Spartans Powerful Paint Play Marks Victory Over Sharks

Box score

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The University of Tampa (16-8, 9-6 SSC) men's basketball team defeated Nova Southeastern (11-15, 7-7 SSC) 71-60 Saturday afternoon on the road.

Jordan Davis kicked things off on a good note with a bucket from three-point range within the first seconds of play. Tampa's offense was flowing favorably as they maintained a slight lead for the majority of the first stint. The Spartans took advantage of the ample opportunities to get the ball down low to Vincent Cornu and Eric Moraes, in which they produced 14 and 10 points respectively. The team shot 57.7 percent from the field to end the half.

Tampa was unchallenged in the second half, leading by as many as 16 points. The Sharks did not have an answer for the Spartans' strong post presence as UT outscored Nova 20-12 in the paint for the period.

The Spartans ended the game shooting 54.7 percent from the field, outrebounding the Sharks 34-26, and controlling the paint by a 26 point advantage. Cornu recorded his career high of 22 points and six rebounds. Moraes finished the game with 16 points, shooting 8-of-9 from the field. Tariq Mackey added 10 points.

The highlight of the game was the 15 assists and zero turnover performance by Davis. He also chipped in six points and eight rebounds. Davis is tied for second in Tampa history for the most assists in a game. Mike Sheppard holds the all-time record with 16.

Next up, Tampa will conclude its regular season with a much anticipated battle against No. 8 Florida Southern College this Wednesday. The teams last met in January in a double overtime thriller. The Mocs were undefeated and the Spartans were looking to hand them their first loss, unfortunately, the final 87-83 contest ended in FSC's favor. This game is also senior day; the Spartans will bid farewell to seven seniors.

Tickets are available at the gate for $5. Children 12-and-under will be admitted free. UT faculty, staff and students are admitted free when displaying a valid Spartan ID card.

UT will offer live stats and a webcast for the match through TampaSpartans.tv.

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