Tampa Basketball Teams Look to Contests Against FIT on Wednesday
TAMPA, Fla. - The University of Tampa men's and women's basketball teams will take on the Florida Institute of Technology Panthers in a match up at home at the Bob Martinez Athletic Center this Wednesday, February 19.
WOMEN'S:
The Matchup: No. 15 University of Tampa Spartans (19-3, 15-0 SSC) vs. Florida Tech Panthers (12-13, 8-9 SSC)
Date/Time: Wednesday, February 19, at 5:30 pm.
Location: Bob Martinez Athletics Center | Tampa, Fla. | 400 N Blvd, Tampa, FL 33606
Series History: The Spartans have a lead in the all-time series at 41-35. UT is currently on a four-game winning streak over the Panthers, with their most recent meeting resulting in a dominating win for the Spartans with a final score of 62-42. Their recent meeting was just 5 weeks ago on Wednesday, January 15, 2020.
Last Time Out: Tampa played last Wednesday night against Embry-Riddle. A LaShayla Wright-Ponder double-double helped lead the Spartans to a 64-47 victory over the Eagles. Two other Spartans, Aliyah Abney and Melijah Sullivan, scored in double-digit figures, and Tampa limited Embry-Riddle to a shooting percentage of just 35%.
About the Spartans (Women): The Spartans have continued their 17 game win streak and enter this coming game as the 15th ranked team in the nation. Tampa's defensive success has placed them at 18th in the nation, allowing an average of just 55.6 points per game. Offensively, the Spartans continue to be ranked at 3rd in the nation with a field goal percentage of 49.7. Wright-Ponder ranks in the top 20 players in the nation with her field goal percentage of 57.5%, and Dori Nagy ranks in the top 20 players in nation in defensive rebounds per game with an average of 7.6.
About the Panthers: The Panthers are on a one game win streak, beating Embry-Riddle last Wednesday 80-74. Amanda Allen leads the team with an average of 10.5 points per game and an average of 5.2 rebounds per game. FIT ranks 5th in the conference overall.
MEN'S:
The Matchup: University of Tampa Spartans (6-18, 3-13 SSC) vs. Florida Tech Panthers (11-14, 5-12 SSC)
Date/Time: Wednesday, February 19th at 7:30 pm.
Location: Bob Martinez Athletics Center | Tampa, Fla. | 400 N Blvd, Tampa, FL 33606
Series History: The Spartans have a winning history against the Panthers with an all-time series record of 54-27. The Spartans lost their most recent game against Florida Tech, a game which occurred earlier this season, on January 15. The Spartans and the Panthers have split the last ten games 5-5.
Last Time Out: This past week the Spartans dropped their contest to Embry-Riddle, despite a close first half. Brent Duncan led the team with a career high 27 points and added 10 rebounds to record his first career double-double. The Eagles ran away in the second half however, and Tampa couldn't catch up, resulting in a loss on the road. The Spartans largest lead during the game would only get to four points, and the Eagles strong shooting and rebounds lifted them over Tampa.
About the Spartans (Men): An injury-laden season has undermined the Spartans team. Pat Bacon has fueled the Spartan offense throughout the season, currently ranking 3rd in the conference in points-per-game, but UT has continued to drop contests, coming up short in eight of their last ten games.
About the Panthers: The Panthers have just broken a five game losing streak with their win over Embry-Riddle this last Wednesday. Derek Murphy ranks just behind Pat Bacon in scoring in the conference, ranking 4th overall with an average of 21.3 points-per-game. As a team, Florida Tech averages 81.1 points-per-game. When they are away, the Panthers have been 0-10 this season.
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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