Spartans Drop Home Opener

Tampa, Fla. - The University of Tampa's Women's Basketball held their home opener this afternoon against Clark Atlanta University. After opening the season 3-0 in Canada, the Spartans came into this contest wanting to keep the momentum going. 

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:

Final Score: Clark Atlanta 65, #4 Tampa 58

Records: #4 Tampa 3-1, Clark Atlanta 1-0

Location: Bob Martinez Center| Tampa, Fla.

All-time series: This was the second ever meeting between these two programs, Clark Atlanta has now tied the all-time series 1-1.

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

FIRST HALF: This afternoon's contest got off to a hot start. Both the Spartans and the Panthers would hit big shots in just the first few minutes. Both sides would hit the double digit point mark before the midway point of the first quarter but from the opening tip, Clark Atlanta came to play. The Panthers would hit three 3 point shots in the final minutes and go on a 7-0 run to close out the quarter. Despite the early offensive success by the Spartans the defense was unable to get stops in bunches in order to control the game. By the midway point of the second quarter the distance shooting had slowed for the Spartans but Zoe Piller started to take over. She led all players with 10 first half points and was already just 4 rebounds away from another double-double. Clark Atlanta would continue to hit shots to match Pillers play down low and would find themselves with a three point lead going into half. 

Score: 33-30 Clark Atlanta

SECOND HALF: Knowing adjustments needed to be made, the Spartans came out in the second half with a chip on their shoulder. Sariana Rodriguez would get right to work with a tough drive to the basket for a lay and Marissa McDonald hit a big three. However, everytime it seemed like the Spartasn were starting to take over, the Panthers would come right back with a steller play of their own. Clark Atlanta had 3 players finish with double digit points and did not go more than 3 minutes without making a shot the entire game. The Spartans would close the gap and even take the lead (55-54) with four minutes to go. The Panthers would do what they did all game and respond, but with the game on the line they responded in a big way. The Panthers would close the game out on a 11-3 run, officially pulling away after a dagger three pointer from Brooklyn Mckinley. The Spartans fell 65-58, suffering their first loss of the season. 

 Final: 65-58 Clark Atlanta 

INSIDE THE STATS:

• Zoe Piller dropped 24 points and 12 rebounds for her third double-double this season

• Sariana Rodriguez continued her strong start to the year defensively with 3 steals 

• Freshman Jade Thompson scored her first career college basket 

UP NEXT: The Spartans will have a week to prepare for their next home game. They will face Southeastern Oklahoma on Saturday Nov. 16th at 2:00pm. 

Follow Us: @TampaSpartans on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube