Tritons Edge Spartans in Final Minutes of Play
TAMPA, Fla. - The University of Tampa women's basketball team tied the game up at 51 with five minutes remaining, yet fell short to Eckerd College, 75-65, in a midweek Sunshine State Conference contest in the Bob Martinez Athletics Center.
The Spartans now sit at 14-7 overall and 7-4 in conference, while the Tritons improve to 16-6 and 6-5 in conference.
Juliana Cavallaro tallied 16 points in the contest - 31 points shy of reaching the 1,000 career points milestone. Aisha Rodney, Karma Jeremie, and Candace Martino added double-digit points to reach the final 65-point score. Rodney recorded a double-double as she snatched 10 rebounds.
Eckerd's Rana Thomas totaled 22 points for the evening while Ivana Grbic added 14 points and 10 rebounds.
The Spartans jumped on the board first, leading by five. However, the Tritons quickly surpassed the score. The battle was hard-fought from the get-go as the Spartans trailed by one at the conclusion of the first half.
The momentum continued into the second half when the Spartan quickly regained the lead. Rodney's five free throws evened up the score at 51 with less than five minutes to go. However, the Tritons pulled away to clinch the win.
Tampa returns to action, taking on Saint Leo on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in Saint Leo, Florida. The Spartans defeated the Lions on Jan. 14, 62-53. Live stats and a broadcast will be available through TampaSpartans.tv.
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