March 26, 2024
Postseason Run Concludes for Spartans in Elite Eight
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The No. 6 University of Tampa women's basketball team fell to No. 3 Ferris State University in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight, with a final score of 60-53.
This loss ends Tampa's impressive season with a record of 31-7, continuing the second straight 30-plus win season and Elite Eight appearance for head coach Tom Jessee.
The game started with Ferris State establishing an early lead, outscoring Tampa 16-8 in the first quarter. However, Tampa began to fight back in the second quarter, outscoring Ferris State 16-14 and reducing the deficit to six points by halftime.
The Spartans started the second half slow, scoring only 9 points in the third quarter. A turning point came midway through the 4th quarter, where a steal from Sarah Jones and a 3-pointer by Mya Giusto cut the deficit to four. Tampa outscored Ferris State 20-17 in the final quarter, but it was not enough to secure the victory.
Mya Giusto was a standout performer for Tampa, scoring 16 points and contributing 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Audrey Ramsey also made significant contributions with 11 points and 7 rebounds, while Sarah Jones facilitated the defense with 6 steals, alongside 5 defensive rebounds.
The game's statistics were below Tampa's season average, with the team making 38% of their field goal attempts compared to their season average of 47%. Tampa shot 28% from beyond the arc, while their season average sits at 37.1%.
This game concludes UT's 2023-24 season, a season which saw the Spartans surpass 30 wins for the second straight year, and also capture the NCAA South Regional championship on back-to-back occasions.