MELBOURNE, Fla. – The Sunshine State Conference named its weekly award winners and the University of Tampa’s mens basketball team was represented through Marco Downer, who was named SSC Defensive Player of the Week. Downer registered the first triple-double in the SSC this year, and he’s only the 15th player in Division II with a triple-double this season.

Downer recorded the first triple-double in UT history on Saturday afternoon against No. 3 Nova Southeastern. The freshman logged 12 points, a career-high 15 rebounds and 10 blocks in the overtime thriller. He tied the record for most blocks as a Spartan, as Chris Evans accomplished the feat in 2008. On Wednesday night at Saint Leo, he added eight rebounds and four blocks to the weekly total. Downer has registered at least one block in the last 15 games and he is ranked 5th in the NCAA with 3.05 blocks per game. Over the last 15 games, the Jamaican native is averaging 3.7 blocks per contest. 

Tampa has won four of the last five games as they dropped the overtime contest, 97-91, to the third-ranked Sharks on Saturday. The offense has scored at least 90 points in the last three games as the Spartans sit in eighth place in the SSC. UT will host Eckerd College on Wednesday night for the final home game of the season, and the athletic department will celebrate the senior class during halftime.

Click here to view the SSC Athletes of the Week for Feb. 18-24.

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