BOCA RATON, Fla. – Danielle Montelbano scored 11 of her 18 points in the fourth quarter as Lynn defeated No. 7 Tampa, 66-53, Saturday afternoon. The Fighting Knights shot 80% from the field in the final frame, including 4-for-5 from three, to outscore the Spartans 26-8 over the final period.
 
The Fighting Knights last win over a top-10 opponent came in the 2023 SSC Championship semifinals on March 2 in a 60-52 triumph over No. 8 Eckerd.  
 
Lynn is now 7-4 overall and 2-1 in the Sunshine State Conference while Tampa falls to 12-3 and 3-1.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Three consecutive field goals from Montelbano, Ella Fiore and Makayla Hemingway gave Lynn an early 6-2 lead
- Trinity Mocadlo's three-pointer gave Lynn a 12-7 lead with under five-minutes remaining in the first quarter
- The Spartans finished the first quarter on an 11-2 run to lead by four after one period
- A three-pointer gave Tampa its largest lead at 13, 29-16, early in the second quarter
- Montelbano scored five points during a Fighting Knights 11-2 run to cut their deficit to four, 31-27
- Tampa again pushed its lead to double digits, 45-35, on a three-point play by Mya Giusto
- Fiore's jumper at the buzzer made the score 45-40 in favor of Tampa after three quarters
- Threes by Montelbano and Hemingway started a Fighting Knight 10-0 run to open the fourth quarter, giving the home team a 50-45 edge
- Marianna Klavina hit a three halfway through the final frame to give Lynn a six-point lead
- Two jumpers from Fiore pushed the Lynn lead to 10, 57-47, with under four minutes remaining
- Montelbano scored seven of Lynn's final eight points as the Fighting Knights cruised to a 66-53 final
 
FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS:
- Fiore led all players with 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting to raise her season field goal percentage to 53.3
- Montelbano scored in double figures for the sixth straight game and was a game-high +21 in the win
- Rachel Romich tied a career high with 3 blocks (also 1/2/22 at Rollins)
- Mocadlo scored 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting and posted her fifth game with multiple three-pointers this season
- Hemingway had a career-high 6 assists
- Lynn shot 90% from the free throw line
- 16 of Lynn's 25 field goals were assisted
- Lynn shot 47% in the win and ranks second in the SSC with a 44.7 team field goal percentage
- The Fighting Knights committed a season-low 11 turnovers
- Lynn held Tampa to a season-low 53 points and has held its opponent under 60 points in 4 of its last 5 contests
 
UP NEXT:
- Lynn hosts Eckerd on Wednesday, January 3 at 5:30 pm