Spartans Come Back From 15-Point Deficit to Top Bemidji State

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The University of Tampa men's basketball team defeated Bemidji State in Eckerd College Thanksgiving Classic.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP

Final Score: University of Tampa Spartans 67, Bemidji State University Beavers 64

Records: Tampa (3-2), Bemidji State (3-2)

Location: McArthur Center || St. Petersburg, Fla.

All-Time Series: This is the first time that Bemidji State and Tampa have faced off in three years. With their win, Tampa finishes game four of the Eckerd College Thanksgiving Classic in a 2-0 victory.

HOW IT HAPPENED

1st HALF

Tampa opened the scoring with a layup from Martin Lakovic, off of an assist from Max Jones. Tampa would continue their strong start, with 10 early points, from the duo of Jones and Lakovic. Bemidji State began to gain momentum and ended up leading throughout a majority of the first half. Throughout the first half, there were scoring opportunities for both sides but Bemidji were able to gain a 17-12 lead. Spartans would trail the Beavers the rest of the half as they attempted to fight their way back into the game. The Beavers would then go on a 7-0 run to make it 42-27.  Jones and Lakovic would both end the half with eleven points scored each for the Spartans. || Score: 44-29 Bemidji State

2nd HALF

Jones opened up the scoring in the second half with a jump shot. Early in the quarter, Tampa struggled to gain the consistent push they needed, as they trailed by 12 points throughout the second half. De'Andre Harvey made a jump shot with 8:21 left in the second half, to make narrow the deficit to four points. Despite a late push from Bemidji State, Jones was able to solidify the win with two free throws with a second left on the clock – he would finish the second half with 19 points. Final Score: 67-64 Tampa

INSIDE THE STATS

• Jones led the scoring with 30 points. He more than doubled the number of points scored from the first half to the second half of the game.
• Lakovic led the Spartans with 10 rebounds, while also recording fifteen points and a pair of assists.
• Kone led the Eagles with 23 points, and also led the Eagles with 11 rebounds.
• Tampa took advantage of 18 turnovers, while giving away 8. Tampa also led 65.0% to 28.6% in free throws made.

BEYOND THE BOX

• Three Spartans finished in double-figures: Jones (30), Lakovic (15) and Tyson Leitao (10).
• Lakovic recorded his first double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

UP NEXT: This Saturday, the Spartans will play their sixth game of the season against Lynn University in a Sunshine State Conference matchup.

GAMEDAY MULTIMEDIA: Fans may watch all home games and Sunshine State Conference contests on TampaSpartans.tv. Live stats are also available through TampaStats.com. Follow UT Athletics: @TampaSpartans on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

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