Spartans Drop Heartbreaker At Buzzer To Barry

TAMPA, Fla. - Barry University scored in its final possession to avoid overtime and secure a 77-75 victory over The University of Tampa in men's basketball action from the Bob Martinez Sports Center. The Sunshine State Conference loss drops UT to 8-8 overall and 3-5 in league play while the Buccaneers move to 12-5 and 4-3 in the SSC.

The first half featured eight lead changes and five ties as the Spartans hit a pair of 3-pointers on its final two possessions to take a 40-37 advantage to intermission. Anthony LaBruno scored 17 points in the first half on 6-7 shooting from the field.

Tampa led by as many as seven points in the second half, and held the advantage until the Bucs took a 60-59 lead with 6:39 to play in regulation. Barry stretched its lead to 71-66 with 2:30 remaining as UT mounted a 7-2 run to force a 73-73 tie with 58 seconds on the clock.

Following a pair of free throws by Barry's Tony Dennison, UT's Rashad Callaway hit an acrobatic shot while driving to the basket to knot the score at 75-75 with 19 seconds showing. In the final possession, BU's Erick Nsangou drove to the basket and finished a layup with four seconds remaining to seal the victory.

LaBruno led all scorers with 27 points as he finished 10-11 from the field. He was also 4-5 from 3-point range. His line also included seven rebounds, three assists, a block and three steals.

Callum Townsend added 15 points, scoring each of his five baskets on long-range shots. Rashad Callaway and Ashton Graham added 12 points apiece.

Rudy Jean came off the bench for the Spartans and tallied a team-high five assists. Jean also chipped in seven points.

UT returns to the hardwood on Wednesday in a non-conference meeting with Palm Beach Atlantic. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. in West Palm Beach. Live stats and a webcast will be available through www.tampaspartans.com.

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