The University of Tampa men’s basketball team dropped a heartbreaker to Barry University 77-75 Saturday afternoon.
The loss drops the Spartans to 8-8 on the season, with a 3-5 record in conference play.
UT has now lost five games in a row.
The first half was a back-and-fourth affair with five tied scores and eight lead changes. Tampa recaptured the lead with seconds remaining in the half and entered halftime with a 40-37 advantage.
The Spartans led for the majority of the second half before the Buccaneers pulled ahead with 6:39 remaining. The two teams exchanged the lead for the remainder of the game, and Barry led 75-73 before junior Rashad Callaway hit a jumper with 19 seconds left to tie it.
Barry took possession and drove up the court, culminating with Erick Nsangou’s game-winning layup with 4.4 seconds to go.
Senior Anthony LaBruno led the Spartans and all players with 27 points, shooting 10-11 from the field and 4-5 from three-point range. LaBruno also led all players with seven rebounds and tied Callaway for the team lead with three steals.
Freshman Callum Townsend added 15 points, all from behind the ark. Callaway and sophomore Ashton Graham rounded out UT’s double-digit scorers with 12 points each.
Now 16 games into the season, the team realizes what needs to be improved as they carve an identity.
“Our biggest problem is that we have no inside game,” Tampa head coach Richard Schmidt said. “And we have to rebound a little better.”
Schmidt cited the team’s youth and the transfer of 6’9” Matt Tomaszewski to Syracuse as primary reasons for the team’s lack of rebounding prowess.
Despite the tough loss and continuing losing streak, the team sees its effort as progress.
“We’re getting better,” Schmidt said. “I think we’re heading in the right direction.”
“We’re definitely looking to get some wins toward the end of the season,” LaBruno said.