Messina Leads Tampa to Sixth Straight Victory

SAINT LEO, Fla. - Gianna Messina - the reigning Sunshine State Conference Player of the Week - turned in another stellar performance Wednesday night, helping The University of Tampa Spartans (19-5, 9-4 SSC) to a 70-52 victory over Saint Leo (10-14, 2-12 SSC).

The sophomore matched a career high with a team-leading 24 points, 18 of which came off of six three-point baskets. One of those long-range shots came just before the end of the first half, allowing the Spartans to take a 36-32 lead into the break.

Tampa went on a 9-0 run to open the second period and enjoyed a comfortable margin the rest of the way, not allowing the Lions to pull within any closer than nine.

Besides her terrific shooting, Messina also led the team with eight rebounds along with a game-high six assists.

The Spartans shot 51 percent from the field for the game as Kym Taylor scored 16 and Tiara Cook chipped in 15 to round out Tampa's double-figure scorers.

UT defensively held Saint Leo to shoot just 31.9 percent while also limiting the Lions to just a 22.7 percent success rate from beyond the arc.

Tampa returns home to the Martinez Center on Saturday to battle conference foe Florida Tech with tip scheduled for 2 p.m. The Spartans defeated FIT 63-53 earlier this season.

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.