Spartans Set to Host Sailfish in SSC Basketball Doubleheader
TAMPA, Fla. - The University of Tampa men's and women's basketball programs welcome the Palm Beach Atlantic University Sailfish to the Bob Martinez Athletics Center for a Sunday afternoon Sunshine State Conference matchup.
WOMEN'S:
The Matchup: No. 12 University of Tampa Spartans (12-3, 3-1 SSC) vs. Palm Beach Atlantic University Sailfish (4-8, 1-4 SSC)
Date/Time: Sunday, January 2, 2022, at 2:00 pm
Location: Bob Martinez Athletics Center | Tampa, Fla. | 400 North Blvd., Tampa, FL 33606
Series History: Tampa holds a commanding 28-3 lead in the all-time series, and is currently riding a 10-game winning streak over the Sailfish. PBA has not won in Tampa since 2016, with UT winning the last six at the Martinez Center.
Last Time Out: Tampa had its 11-game winning streak snapped on Friday against No. 23 Eckerd, falling by a score of 51-50 to the Tritons. Eckerd connected on 10 3-pointers, with UT making just 3-of-16 from beyond the arc. Only four Spartans scored, led by 16 from Aliyah Abney. Melijah Sullivan (13), Kayla Bonilla (11) and LaShayla Wright-Ponder (10) each scored in double figures. Wright-Ponder grabbed a team-leading 14 rebounds while Abney came away with four steals.
About the Spartans (Women): Entering the game as the 12th-ranked team in the nation, the Spartans average 66.7 points per game on the season. Wright-Ponder leads all Spartans with 15.0 points per game, as the graduate also leads UT with 10.0 rebounds per contest. Abney averages 13.0 points per game as the senior guard leads the squad with 28 steals. Sullivan is also in double figures at 12.7 points, and is shooting 51.9 percent from the field.
About the Fighting Sailfish (Women): Winners of two of its last three, PBA is coming off a 79-71 loss at Saint Leo on Friday. After opening SSC play with a 65-55 win over Rollins, the Sailfish have followed with losses to Nova Southeastern, Florida Southern, Eckerd and SLU. With opponents averaging 74.0 points per game against the Sailfish, they do feature a defense that forces 17.3 opponent turnovers per contest. A pair of players average double figures, led by 14.2 points per game from Kash Ayuso. Shekinah Guthrie averages 10.9 points with a team-high 7.7 rebounds per game.
MEN'S:
The Matchup: University of Tampa Spartans (6-3, 2-2 SSC) vs. Palm Beach Atlantic University Sailfish (5-8, 3-2 SSC)
Date/Time: Sunday, January 2, 2022, at 4:00 pm
Location: Bob Martinez Athletics Center | Tampa, Fla. | 400 North Blvd., Tampa, FL 33606
Series History: The Spartans own the lead in the all-time series, standing at 24-10 against the Sailfish. UT is looking to stop a three-game skid against PBA, with the last meeting in Tampa resulting in an 85-52 Palm Beach Atlantic victory.
Last Time Out: Friday's previously scheduled contest against Eckerd was canceled as UT received a forfeit victory for SSC tournament purposes. The Spartans closed out the first semester with a pair of wins at the Tampa Classic, defeating Tiffin and Trevecca Nazarene. The lone SSC losses came against nationally-ranked Nova Southeastern and Embry-Riddle, as the Spartans won at home over Lynn.
About the Spartans (Men): Freshman Max Jones leads the Spartans as the guard from Clearwater, Fla., is averaging 21.6 points per game. The lone Spartan averaging double figures, Jones is shooting 45.7 percent from the field as he has also connected on 17 3-pointers on the season. Senior Martin Lakovic averages 9.4 points per game, and also leads all Spartans with 7.9 rebounds per contest. Senior point guard Derrick Felder sits at 9.0 points per game and leads the team with 31 assists and 18 steals. True freshman Tyson Leitao is one of two Spartans to start all nine games, joining Jones.
About the Sailfish (Men): Palm Beach Atlantic is coming off a 97-88 victory at Saint Leo, netting a season-high in points. The victory snapped a three-game non-conference skid for the Sailfish. PBA also has SSC victories over Eckerd and Rollins. Jules Jasmin leads PBA with 12.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. Will Lee (12.1) and Jakob Hester (10.5) each average double-figures as Lee is the team leader with 51 assists.
Tickets: General admission ticket prices for all Tampa regular season athletic events are $10. Youth (ages 12 and under) are admitted for $5. 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.
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.