Career Night for Kotey, Sullivan

WINTER PARK, Fla. - The University of Tampa women's basketball team grinded through three quarters, but ultimately UT pulled away in the fourth quarter against Rollins College.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP: 
Final Score: Tampa 67, Rollins 50
Records: University of Tampa Spartans (18-6, 12-4 SSC), Rollins College Tars (10-12, 7-9 SSC)
Location: Warden Arena || Winter Park, Fla.
All-Time Series: The Spartans trail 55-47, however, Tampa has won the last three games against Rollins. 

HOW IT HAPPENED:
1st Quarter | The two teams combined to shoot 8-of-27 (30%) from the field. Staja Tyghter tallied four points and a game-high four rebounds in the first 10 minutes of play. Emily Eshoo registered five points, connecting from long-range for the eighth straight game. Neither team reached the free-throw line in the first quarter. 

2nd Quarter | The scoring picked up as UT shot 8-of-12 from the field. Melijah Sullivan controlled the offense as she netted 11 points in the second quarter. Lauren Kotey swatted four shots in the first half and grabbed a game-high seven rebounds in the first 20 minutes of action. Heading to halftime, Rollins' Rachel Jablonski drained a three-pointer at the buzzer to cut Tampa's lead to a one possession game. 

3rd Quarter | In the middle of the quarter, the Spartans went on a 7-0 scoring stretch as Tyghter logged four points and Eshoo chipped in a three-pointer. Sullivan and Tyghter added seven points apiece in the quarter. Tampa held Rollins to 33% shooting on 15 shots from the field as UT went 6-for-8 in the third quarter. 

4th Quarter | The Spartans opened the fourth quarter with four consecutive three-pointers which extended the lead to 63-43. Rollins responded with a 7-0 scoring stretch of their own, however, the Tars did not score in the final 4:24 of the contest. Kotey logged a career-high eight blocks, and Sullivan scored a career-high 25 points on 10-of-14 from the field. 

INSIDE THE STATS:

• Eshoo has connected from long-range in 20 of 24 games this season. The five made three-pointers tied her career-high, which she set on January 26 at Barry University. 
• Tyghter registered her ninth double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
• The senior from Orlando, Tyghter, has scored in double-figures in 22 of 24 games this season.

BEYOND THE BOX:

• Sullivan scored the most points (25) by a freshman since Juliana Cavallaro in 2012. 
• Kotey swatted the most shots (8) since Sheena Walton in 2008.

UP NEXT: The University of Tampa will rest over the weekend and pick up conference play at Saint Leo on Feb. 20, tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

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