Tampa Kicks Off New Year With Dominating Win Over Palm Beach Atlantic

West Palm Beach, Fla. – The University of Tampa Women's Basketball team continued their dominant play as they notched their sixth consecutive win of the year defeating the Sailfish of Palm Beach Atlantic University.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP

Final Score: Tampa 57, Palm Beach Atlantic 32 

Records: Tampa Spartans (8-3, 5-0 SSC), Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish (2-9, 0-4 SSC)

Location: Palm Beach Atlantic, Fla || Rubin Arena

All-Time Series: Tampa holds a commanding 25-3 lead in the all-time series against the Sailfish.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

1st Quarter || Tampa's offense started off somewhat slow as they only scored 14 points in the quarter but shot an efficient 55% from the field. The Spartans' defensive efforts forced the Sailfish to commit five turnovers and shoot under 33% from the field. || 14-10 Tampa 

2nd Quarter || Once again, the Spartans posted a low-scoring quarter for an overall low-scoring first half as both teams played solid defense. Julia Ingram led the first half in scoring for Tampa with eight points, shooting 75%. Bigs, Dori Nagy and LaShayla Wright-Ponder combined for 12 points and seven rebounds, and the Spartans held an eight-point lead heading into halftime. || 27-19 Tampa

3rd Quarter || In the third quarter, the Spartans looked to maintain their lead as Tampa's defense held the Sailfish scoreless throughout their first seven possessions, forcing four turnovers. Nagy led the Spartans in the third quarter with seven points in the ten minutes of play. Tampa finished the quarter on an 11-2 run, increasing their dominant lead heading in the final quarter of play. || 44-23 Tampa

4th Quarter || Tampa solidified the win as the Spartans scored 13 points and pushed the margin to 20 points to give them their sixth-consecutive win. The game also marked their fourth consecutive Sunshine State Conference win. Nagy exited the game shortly into the quarter with 17 points and nine rebounds, one rebound away from her fifth double-double of the season. || 57-32 Tampa

INSIDE THE STATS:

• Three Spartans scored in double-digits figures: Dori Nagy (17), LaShayla Wright-Ponder (11), Melijah Sullivan (10).
• After gaining the lead early in the first quarter, Tampa led the score throughout the duration of the game.
• The Spartans led for a total of 37 minutes. 

BEYOND THE BOX:

• Tampa is on a six-game winning streak, dating back to December 4^th. 
• The Spartans continue their dominant SSC play as they maintain their first place position in the conference standings, with a record of 5-0.

UP NEXT: Tampa will return home next Wednesday, January 8^th, to face off against the Golden Eagles of Embry-Riddle.

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