Tampa Drops Road Contest at Palm Beach Atlantic

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The University of Tampa (0-3) women's basketball team dropped a 56-38 decision on the road to Palm Beach Atlantic University (1-1) on Wednesday night.

The Spartans fell in an early hole and was forced into an uphill battle as the Sailfish went on a 15-0 run following an opening basket by the Spartans. PBA would take a 28-13 advantage to the half and lead by as many as 20 points in the second half.

Kamari Smith led Tampa with a team-high 12 points as her four rebounds also represented a team high. Moriah Hodge was the other Spartan in double figures with 11 while Illyssa Vivo recorded team-highs in assists and steals with two in both categories.

Palm Beach Atlantic captitalized on a huge rebound differential as it grabbed 49 boards compared to just 26 for the Spartans. Among PBA's rebounds were 17 on the offensive end. The teams shot at a similar pace, with PBA connecting on 38.2 percent from the field as UT came in at 31.7.

Tampa was also hindered by a 10-for-24 team effort from the free throw line, equating to a 41.7 percent showing from the charity stripe.

The Spartans return to action on Tuesday as it hosts Puerto Rico-Bayamon at 5:30 p.m., at the Bob Martinez Athletics Center. UT will offer live stats and a webcast through tampaspartans.com.

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