the NCAA leaderboard for 3-point field goal percentage (45.7). Freshman Lindsey Watson follows closely behind averaging 13 ppg.
Head coach Richard Schmidt's club is led by seniors Rashad Callaway and Fred Woods along with junior Anthony Griffis on the season. Callaway leads the way with an average of 17.5 ppg and a total of 45 steals. He also appears on the NCAA leaderboard ranked within the top 20 for assists (5.6). Fred Woods, after sitting out the beginning of the season has an average of 12.5 ppg with a total of 38 blocks. Standout transfer Anthony Griffis holds an average of 16.3 ppg this season.
UT will offer live stats and a webcast for both games through www.tampaspartans.com.