Defense Flourishes in Spartan Win Over Florida Memorial

TAMPA, Fla. - The University of Tampa men's basketball team took down the Florida Memorial Lions during their in-state Monday night matchup. Pat Bacon, Brent Duncan, and Derrick Felder led the Spartans offensively, each scoring double-digits. Team defense and the emergence of Khadim Gueye sparked the Spartans masterful performance. 

INSIDE THE MATCHUP: 
Final Score: Tampa 64, Florida Memorial 53
Records: Tampa Spartans (3-8, 0-4 SSC), Florida Memorial Lions (3-9, 1-3 SUN)
Location: Bob Martinez Athletics Center ||Tampa, FL 
All-Time Series: The programs have met twenty-two times, with Tampa leading the all-time series 20-2 against the Lions. This marks the first meeting between the two schools in over eight years, with the Spartans getting payback after losing to the Lions 53-50 on November 22^nd, 2011. 

HOW IT HAPPENED:

1st Half || The Lions jumped to a 9-2 lead in the opening minutes after draining three treys on their first five attempts. Tampa proceeded to go on a 16-4 run and never looked back. Duncan controlled the interior and delivered the first four points for the Spartans. Senior guard Pat Bacon found his shot early on splashing five of his first six shots. Gueye made his Spartans debut, earning the start, and contributed an important spark defensively in the frontcourt adding five rebounds and two blocks. Junior guard Derrick Felder facilitated the offense with eleven points, seven rebounds, and two dimes in the first half, just two days after his career high 25-point performance against Saint Leo. Duncan energized the crowd with a breakaway tomahawk dunk to extend the lead to 24-17 at the 6:54 mark. The Spartans held the Lions leading scorer, Mubashar Ali, to only four points in a quiet first half for the 7 foot junior forward, who entered the game averaging over eighteen a game. Bacon finished the half with a team leading twelve points. Tampa outrebounded Florida Memorial 23 to 11, as the Spartans accumulated five offensive rebounds. The Lions turned it over five times and the Spartans countered with eight. The Tampa defense put on a clinic to close out the half, as the Lions were one of their last nine from the field. Bacon and Duncan scored double digits in the opening period; while the duo, along with Felder, manufactured 31 of the 35 Spartan points in the half. || UT 35-24

2nd Half || Both teams locked in defensively to begin the second half with the Lions going scoreless in the opening four minutes. Duncan drained two midrange jumpers to start the half for the Spartans, as the game became a battle in the half court. Tampa dominated the glass all game long but turnovers allowed Florida Memorial to hang around. Florida Memorial struggled to handle the Tampa on ball pressure throughout the game. The 6-foot Pat Bacon elevated for a flush with 9:46 in regulation to widen the Spartan lead to 50-36. The Spartans continued to extend their lead following an impressive 11-0 run from the 11:21 to 7:52 mark in the second half. Gueye scored his first points as a Spartan with 6:32 remaining via a rack attack on a stellar feed from Felder. Despite starting the game three for five from downtown, the Lions went ice cold from distance, going three for their next sixteen. Tampa did not make a field goal over the last 6:17, but their phenomenal defense was more than enough to secure the in-state victory. Bacon scored thirteen of his game high twenty-five points in the second half, as Felder continued his premier passing with six assists in the final twenty minutes. A team effort and balanced attack propelled the Spartans to a double-digit victory over the Lions in the first matchup in over eight years between the two schools. UT 64-53

INSIDE THE STATS:

• Three Spartans finished in double-figures: Pat Bacon  (25) Brent Duncan(16), Derrick Felder (12.)
• Derrick Felder amassed a double-double, near triple-double, with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists. 

BEYOND THE BOX:

• Pat Bacon  has scored in double-digits figures in every game this season.
• Tampa scored 28 points in the paint on the night.
• The Spartans outrebounded the Lions 42-25. 
• Tampa shot 4-11 (36%) from 3PT range. 
• The Spartans snapped a three-game losing with the victory. 
• The Lions losing streak extends to five following the defeat. 
• Khadim Gueye made his Spartans debut delivering two points, nine boards, and three blocks. 

UP NEXT: The University of Tampa Men's Basketball team will travel to Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Wednesday, December 18^that 6:30pm to take on the Washburn Ichabods. 

Tickets: General admission ticket prices for all Tampa regular season athletic events are $5. Youth (ages 12 and under) are admitted free of charge. UT students and faculty/staff are admitted free with a valid Spartan ID.

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