Tampa's High-Powered Offense Secures Tampa Thanksgiving Classic Championship

TAMPA, Fla. – The University of Tampa men's basketball team delivered an explosive offensive performance Saturday night, overpowering Claflin in a 103–72 non-conference victory inside the Bob Martinez Athletics Center.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP

Final: Tampa 103, Claflin 72
Records: Tampa (4–2), Claflin (3–3)
Location: Bob Martinez Athletics Center | Tampa, Fla.

HOW IT HAPPENED

First Half

Tampa came out firing, pushing the pace and jumping out to an early lead behind sharp perimeter shooting and relentless rebounding. The Spartans poured in 51 first-half points, shooting 50 percent from the field while overwhelming Claflin on the boards (30–17 in the half).

B.J. Schaeffer set the tone early with downhill attacks and transition buckets, while Camden McCormick and Trey Lane connected from deep to stretch the Panther defense. Ryan Blount was dominant on both ends, cleaning up the glass and scoring efficiently inside and out.

Tampa's ball movement was elite throughout the half, racking up 14 assists on 20 made field goals. The Spartans pushed their lead as high as 20 before entering halftime up 51–32.

Second Half

The Spartans only got hotter after the break, erupting for 52 more points on 20-of-46 shooting. Tampa's defense converted stops into quick-strike buckets, and the Spartans' depth wore down the Panthers over the final 20 minutes.

Blount took over offensively in the second half, finishing with a game-high 27 points and a commanding 16 rebounds. McCormick continued his strong play, adding scoring and facilitating, while Schaeffer remained aggressive around the rim.

Tampa's bench contributed 29 points, highlighted by efficient scoring from Kyler Lamb, Mateusz Szpin, and Justin Taylor. The Spartans finished the night with 31 assists, their most in a game this season.

With a fast-paced attack, dominant rebounding, and 14 made threes, the Spartans cruised to a wire-to-wire victory.

INSIDE THE STATS

• Ryan Blount: 27 pts, 16 reb, 5 ast, 5–11 3FG

• B.J. Schaeffer: 19 pts, 3 reb

• Trey Lane: 14 pts (4–10 3FG), 4 ast

• Camden McCormick: 14 pts, 7 reb, 6 ast

• Kyler Lamb: 11 pts

• Ian Higdon: 6 ast, 4 reb

• Mateusz Szpin: 2 pts, 5 reb

• Justin Taylor: 4 pts, 4 reb

TEAM STATS

• Field Goal Percentage: 47% (40–86)

• Three-Point Percentage: 39% (14–36)

• Free Throws: 9–10

• Rebounds: 56

• Assists: 31

• Points in the Paint: 44

• Points off Turnovers: 19

• Second-Chance Points: 14

• Fast-Break Points: 14

• Bench Points: 29

UP NEXT

Tampa returns to action next week as it resumes Sunshine State Conference play on the road at Eckerd College on Wednesday, December 3rd, at 7:30 PM.