Spartans Wrangle 82-65 Win Over Cowboys

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Behind a second-half offensive surge, the University of Tampa men's basketball team trounced the University of Puerto Rico-Bayamon by an 82-65 final score in the final day of the Eckerd College Thanksgiving Classic.

Freshman Pat Bacon powered the Tampa offense with 28 points, including a 20-point surge in the second half.  Forward Marcel Robinson spun a double-double, grabbing 18 rebounds while scoring 18 points for UT as the duo provided the spark for the Tampa win.

The Spartans jumped to an early 8-0 lead in the opening minutes of play behind the swift shot of Robinson, as back-to-back scores built momentum for Tampa.  UPR-Bayamon tied the game at 12-12 as the two teams would trade points until UT claimed its next lead at 22-21.  Bayamon

Robinson rolled through the Cowboys' defense, posting a double-double effort before the first half concluded.  The forward totaled 13 points and 13 boards in the opening stanza as Tampa finished the first 20 minutes with a 36-25 lead over UPR-Bayamon.  Fellow forward Austin Rettig scored nine points in the first half while freshman Bacon added eight points.  The Spartans outrebounded the Cowboys 25 to 16 as UT earned an 11-point advantage heading into halftime.

Bacon sizzled in the second half, unloading 20 points of offense to charge the Spartans past the Cowboys.  The freshman drained a pair of field goals from beyond the arc as UT combined for 6-of-9 in three-point territory in the second half.  Tampa would not look back as the team concluded with an 82-65 win in the McArthur Center on the campus of Eckerd College.

Tampa will return home to host Embry-Riddle on Monday, Nov. 30 for a 7:00 p.m. start.  Live stats as well as a live video webcast will be provided through www.tampaspartans.com.

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