Spartans Advance To Semifinals With Win Over Lynn
TAMPA, Fla. - The University of Tampa Spartans advanced to the semifinals of the Sunshine State Conference tournament thanks to a 77-56 victory over the Lynn Fighting Knights Wednesday night at the Martinez Center. Tampa improves to 23-5 on the season while Lynn falls to 16-12.
Behind the strength of a pair of double-doubles from Gianna Messina and Kym Taylor, UT won its 10th straight game, matching a program best for consecutive wins. This year's team matched the 2004-05 squad who also rolled off 10 wins in a row.
Messina led the Spartans with 18 points while also pulling down 10 defensive rebounds. The sophomore also led the team with six assists. Taylor chipped in 17 points and added a team-high 11 rebounds.
The lead exchanged hands three times in the first half and the half also featured four ties, but the Spartans took the advantage with 8:56 remaining in the opening stanza and never looked back, leading 38-26 as the teams went into the locker room at the break.
Tampa led comfortably throughout the second half as Lynn never pulled any closer than 10.
For Messina it was her third double-double of the season while Taylor's was her second. Tiara Cook also added 15 points to round out the double-figure scorers for UT.
The Spartans held Lynn to just 30.8 percent from the field while shooting 40 percent themselves.
Tampa will now meet Eckerd on Saturday in the semifinals of the tournament. The two teams split the season series as the Tritons won 73-67 in St. Petersburg and Tampa won 64-59 at the Martinez Center. Tip-off is scheduled for noon.
The UT athletics website will provide a link to live stats on Saturday. Fans may also sign up on the athletics website for eScores, a free service that sends text message alerts to fans at the conclusion of Spartan athletic events.