Spartans Shine in Vegas with 60–38 Win Over TAMUK

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The University of Tampa women's basketball team turned in a dominant defensive performance Saturday afternoon, pulling away for a 60–38 victory over Texas A&M–Kingsville at South Point Arena.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP

Final: Tampa 60, Texas A&M–Kingsville 38
Records: Tampa (7–6, 2–2 SSC), Texas A&M–Kingsville (0–10, 0–3 LSC)
Location: South Point Arena | Las Vegas, Nev.

HOW IT HAPPENED

First Half
Texas A&M–Kingsville struck first offensively, but Tampa quickly settled in behind the play of Giorgia Palmieri, who sparked the Spartans with a jumper and trips to the free-throw line. A Brooklynn Butler three-pointer and a pair of Faith Pickens layups helped Tampa gain momentum, while strong rebounding began to tilt the game in the Spartans' favor.

Amy Thompson added a three-pointer, and Pickens knocked down a triple just before the end of the opening period to keep Tampa rolling. After a slow start to the second quarter, Palmieri buried another three to jumpstart the offense, and the Spartans steadily built their lead, heading into halftime up 26–18.

Second Half
Alanis Diaz set the tone coming out of the break with a layup, followed by a block on the defensive end and another bucket inside. Ryan Franklin capitalized on fast-break opportunities and controlled the paint as Tampa continued to extend its advantage. The Spartans were flawless at the free-throw line in the half, going 8-for-8 from the charity stripe.

A buzzer-beating three from Thompson to close the third quarter provided another surge, setting the stage for a decisive fourth. Franklin and Palmieri took over offensively in the final period, and Maddie O'Berski put an exclamation point on the win with a three-pointer to close out the 60–38 victory.

INSIDE THE STATS

• Ryan Franklin: 16 pts, 5 reb, 2 blk

• Giorgia Palmieri: 11 pts, 7 reb, 4 ast

• Faith Pickens: 11 pts, 3 reb

• Amy Thompson: 8 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast

• Maddie O'Berski: 7 pts, 7 reb, 1 ast

• Brooklynn Butler: 3 pts, 5 reb, 6 ast

TEAM STATS

• Bench Points: 14

• Field Goal Percentage: 43.0% (23–54)

• Three-Point Percentage: 35.0% (6–17)

• Free Throws: 100% (8–8)

• Rebounds: 39

• Points in the Paint: 30