Spartans Basketball Teams Welcome Sailfish In Weekend Matchups
TAMPA, Fla. - The University of Tampa men's and women's basketball teams are set to take on the Palm Beach Atlantic University Sailfish in a home game at the Bob Martinez Athletic Center.
WOMEN'S:
The Matchup: No. 17 University of Tampa Spartans (17-3, 14-0 SSC) vs. Palm Beach Atlantic University Sailfish (3-17, 1-12 SSC)
Date/Time: Saturday, February 8th, at 2:00 pm.
Location: Bob Martinez Athletics Center | Tampa, Fla. | 400 N Blvd, Tampa, FL 33606
Series History: The Spartans have a dominating lead in the all-time series at 25-3. UT currently holds a seven-game winning streak over PBA and won the first matchup between the two teams earlier this year by a final of 57-32.
Last Time Out: The Spartans faced off against Saint Leo on Wednesday night. Tampa used a strong fourth-quarter performance, outscoring Saint Leo 27-12 in the final 10 minutes. Melijah Sullivan scored a career-high 30 points and LaShayla Wright-Ponder grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds.
About the Spartans (Women): The Spartans are currently riding a program-best 15 game winning streak and enter the game as the 17th ranked team in the nation. The UT defense has been tough as they are 20th in the nation, allowing an average of just 55.9 points per game. The Tampa offense ranked third in the nation with a 49.9 field goal percentage. The Spartans are playing clean basketball, as they are top in the nation in fewest personal fouls per game at 11.8.
About the Sailfish: The Sailfish enter the game on a three-game losing streak and sit at 11th in the conference. Avree Carpenter and Sia Williams lead the way for the offense as they are each averaging 11.6 points per game.
MEN'S:
The Matchup: University of Tampa Spartans (6-16, 3-11 SSC) vs.Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish (15-6, 8-5 SSC)
Date/Time: Saturday, February 8th at 4:00 pm.
Location: Bob Martinez Athletics Center | Tampa, Fla. | 400 N Blvd, Tampa, FL 33606
Series History: Overall the Spartans have fared well against the Sailfish in the history between the two squads, as UT currently leads the all-time series with a record of 24-8. However, the Spartans are trending downwards as they have lost seven of their last 10 games against the Sailfish.
Last Time Out: This past Wednesday, Tampa suffered a tough loss to the Lions of Saint Leo in a 71-46 defeat at home. Turnovers seemed to plague the Spartans' offense as they committed 20 turnovers and only managed to shoot 23% from three-point range.
About the Spartans (Men): The Spartans have dealt with injuries throughout the entire duration of the season, and the lack of depth has hindered the offensive and defensive efficiency of the team. Senior guard Pat Bacon has fueled the team's offense as he is second in the conference for points-per-game, averaging 22.5, but the Spartans continue to come up short as they have dropped seven of their last ten games.
About the Sailfish: The Sailfish enter Saturday's matchup riding a four-game win streak and have maintained the fourth seed in the conference. Palm Beach Atlantic averages 83 points per game and have played solid defense against conference opponents, ranking fourth in the category.
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.
Watch Live: Fans may watch the game through TampaSpartans.tv. Live stats are available through TampaStats.com.
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