Spartans Preserve Home Court Advantage

TAMPA, Fla. - The University of Tampa women's basketball team locked down Lynn's offense, holding the opponent to under 50 points for the second consecutive game.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP: 
Final Score: Tampa 63, Lynn 43
Records: University of Tampa Spartans (12-5, 6-3 SSC), Lynn University Fighting Knights (11-4, 5-4 SSC)
Location: Bob Martinez Athletics Center || Tampa, Fla.
All-Time Series: The Spartans lead the series 41-10; Tampa has won the last 13 of 14 games against the Fighting Knights. 

HOW IT HAPPENED:
1st Quarter | The Spartans scored the first five points of the game, as Emily Eshoo connected from long-range. Eshoo has drained a three-pointer in seven of the last eight games. The senior from Naperville, Illinois converted two free-throws as well, and led the team with five points in the opening quarter.  In the first 10 minutes, Dori Nagy grabbed a game-high five rebounds while she chipped in four points. The Spartans went 6-for-7 at the charity stripe, as the Fighting Knights did not have a free-throw attempt in the first quarter. 

2nd Quarter | Against the numbers, Lynn found success in the paint as they out-scored UT, 10-2, in the low-post. Julia Ingram knocked down a three-pointer and mid-range jumper, totaling five points in the quarter. Tampa forced 10 turnovers in the half, which led to 11 points. Lynn's Kelsi Fizer posted a game-high seven points in the opening half. Nagy finished the half with six points and nine rebounds. UT was held to 27.3% shooting in the second quarter, but owned a one-point advantage heading into halftime. 

3rd Quarter | Coming out of the locker-room, UT tallied one bucket in the first three minutes. The Spartans bounced back as Kotey and Eshoo registered six points apiece, while Tyghter netted five points. During the third quarter, Eshoo splashed two three-pointers and dished out two assists. Tampa held Lynn to 25% shooting from the field, while UT went on a 7-0 scoring stretch to end the quarter. The Spartans led 46-37 heading into the fourth quarter of action. 

4th Quarter | Tampa's defense locked down in crunch time; since the four minute mark in the third quarter, Lynn shot 0-for-12 from the field. UT extended the lead with multiple three-pointers in the fourth quarter. On the evening, Staja Tyghter was perfect from three-point land, connecting on two long-range jumpers. Eshoo led the team in scoring, logging 13 points in 27 minutes. Tampa converted on 13-of-14 from the free-throw line, and connected on 8-of-14 from the three-point line.

INSIDE THE STATS:

• For the 10th time this season, Tampa limited the opponent to under 50 points. The Spartans have kept the opponent under 50 points in four of the last five games. 
• The Spartans scored 21 points off turnovers, compared to Lynn's five points off turnovers.
• Nagy tied her career-high with 16 rebounds; the sophomore has logged 16 rebounds in three games this season. 
• Tyghter has registered double-figure scoring for the 16th straight game.

BEYOND THE BOX:

• Entering the game, Lynn held their opponent's to 26.5% shooting from long-range, sitting atop the conference. The Spartans shot 8-of-14 (57.1%) from three-point range against the Fighting Knights.
• Julia Ingram has drained a three-pointer in 14 of 17 games this season.  

UP NEXT: The University of Tampa travels to Saint Petersburg to take on the Eckerd Tritons on Wednesday night, tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

Tickets: General admission ticket prices for all Tampa regular season athletic events are $5. Youth (ages 12 and under) are admitted free of charge. UT students and faculty/staff are admitted free with a valid Spartan ID.

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