Stellar Shooting Leads Tampa Past Palm Beach Atlantic
TAMPA, Fla. - The University of Tampa men's basketball team got out to an early lead against Sunshine State Conference opponent Palm Beach Atlantic University, and piled it on late to register a 24-point victory over the visiting Sailfish.
Final: University of Tampa Spartans 91 (7-3, 3-2 SSC), Palm Beach Atlantic University Sailfish (5-9, 3-3 SSC)
Location: Bob Martinez Athletics Center || Tampa, Fla.
All-Time Series: The SSC opponents met for the 35th time as UT extended its all-time lead to 25-10.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half: PBA scored the game's first basket at the 18:35 mark, though the lead would be short-lived. Tampa regained a slim lead for the next six minutes, until the Sailfish grabbed a 10-9 edge with 11:53 to play in the half. Tampa would grab the lead a minute later on a 3-pointer from Bryan Williams. With neither team leading by more than three points, the Spartans turned a 15-15 tie at 9:06 to a 9-point advantage at 26-17 with 4:43 to go before break. PBA would respond with a pair of baskets to cut the margin to 26-21, and rally to a 31-31 deadlock with 24-seconds until the half. Freshman Max Jones would connect on a 3-pointer before the break to give the home team a three-point lead at halftime. Williams would register a new career-high in the first half alone as he came off the bench to score 17 points in 13 minutes of action. || Score: 34-31 Tampa
Second Half: UT led for the entire half, though its lead was by 5-or-less-points for the first five minutes. The Spartans took their first double-digit lead on a Williams layup at 12:16 to make it 51-41. PBA would continue to stay within striking range, trailing 59-53 with 8:22 to play. An 11-0 Spartan run would ensue, putting UT in the driver's seat at 70-53 in just over two m minutes of play. Mykah Jones would finish out the game with eight points on a pair of 3-pointers to continue the domination. Overall, the Spartans would shoot 55.9 percent from the floor in the half, including 9-of-14 from beyond the arc for a 64.3 percent clip. Brown scored a team-high 19 points in the half as Williams continued his excellent performance with 12 second-half points. || Final: 91-67 Tampa
INSIDE THE STATS
- Williams would finish the game with a career-high 29 points. He connected on 11-of-12 field goals, including 5-of-5 from 3-point range.
- Brown added 21 points, including four 3-pointers. His four steals were also a team best.
- Leading scorer Jones tallied 14 points, while making 7-of-7 free throws. He also led all Spartans with six assists.
- Jonathan Bryant II was the fourth Spartan in double figures with 10 points as his team-high 11 rebounds gave him a double-double.
- Brent Duncan added nine points and two blocked shots in 20 minutes of action off the bench.
- UT made 13-of-24 3-pointers on the day, shooting 54.2 percent from long range.
- The Spartans won the battle of the boards, 47-30.
BEYOND THE BOX
- Tampa has now won three straight games.
- Following a forfeit victory over Eckerd and Sunday's victory, UT is 3-2 in the SSC standings.
UP NEXT: Tampa is on the road for a pair of games, beginning with a Wednesday night matchup at Saint Leo at 7:30 p.m.
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, Snapchat and YouTube.
Text Alerts: UT also offers a free text messaging service that sends text alerts following all Spartan events. To sign up, please register at www.tampaspartans.com.
Front Row: Download the official app of UT Athletics on the Apple or Android store. Look for the Tampa Spartans Front Row app to receive notifications from your favorite Spartan teams. The app is completely free.