Tampa Drops Top 25 Matchup With ERAU

Tampa, Fla. – The University of Tampa Women's Basketball was this afternoon to celebrate Senior Day. Tampa Women's basketball honored eight members of the program who are playing in their final season as a Spartan. Zoe Piller, Audrey Ramsey, Kath Van Bennekom, Marissa McDonald, Vivianne Jende, Sariana Rodriguez, Bella Steidle, and student manager Abbee Norris were all celebrated before the teams contest with Embry-Riddle. The game itself - featuring the two top teams in the SSC - was an electric back and forth battle until the very end. 

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:

Final Score: #19 Tampa 52, #11 Embry-Riddle 56 

Records: #19 Tampa 22-5 (14-3 SSC), #11 Embry-Riddle 21-2 (15-1 SSC)

Location: Bob Martinez Center l Tampa, Fla.

All-time series: This was the 22nd meeting between these two programs. With the loss, Tampa still leads the all-time series 16-6. 

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

FIRST HALF:  After the festivities of Senior Day died down, both teams began to lock in on the task at hand. With a chance at the number one seed in the Sunshine State Conference on the line, the Spartans came right out making plays. To open the game, Sariana Rodriguez drilled a three pointer from deep before getting to the line for a pair of free throws. This gave Tampa an early 5-0 lead before Embry-Riddle finally got on the board. With the score 5-4, Marissa McDonald stepped up and hit her first shot of the game from beyond the arc off a Zoe Piller dime. Both teams traded baskets until Piller hit her first runner of the game, giving Tampa a 12-9 lead with under two minutes to play in the first quarter. Audrey Ramsey knocked down two shots from the charity stripe but Embry-Riddle made a layup as time expired to pull the scoreline to 14-11. Embry-Riddle started the second quarter with a three but Olivia Davis answered right back with a three of her own. However, Tampa was unable to sustain their offense and Embry-Riddle went on a quick 9-0 run as the game crossed into the final five minutes of the first half. Kath Van Bennekom put an end to the run with a pair of free throws but the Spartans still found themselves down 23-18. Over the next few minutes, Van Bennekom hit her first shot from the field, Sariana Rodriguez put away a fade away jumper, and Olivia Davis added a layup to help Tampa reclaim the lead, 26-25. The Spartans closed out the half with strong defense and Marissa McDonald finished a lay at the rim to give Tampa a one point halftime lead. 

Score: #19 Tampa 28, #11 Embry-Riddle 27

SECOND HALF: To start the second half, Audrey Ramsey hit back to back big time three's, extending the Spartan lead to 34-29. This boost of momentum was huge for the Spartans as Marissa McDonald was able to hit another three just a minute later. With seven minutes to play in the third, Tampa led 37-31 before both teams went cold. A combination of tough defense and bad turnovers held both sides scoreless for multiple minutes. Unfortunately for Tampa, Embry-Riddle was able to break the drought with a three of their own and off they went. Embry-Riddle held the Spartans scoreless for the rest of quarter and used their shot making abilities to build a 43-37 lead going into the fourth. The Spartans could not get anything to fall until Sariana Rodriguez was able to finish a layup through contact at the rim. She completed the three point play and Tampa was only down 45-40. Embry-Riddlemade layup but Olivia Davis and Audrey Ramsey hit back to back three's to not just pull the Spartans to within one point, but put life back into the Bob Martinez Center. After forcing a bad shot, Audrey Ramsey snagged the rebound and was rewarded with a made jumper to regive Tampa the lead at 48-47. Audrey Ramsey stepped again after another Embry-Riddle layup, finishing one of her own at the rim. Unfortunately for the Spartans, Embry-Riddle hit another tough shot to take back the lead for a final time. Tampa was unable to answer after some free throws and a dagger shot with 50.6 seconds left. The Spartans came up just short for the second time this season. 

Final: #19 Tampa 52, #11 Embry-Riddle 56

INSIDE THE STATS:

• Audrey Ramsey drops 16 points to go with 6 rebounds and a steal

• Sariana Rodriguez goes for 10 points and 8 rebounds 

• Spartans came away with 5 steals, Zoe Piller accounting for 2

UP NEXT: The Spartans will hit the road for two straight games starting with Florida Tech. This contest will take place on Wednesday, February 19th with tip-off scheduled for 5:30pm. 

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