Spartans Pick Up Huge SSC Road Victory

MELBOURNE, Fla. - The University of Tampa (13-4, 4-3 SSC) women's basketball team found success on the road against a tough Florida Tech (14-4, 3-4 SSC) team, defeating the Panthers by a 63-53 score in Sunshine State Conference play. The victory ends a three game SSC losing streak for Tampa, who is a perfect 8-0 at home this season.

The Spartans began the game with a roar, as it scored the first five points while stretching the advantage to double figures in less than five minutes. The UT lead swelled to 19 as it went up 28-9 with 10:24 to play until halftime. FIT answered with a 12-0 run to take the game to halftime with a 30-29 Tampa lead.

The second half was a battle as the teams traded leads before Tampa took the lead for good while going up 37-36 with just over 14 minutes to play. The Spartan lead reached double figures again with just over five minutes to play at UT coasted to the conference victory.

Kym Taylor matched her career high with 22 points as the senior from Springfield, Va., was 10-13 from the field. She also led the Spartans with three blocks and three steals.

Tiara Cook and Angela Guiu joined Taylor in double figures with 10 apiece. Caitlyn Mitryk grabbed a team-high nine rebounds while Hailee Sullivan came off the bench to lead Tampa with six assists.

The UT defense held FIT to a field goal percentage of 22.4. The Spartans finished the game with a 46.3 clip while making 5-10 from beyond the arc. The Panthers stayed in the game with their rebounding, as they held a 47-34 advantage in the category, including 28 offensive boards.

Tampa returns home to host Lynn on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., in another crucial SSC contest. A live webcast and live stats will be available through www.tampaspartans.com. Fans may also sign up for eScores, a free service that sends text message alerts to fans at the conclusion of Spartan athletic events. Please visit the official athletics website to sign up.