Spartans Fall Despite Williams Career High Performance

BOCA RATON, Fla. - The University of Tampa Spartans fell in the final minutes and lost to Lynn.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:

Final Score: Lynn Fighting Knights 98, Tampa Spartans 92

Records: Tampa (5-7, 1-3 SSC), Lynn (7-2, 2-1 SSC)

Location: de Hoernle Sports Center | Boca Raton, Fla.

All-Time: Spartan's record against the Knights is 25-29.

HOW IT HAPPENED

1st HALF

The first five minutes of the start of the game were back and forth, with either team's largest lead only being one possession. Lynn would eventually take a 5-point lead before the under-twelve-minute timeout. After the Knights went up 8, Jaxon Toney and Tyson Leitao would cut the Spartan's deficit to 5. The Knights would go back up by eight, but Tampa would respond right back. Leitao and Bryan Williams would each score four points during an 8-0 scoring run to tie the game at 33. The score was tied up at 38, and Tampa would then take their first lead of the night at 40-38 with 2:42 left in the half. Spartans would take their two-point lead heading into the locker rooms. | Score: 46-44 Tampa

2nd HALF

Williams would continue to take over the game for the Spartans, scoring Tampa's first 5 points of the 2^nd half. Williams would stretch the Spartan's largest lead of the night at six, 55-49. De'Andre Harvey would eventually expand the Spartan's largest lead of the game to eight at 66-58. The Fighting Knights would tie it up at 70 with 10 minutes to go in the game. The score would tie back up at 89, and 14 of the Spartans 19 would come from Williams and Leitao after Leitao made two free throws to take a 91-89 lead with a minute and a half left in the game. Lynn would tie it back up with its next possession. Lynn would then make a 3-pointer to take a three-point lead with 33 seconds left. Tampa would not be able to tie it up. | Score: 98-92 Lynn  

INSIDE THE STATS

• Williams has a career night with 39 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals.
• Leitao recorded his highest double-double of the season with 29 points and 14 rebounds.
• Ian Higdon recorded 2 points and 8 rebounds off the bench.

BEYOND THE BOX

• Each team had 40 points in the paint.
• Tampa had 18 2^nd chance points.
• Tampa shot 41.4% from the floor and 75% from the line.

UP NEXT: The University of Tampa Spartans will host their first matchup of the new year as Embry-Riddle comes into town for a middle-of-the-week SSC conference game on Wednesday, Jan. 3, @ 7:30 P.M.