UT Men's, Women's Basketball Look to Continue Winning Ways Against Rollins
TAMPA, Fla. - The University of Tampa men's and women's basketball teams will both be in action on Wednesday night in a Sunshine State Conference doubleheader against Rollins College.
WOMEN'S:
The Matchup: No. 20 University of Tampa Spartans (15-3, 6-1 SSC) vs. Rollins College Tars (4-8, 1-6 SSC)
Date/Time: Wednesday, January 12, 2022, at 5:30 pm
Location: Bob Martinez Athletics Center | Tampa, Fla. | 400 North Blvd., Tampa, FL 33606
Series History: The Tars hold a 56-49 edge in the all-time series, with the Spartans winning the last two meetings. Tampa has won five of the last six against the Tars.
Last Time Out: Tampa won its third straight game in a 65-38 blowout victory over a winless SSC opponent, Florida Tech. Mya Giusto led the Spartans in scoring, with 15 points, followed by Melijah Sullivan with 10. Aliyah Abney and Kayla Bonilla each recorded eight points. The Spartan defense held the Panthers to just 28.3 percent from the field.
About the Spartans (Women): Entering the game as the No. 20-ranked team in the nation, the Spartans average 69.1 points per game on the season. LaShayla Wright-Ponder leads all Spartans with 14.9 points per game, as the graduate also leads UT with 9.0 rebounds per contest. Abney averages 13.4 points per game as the senior guard leads the squad with 32 steals. Sullivan is also in double figures at 12.6 points, and is shooting 51.1 percent from the field.
About the Tars (Women): Rollins is looking to end a four-game skid, falling by 20-plus points to Nova Southeastern, Lynn, Florida Southern and Barry during the losing streak. Rollins, who does not have a player averaging double figures, is led by Lucy Leen's 8.8 points per game.
MEN'S:
The Matchup: University of Tampa Spartans (9-3, 5-2 SSC) vs. Rollins College Tars (7-8, 2-5 SSC)
Date/Time: Wednesday, January 12, 2022, at 7:30 pm
Location: Bob Martinez Athletics Center | Tampa, Fla. | 400 North Blvd., Tampa, FL 33606
Series History: Tampa holds the lead in the all-time series, with a 67-38 lead in games dating back to 1961. Rollins has won two straight over the Spartans, taking both games in the 2019-20 season. The Spartans have won two of the last three at home against the Tars.
Last Time Out: UT won its fifth straight game in a 92-72 road victory at Florida Tech. Max Jones led all Spartans with 21 points, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range. SSC Defensive Player of the Week Derrick Felder had a double-double with 12 points and a career-high 15 assists. He also pulled down a team-leading eight rebounds. The Spartans shot 55 percent from 3-point range. Four of Tampa's five starters scored double digits, as De'Andre Harvey added 13 points off the bench.
About the Spartans (Men): Jones leads all Spartans at 20.6 points per game, with Jonathan Bryant II also averaging double figures at 10.1. Senior Martin Lakovic is the team leader with 7.5 rebounds per game, as he also averaged 9.6 points per contest. Felder holds team honors with 58 assists and 24 steals from his point guard spot as Lakovic has nine blocked shots. As a team, Tampa is shooting 37.5 percent from 3-point range.
About the Tars (Men): Rollins has dropped two straight and five of its last six, though it nearly pulled off a major upset in an 88-82 loss to No. 3 Nova Southeastern on Saturday. Hutton Yenor paced the Tars with 26 points as four Tars were in double figures. Yenor leads all Tars with 18.4 points per game, with Kyle Marion (18.0) and Brooks Cluxton (10.5) each averaging double digits.
Tickets: General admission ticket prices for all Tampa regular season athletic events are $10. Youth (ages 12 and under) are admitted for $5. UT students and faculty/staff are admitted free with a valid Spartan ID.
Watch Live: Fans may watch the game through TampaSpartans.tv. Live stats are available through TampaStats.com.
Text Alerts: UT also offers a free text messaging service that sends text alerts following all Spartan events. To sign up, please register at www.TampaSpartans.com.
Front Row: Download the official app of UT Athletics on the Apple or Android store. Look for Tampa Spartans Front Row app to receive notifications from your favorite Spartan teams. The app is completely free.