TAMPA, Fla. – The Concord University women's basketball team made a furious fourth-quarter run, but ultimately came up short in a 66-64 defeat to nationally-ranked, eighth-rated Tampa Friday night in a game that was part of the Tampa Thanksgiving Tournament inside the Bob Martinez Center.
Down 63-53 with one minute remaining, CU (3-4) got a three-pointer from junior guard
Sanaiya Morris to cut the deficit to 63-56. On the ensuing Tampa (6-1) possession, junior forward
Abbie Smith came up with a steal, and at the 37-second mark graduate guard
Trina Lewis made a three-pointer. On the UT inbound, Morris stripped the ball and hit a layup to get the margin to 63-61 with 35 seconds remaining.
The Spartans were able to get to the foul line and make two free throws, but Morris kept coming with another triple with 19 seconds left to make it 65-64. Tampa's next trip to the foul line resulted in a 1-for-2 showing with 12 seconds left.
The Mountain Lions went for the three-point try and the win, but Lewis' three-pointer from the left wing came up short as Tampa hung on.
The last-minute flurry wasn't the only time Concord made a run at UT in the fourth quarter. The Spartans opened up a nine-point lead, 48-39, with 1:33 left in the third quarter. But, CU finished the period on a 5-0 run to trim the deficit to 48-44.
A three-pointer by Lewis to open the fourth and an offensive putback by Smith was sandwiched between two Tampa foul shots to cut the deficit to 50-49 with 7:56 remaining.
The Mountain Lions opened the game by scoring six straight points to grab a 6-3 lead 2:26 into the game. However, Tampa held a 20-11 lead after 10 minutes. And maintained a nine-point lead, 35-26, at halftime.
The closest CU got in the early stages of the third quarter was four points, 40-36, after a triple by sophomore guard
Madison Young at the 4:40 mark.
Smith nearly tallied a double-double with points and just offensive rebounds as she plucked down nine CU misses. She finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds.
With her late spurt, Morris netted 15 points in 26 minutes off the bench. Lewis went for 11 points in just 16 minutes. Only scoring five points, senior guard
Skylar Davidson impacted the game in other ways with nine rebounds and four assists.
The Mountain Lions face Saint Leo 2:00 p.m. Saturday to close the Tampa Thanksgiving Tournament.
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