Spartans Conclude Tip-Off Classic With Victory Over Albany State

MELBOURNE, Fla. - The University of Tampa (2-0) men's basketball team remained perfect with a 72-57 victory over Albany State University (0-2) in its final game at the Florida Tech Tip-Off Classic.

The Spartans led for the entire game, by as many as 19 points with 2:55 to play in the second half. Leading by as many as eight points in the first half, UT allowed ASU to move within striking distance as it cut the Tampa lead to one at the half.

With under 10:00 to play, Rudy Jean's layup put the Spartans up by 10 as it would carry the double digit advantage for the remainder of the contest.

The balanced Tampa scoring effort had four players in double figures, led by Callum Townsend's 15-point outing. Townsend connected on three long-range shots to lead head coach Richard Schmidt's squad.

Anthony Griffis added 13 points while Osby Kelly turned in 12 off the bench. Leading scorer and preseason All-American Rashad Callaway scored 11 points while leading UT with 11 assists and two blocks. Griffis led Tampa with eight rebounds as Kelly recorded seven.

Tampa finished with a 47.4 field goal percentage while holding the Rams to a 34.7 clip. UT also outrebounded ASU 43-26 and forced 18 turnovers.

The Spartans return to action on Tuesday in its 2010-11 home opener, facing Florida Memorial University. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Bob Martinez Sports Center. Live stats and a webcast will be available through www.tampaspartans.com.

Fans may also follow University of Tampa athletics on Twitter (www.twitter.com/utspartans) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/tampaspartans). UT also offers blAst, a free text messaging service that sends text alerts following all Spartan events. To sign up, please register atwww.tampaspartans.com.