Spartans Fall at Florida Tech, 95–81

MELBOURNE, Fla. – The University of Tampa men's basketball team battled on the road Saturday afternoon but fell to Florida Tech, 95–81, at the Clemente Center.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP

Final: Florida Tech 95, Tampa 81
Records: Tampa (10–8, 4–7 SSC), Florida Tech (8–11, 4–7 SSC)
Location: Clemente Center | Melbourne, Fla.

HOW IT HAPPENED

First Half

Ian Higdon opened the scoring for Tampa with a layup, followed by a Trent Scott three-pointer. The Spartans grabbed an early lead behind a Justin Taylor triple and a Ryan Blount fast-break finish. Florida Tech responded by increasing defensive pressure and finding an offensive rhythm. Camden McCormick battled in the paint to keep Tampa within striking distance, but strong three-point shooting allowed the Panthers to pull away, sending Tampa into halftime trailing 48–28.

Second Half

Scott scored first out of the break as the Spartans looked to chip away at the deficit. Blount continued to make an impact on the glass and inside the paint to spark Tampa's offense. Florida Tech stayed hot from beyond the arc, but timely shots from Cole Gingeleski and a three-point play from B.J. Schaeffer helped cut into the lead. Trey Lane added production from deep while contributing defensively, but despite a late push, Tampa was unable to slow the Panthers' offense, falling 95–81.

INSIDE THE STATS

• Ryan Blount: 17 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl
• Trey Lane: 11 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl
• Ian Higdon: 11 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast
• B.J. Schaeffer: 10 pts, 4 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl
• Camden McCormick: 9 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl
• Trent Scott: 6 pts, 3 reb
• Justin Taylor: 5 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl

TEAM STATS

• Field Goal Percentage: 46% (30–65)
• Three-Point Percentage: 33% (8–24)
• Free Throws: 76% (13–17)
• Rebounds: 30
• Bench Points: 32 (40%)
• Points in the Paint: 36 (44%)
• Points off Turnovers: 17 (21%)
• Fast-Break Points: 9 (11%)