WINTER PARK, Fla. (December 13, 2025) – Men's basketball picked up their first conference win of the season on Saturday, defeating Tampa 84-78. The win moves Rollins to 5-4 on the year with a 1-3 record in SSC play. The Spartans fall to 4-5, 0-4 SSC.
The whistles were out early and often in this one. Two fouls were called before a point was scored. Those first points came from
Jah Nze, whose driving layup would his first two of 27 points on the day. Neither team could find much of a rhythm, though the Spartans did eventually build a 20-7 lead with 11 minutes to go in the first.
Ryan Renfro helped the Tars claw back into the game, scoring a pair of buckets in the paint while also securing rebounds and playing tough defense down low. The tars' other big man,
Mayson Quartlebaum, made his impact felt off the bench with a seven-point first half.
Marshall Klug knocked down a pair of free throws to close out the half, bringing the Tars to within one at 33-32.
It was another slow start coming out of the break for Rollins, as it took more than three minutes to get on the board in the second. However, once Renfro tipped in a miss, the points started coming in … though most were one at a time.
The two teams were whistled for more than 25 fouls in the second half alone, leading to a barrage of free throws. Thankfully for the Tars, they had been getting their work in at practice; they shot 28-32 (87.5%) from the line in the game. No player missed more than one freebie, with Nze, Klug, and
Omar Figueroa combining to go 18-19.
At the 12 minute mark in the second, Nze forced a turnover and turned it into a layup to give Rollins their first lead since the start of the game, 50-49.
With the game sitting at a one-possession advantage, Figueroa and Nze hit back-to-back threes around the nine-minute mark to give Rollins some breathing room. Tampa would get as close as four, but their offense fizzled out while the Tars started to chew clock. Klug's free throws with under a minute to go iced the game, giving Rollins their first SSC win of the year.
Nze led all scorers with 27 points, shooting 9-12 (75%) from the field. He also added a team high five assists. Figueroa was good for 16, and Renfro added 11 points and six rebounds. Ryan Blount led the Spartans with 26 points and ten boards.
Next up for the Tars is a home game on Monday, December 15 against South Florida Bible College. Tipoff from Warden Arena is scheduled for 6:00 pm.
