MELBOURNE, Fla. – The Sunshine State Conference named its weekly award winners and the University of Tampa’s womens basketball team was represented through Lauren Kotey, who was named SSC Defensive Player of the Week.

Kotey played a key role in Tampa’s 67-50 victory at Rollins College on Wednesday night. UT held the opponent to 50 points or less for the 11th time this season. The senior from Findlay, Oh. logged a career-high eight blocks, which was the most blocks by a Spartan since Sheena Walton in 2008. Kotey played a career-high 40 minutes and tied her career-high with eight defensive rebounds. She has started in nine of the last 11 games, and the Spartans’ center is averaging 1.8 blocks per game in the last 11 contests. 

The Spartans are second in the SSC with a 12-4 conference record, owning an 18-6 record overall. Tampa leads the conference in scoring defense allowing 53 points per game, which ranks ninth in the NCAA. UT’s averaging 29.3 defensive rebounds per game, which also leads the SSC. On Wednesday, Feb. 20, the Spartans will travel to Saint Leo as tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. 

Click here to view the SSC Athletes of the Week for Feb. 11-17.

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