#25 Tampa Ties School Record In Win Over Lynn

BOCA RATON, Fla. - The No. 25 University of Tampa (14-0, 4-0 SSC) men's basketball team needed a second-half comeback to match the best start in program history with the 1991-92 Spartans. UT prevailed in a 72-65 victory with Lynn University (2-11, 0-3 SSC) in a Sunshine State Conference contest.

The Fighting Knights gained the upper hand as the Spartans shot just 30 percent from the field in the first half, with Lynn taking a 29-24 lead to the break. Lynn went on a 6-0 run over the final 2:32 of the first half, eliminating a one point Spartan advantage to take the momentum to halftime.

Coming out of the break, Tampa knotted the score at 29-29 following a jumper by Anthony Griffis and a 3-pointer by Callum Townsend. Following five ties, UT broke claimed a five point lead behind a pair of 3-pointers and free throws from leading scorer Rashad Callaway.

The Spartans claimed its first double figure lead of the afternoon at 49-39 with 9:00 to play and held the comfortable lead until the final minute of the game. The Fighting Knights needed just 18-second to cut a seven-point Tampa lead to 67-65 with 15-seconds to play in regulation.

With the two point edge, Callaway hit the first of two free throws as Tampa picked up an offensive board with a three-point lead and 11-seconds to play. Callaway put the Knights to bed with a layup at the eight second mark to give his team a 70-65 lead. Following a missed 3-pointer by Lynn, Griffis closed out the contest with a pair of free throws in the final seconds.

Callaway led Tampa in both points and rebounds as the senior guard picked up his second double-double of the season with a 21 point, 12 rebound effort. Griffis added 14 as Fred Woods came off the bench with 10 points.

Osby Kelly also contributed a pair of critical 3-pointers late in the game and finished with nine points on a 3-for-3 effort from beyond the arc. Callaway and Ashton Graham led Tampa with four assists apiece as Graham also registered three blocked shots. Griffis added a pair of steals in a game that saw each team commit just eight turnovers apiece.

The Spartans finished the contest with a 56 percent field goal percentage in the second half as the teams each grabbed an identical 39 rebounds respectively. Tampa also netted nine 3-pointers compared to six for the Fighting Knights.

Following a pair of road games, UT returns home to host Saint Leo University on Wednesday at 7:30 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 at www.tampaspartans.com.