Spartans Fall in Overtime Thriller to Knights

TAMPA, Fla. - The University of Tampa men's basketball team travelled to Boca Raton to battle the Knights and lost a close battle in overtime, 90-85.   

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:

Final: Tampa 85, Lynn 90 
Records: Tampa (12-5, 5-3 SSC), Lynn (10-5, 5-3 SSC)
Location: de Hoernle Sports Center | Boca Raton, Fla.
All-time Series: Tampa trails the all-time series with Lynn 18-24.
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HOW IT HAPPENED:
1st Half | The Spartans and the Knights got off to a slow start as neither team scored for the first three minutes of play. It was a foul on the Knights that sent freshman Mekhi Biffle to the line where he made one free throw, making the score just 1-0. Junior Marcel Robinson tallied his first points early as he made four three point shots in a row, making the score 18-3 Spartan advantage. The Spartans offense was dominant as they went on a 16-0 run on the Knights. The Knights finally ended the Spartans run on a three pointer and started to close in on the Spartan advantage. Freshman Brent Duncan came in off the bench to contribute back-to-back layups which was followed by a layup from sophomore Freddy Ibrahim. The Knights scored baskets towards the end of the half but not enough to close in on the Spartans lead. At the half, Tampa lead 38-23. Robinson led all Spartans with 19 points in the first half.  

2nd Half | Biffle started the Spartans off first with a jumper but was quickly followed by a layup by the Knights. Senior Marcelo Ruediger tallied his first points of the game on a layup after an offensive rebound. The Knights began to chip away at the 15 point lead the Spartans had going into the half. After a deep three point jumper by the Knights, they came within eight points of the Spartans with fifteen and a half minutes left in the game. Senior Austin Rettig took off offensively as he recorded a layup and then a dunk, assisted by senior Matt Johnson. The Knights would not let down, they continued to score and with just over a minute left in the game they were only trailing by three points. The Knights tied the game with 20 seconds left in the game, making the score 73-73 heading in to overtime.

 OT | Rettig was the first player to score in overtime on a layup. The Knights retaliated with a deep three point jumper that would give them their first lead of the game, 76-75. The Knights continued to make baskets and went on to win the close battle 90-85. 

INSIDE THE STATS:

• Robinson led all Spartans with 30 points, 12 rebounds, and two assists. 
• Biffle was the second leading point scorer with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. 
• As a team, the Spartans shot 52.5 percent from the field. 

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

• Robinson tallied his first double-double of the season.
• Biffle recorded his second double-double of the season.
• Duncan set a new career high for points, with 8.

UP NEXT:

Tampa returns to action on Wednesday, January 18th when they host the Barry Buccaneers at 7:30 p.m. Live stats will be available through TampaStats.com.

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