TAMPA – Barry women’s basketball team lost to Tampa in a key positioning game Saturday, 58-47.
With a win, the Buccaneers would have jumped ahead of the Spartans in the Sunshine State Conference standings, holding the tiebreaker on head-to-head matchups. Barry (13-11, 4-9 SSC) beat then-No. 25 Tampa (16-8, 6-8) at home in January. Now the Bucs will need to win their final two regular season games in hopes of avoiding the No. 8-9 seed game to open the postseason league tournament.
Tyler Hardy scored a career-high 23 points, and grabbed seven rebounds, but she was the only Buccaneer to reach double figures. Hardy has scored in double figures in four straight games and five of her past six.
The Bucs opened the second half with a 7-0 run to take a 26-25 lead when Hardy scored on a putback with 15:44 left on the clock. The Spartans answered with a 10-2 run over the next 2:38 to go ahead by seven until Hardy scored down low on a looping shot underneath the basket.
Illyssa Vivo converted a three-point play with 10:37 remaining in the game to push the Spartans lead to 12. Amanda Frontino knocked down a three from the top of the key on a kick-out from Jackie Perez, and Hardy scored after an offensive rebound on the next possession as the Bucs cut it 45-40.
Tampa widened its lead back to 10 when Moriah Hodge converted a three-point play with 4:54 to go. Frontino buried another jumper, and Kaley Howard hit a jump hook at the 3:19 mark as Barry drew within seven. Hardy sank two free throws to make it a six-point game. But Spartans guard Shamika Williams hit a triple with 1:28 left to squash the Buccaneers’ comeback.
The Buccaneers were 18 of 53 from the field for 34 percent. Tampa was 18 of 40 for 45 percent. Barry was 2-for-13 from beyond the arc. The Spartans outrebounded the Bucs, 32-26.
Frontino finished with seven points and five rebounds. Howard and Colette Eule each had six points. Hodge and Vivo each scored 15, and had a combined 14 boards for the Spartans.
Barry led 11-3 less than five minutes into the game, but Tampa stormed back with an 18-2 surge to take a 21-15 lead at the 5:40 mark. Hardy scored twice in a 30-second span to end the Bucs’ drought and pull Barry within two with 2:31 left in the half, but Tampa took a six-point lead into the intermission.
Hardy scored 10 points in the first half as the Buccaneers went 9 of 30 from the floor. Barry was 1-for-9 from beyond the three-point line. Tampa shot 40 percent in the first half, going 8 of 20. The Spartans were 5 of 10 from long range.
The Buccaneers play at Rollins Wednesday night in Winter Park. Barry’s final regular season game is next Saturday against Nova Southeastern on Senior Night.