TAMPA, Fla. (January 7, 2023) – The Rollins Tars hung around for a half, but didn't have the firepower to keep up with the nationally ranked Tampa Spartans as they fell to their SSC foe, 71-44. The loss drops Rollins to 6-8 (1-6 SSC).
The three ball kept Rollins in the game early on, with makes from
Emily Dogbatse,
Aaliyah Irizarry-Perez and
Kymora Westerfield to give the Tars an 11-8 lead halfway through the first. A late 7-0 run from Tampa would help them reclaim the lead, which extended to 19-13 at the end of the quarter.
After the Spartans scored the first two buckets of the second quarter,
Emily McIntosh hit a two and a three on back-to-back possessions to pull Rollins within five. She would add another three moments later to make the score 25-21. However, another 7-0 run from Tampa gave them a cushion, and they took a 36-26 lead into the halftime break.
Irizarry-Perez scored on the first possession of the third quarter, but then the Tars would not change the scoreboard for more than four minutes. Dogbatse added a three about halfway through, but that would be it for the period as Tampa outscored Rollins 19-5 to blow the game open.
Even with the game out of reach, Rollins played tough in the fourth quarter.
Shannelle Heredia scored a couple of times off the bench, while
Lucy Leen and
Caroline Swartz added three points each. At the final whistle, Tampa held on for a 71-44 win.
Dogbatse led all Tars with 10 points, while Irizarry-Perez added seven points and eleven rebounds.
Next up for the Tars is a home matchup with SSC opponent Lynn. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 pm on Wednesday, January 11 at Warden Arena in Winter Park.
