MIAMI SHORES, Fla.—It's homecoming in the Health & Sports Center and the basketball teams are hosting the Tampa Spartans on Saturday, with conference tournament seeding implications on the line.
Game Coverage Links
| Game |
Time |
Live Stats |
Video Stream |
| Women |
3:00 pm |
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| Men |
5:00 pm |
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Women's Basketball - Saturday, Feb. 24, 3:00 pm, Health & Sports Center
It's another battle for seeding in the Health & Sports Center on Saturday as the Buccaneers host the Tampa Spartans. After the Bucs' 58-52 win over Lynn and the Spartans' 69-53 loss at Florida Southern, the teams are deadlocked at 10-9 in the conference and are guaranteed to meet in the post-season. But the winner of the game earns the right to host the quarterfinal game in the SSC Tournament next Wednesday.
Home court is a big deal for the quarterfinal. The Bucs are an excellent 12-3 on Cesar Odio Court this season, but just 4-7 on the road. The Spartans are 14-3 in the Bob Martinez Center, though one of those losses came to the Bucs. Away from home, they are just 3-6.
The Bucs are led by a five-player senior class. Forward Kiara Palmer is the hub of the team, leading the Bucs in scoring (16.2), rebounding (10.7) and blocked shots (2.9). She swatted six shots at Lynn on Wednesday, breaking the school record for blocks set by Lea Mobley (76) in 1989-90. She now has 81 blocks on the season. Barbara Cousiño is second on the team in scoring at 13.3 points per game and assists at 2.5 per game. She is fourth in the SSC in free throw shooting and ninth in made three-pointers. Stephane Granada is second on the team in assists (2.5) and first in assist/turnover ratio (1.76), while averaging 7.5 points per game. She was named to the Academic All-South Region team on Thursday, carrying a 3.90 GPA in biology. Elin Ekdahl is sixth on the team in scoring at 4.1 points per game, and fourth in made three-pointers. She has made 50 starts coming into Saturday, the most on the team over the last two seasons. Lexy Schoonover has been kind of a Swiss Army knife for the Bucs this season, seeing time at the point guard, shooting guard and small forward. She is one of only two players to see action in every game the last two seasons.
The Spartans have been a streaky team in 2018. Since the calendar turned, Tampa has compiled a five-game losing streak, followed by a five-game winning streak and now has lost their last two. They sat two games in front of the Bucs going into last Saturday, but lost to both Embry-Riddle and Florida Southern, while the Bucs beat Nova Southeastern and Lynn.
The Spartans are led by a trio of 5-8 players, who all average over 33 minutes per game. Forward Staja Tyghter tops the squad at 12.3 points per game and adds 7.3 rebounds. Guard Karma Jeremie chips in 11.0 points per game and leads the team with 7.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists. Guard Rachel Warden connects for 9.2 points per game, mostly from three-point range where she hits at a 40.0 percent clip.
Tale of the Tape
| Stat |
Barry |
Tampa |
| Record |
17-10, 10-9 SSC |
17-9, 10-9 SSC |
| Points |
66.9 |
61.6 |
| Points Allowed |
64.3 |
55.7 |
| FG% |
41.8 |
45.9 |
| 3-pt FG% |
33.9 |
35.8 |
| 3-pt FG Made |
8.0 |
4.9 |
| FT% |
69.1 |
67.6 |
| Rebounds |
39.1 |
34.3 |
| Rebound Margin |
+3.5 |
+3.3 |
| Assists |
11.5 |
11.6 |
| Turnover Margin |
-3.6 |
-2.6 |
GAME NOTES:
- Tampa holds a 47-22 edge in the series. The Bucs have won just five times against the Spartans since 2005.
- Earlier this season in the Martinez Center, the Bucs snapped a 10-game losing streak to the Spartans 66-56. Palmer led the team with 23 points and 13 rebounds. Ida Andersson added 14 points. Jeremie and Warden paced teh Spartans with 18 and 10 points respectively.
- The Spartans give away the fewest free throws of any team in the SSC. They are ranked fourth nationally in fewest fouls committed.
- The Spartans are just 3-6 on the road, including five of their last six, while Barry is 12-3 at home.
Men's Basketball - Saturday, Feb. 24, 5:00 pm, Health & Sports Center
Barry assured itself of a third straight Sunshine State Conference regular season title with a 78-60 win at Lynn on Wednesday. They matched the longest consecutive streak winning a championship of any school in the league's 42-year history.
The Buccaneers, however, want to own the title to themselves this year. So even though they can do no worse than an outright title, the Buccaneers want it to show in the standings. Entering the final game of the season Barry (18-6, 14-5 SSC) is one game up on Eckerd in the loss column. The Bucs swept the Tritons, so the title is their's, but they want to reflect that on paper.
"Stay humble," Bucs coach Butch Estes told his team after Wednesday night's third straight road win. "Stay hungry. We want this one for ourselves."
To do that, the Buccaneers need a win over Tampa on Homecoming Saturday. With former players and alumni back for Reunion Weekend on Senior Day, the Buccaneers will have a lot of emotions swirling for this game – especially with the court being renamed in former Coach Cesar Odio's honor during a special ceremony before the game.
Emotions aside, this is an extremely game basketball team – one that is driven for more. So don't expect anything but their best against the Spartans, whom Barry beat in a double-overtime thriller in Tampa before Christmas. That's when maybe the most well-executed full-court play for a buzzer-beating shot extended the game, and sent the Bucs into a frenzy.
They've had their share of other thrills this season, just like they've had to overcome some bumps.
But you can bet come Saturday this Buccaneer team will be charged in front of its fans, its sole purpose to cut down the nets.
Tale of the Tape
| Stat |
Barry |
Tampa |
| Record |
18-6, 14-5 SSC |
9-16, 5-14 SSC |
| Points |
89.7 |
77.6 |
| Points Allowed |
79.5 |
81.6 |
| FG% |
48.7 |
46.7 |
| 3-pt FG% |
39.0 |
35.8 |
| 3-pt FG Made |
12.6 |
7.7 |
| FT% |
77.9 |
72.6 |
| Rebounds |
38.5 |
34.2 |
| Rebound Margin |
+5.7 |
-1.8 |
| Assists |
20.2 |
13.5 |
| Turnover Margin |
+0.8 |
+2.0 |
GAME NOTES:
- Tampa holds a 43-27 edge in the series, though the Bucs have won seven of 11 under Estes the past five years.
- Earlier this season, the Bucs won a stunning 107-103, double overtime thriller in Tampa. Elvar Fridriksson poured in a career-high 43 points, while Sawyer Glick chipped 23 points, including an amazing triple at the regulation buzzer to send the game into overtime. The Spartans led by 10 points with 0:58 remaining before the Bucs stormed back to tie the game and win in overtime.
- The Bucs lead the SSC in made three-pointers at 12.6 and percentage at 39.0 percent.
- Despite their outside proclivities, the Bucs average 33.7 points per game in the paint and 12.5 on second-chance opportunities
- Barry is getting 27.8 points per game off the bench.
- The Bucs lead the SSC in scoring margin at +10.2 points per game, while the Spartans are next to last at -3.8 per game, partly because the Bucs have a league-best 1.68 assist/turnover margin, while Tampa is last at 0.86.
