Spartans Move To 16th In Newest Poll, Visit Rival Florida Southern Wednesday

TAMPA, Fla. - After picking up a pair of conference victories last week, The University of Tampa women's basketball team jumped up one spot to the No. 16 position in the latest USA Today ESPN Division II Top 25 Coaches' Poll. UT will put its ranking on the line on Wednesday when it travels to Lakeland for a contest between the top teams in Sunshine State Conference.

No other conference team is in the top 25, but Wednesday's opponent continued to receive votes.

The Spartans defeated Eckerd on the by a 72-48 score on Wednesday before earning an important 60-53 decision over Rollins at the Martinez Center on Saturday. Tiara Cook was particularly impressive as she averaged 24.5 points and 14 rebounds for the week.

A stiff challenge awaits Tampa in Lakeland on Wednesday night as the Jenkins Field House has been a tough barn for the Spartans. Florida Southern - which owns a 28-49 all-time advantage over Tampa - has won in four of UT's prior six treks to Lakeland.

The teams are currently tied in the SSC standings as both have identical 5-1 records. The Spartans are 15-2 overall while Florida Southern checks in at 14-2.

A year ago the teams split the season series as each team defended its home court. The Mocs won 75-66 at Southern while Tampa was a 71-66 victor at the Martinez Center.

Live stats and a webcast will be available through www.tampaspartans.com.

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