Opening Statement!

The 25th ranked Rollins Tars improved to 5-0 on the season and 1-0 in the Sunshine State Conference with a 60-36 thrashing of the Spartans in the conference opener for both teams at the Bob Martinez Sports Center.
 The Tars were paced by 12 points from Ian Scott. Scott also had three of the Tars 16 steals on the evening. Dave Diakite also tallied double figures scoring 11 points for the Tars. Jeremy Sharpe chipped in nine, while Brett Chance came off the bench to score eight. Diakite, Sharpe, and Chance also had three steals each in this one. The Tars zone defense held Tampa to 28 percent shooting, including 1 of 14 from the three point line ,while Rollins shot 42 percent for the game.  The 36 points were Tampa's lowest output since a game against Northwestern in 1983.
 Terrell Pritchett and Ashton Graham had eight points each to lead the Spartans (2-4 0-1 SSC). Tampa struggled at the foul line going 7-12 (58 percent). The Spartans won the battle on the boards 38-32. UT turned the ball over 24 times to 16 for the Tars. Rollins had eight blocked shots to 4 for Tampa. Chris Malcolm had four blocked shot for the Tars.
   The game started at a very slow pace with neither team able to buy a basket. A Jeremy Sharpe three with 11 minutes to go in the opening half would give Rollins a 10-8  lead. The Tars would stretch that lead to 13-10 on a Brett Chance lay up and then would go "ice cold"from the field for the next six minutes. Brett Chance would give the Tars offense the  jump start it needed when he would bank in a half court shot off of a Jeff Dirkin steal to give the Tars a 24-18 halftime lead.
 Rollins would go scoreless the first 3:20 of the second half, but then would take command the rest of the way. A once close game turned into a laugher after a 19-4 Tars run stretched an eight point lead to 23 (45-22). Tampa would get no closer than 19 points the rest of the way.
 The Tars will be back in action with a key Sunshine State Conference battle when they square off with the 22nd ranked Florida Southern Mocs at the Alfond Sports Center. As always you can catch all the action on 91.5 FM WPRK and round the world at rollinssports.com. Tip time is set for 4 PM.