FRIDAY'S SCORES
@North Florida 52,
Jacksonville State 45
NORTH FLORIDA 52, JACKSONVILLE STATE 45
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A strong second half performance by North Florida and an 11-minute scoring dry spell by Jacksonville State proved to be the difference in JSU's 52-45 loss to UNF in the opening round of the Hampton Inn Oceanfront Holiday Classic, hosted by UNF on Friday afternoon.
The loss was the tenth of the season for the Gamecocks, while the Ospreys moved to 3-6 on the season.
After Jax State led 22-18 after 20 minutes of action and led by as many as eight points at 33-25 at the 12:56 mark of the final half after Amanda McCarthy drilled a three pointer. After that basket, JSU would go the next 11 minutes without scoring a field goal until McCarthy's trey with 1:27 left in the contest. The Red and White scored five points during that span off the free throw line.
While JSU went cold from the field, the Ospreys started connecting on shots to erase the eight point deficit and take its first lead since the game's first basket, at 37-36. UNF's Ki Conner hit back-to-back treys to give her squad the lead and to extend the lead out to 42-36 with a jumper with 2:47 to play. Conner finished with a game-high 14 points. After a pair of free throws by McCarthy and three pointer by the Boston, Mass.-native, JSU got within a point at 42-41, but could not get a stop on the defensive end to regain the lead.
UNF scored its final nine points from the free throw line and were 13-of-17 from the line in the second half alone. Both teams struggled offensively as they combined to hit 33 shots from the field. UNF owned the boards with a plus-17, 49-32 advantage.
JSU took control of the opening half and never trailed the rest of the first half. The Gamecocks' bench sparked the 22-point first half, scoring half of the points. Jax State built its lead over the final 18:42 of the half and eventually took its largest lead of the contest and of the season at 22-12 at the 3:19 mark on a Gia Banks three-pointer. UNF would slice the lead with a 6-0 run over the final 3:19 of the half to send both squads to the halftime break with JSU holding a six-point, 22-18 advantage. Along with Banks, sophomore Bria'unna Buckner drained a pair of back-to-back treys in the half.
McCarthy, who posted her second consecutive double figure scoring game, shared team-high scoring honors with Briana Morrow. The duo score ten points each, while Morrow was two rebounds shy of a double-double with eight. Sophomore Miranda Cantrell turned in eight points and six rebounds in 26 minutes of action. Junior Dashauna Truss, playing in her hometown, chipped in five points.
JSU wraps up the two-day event on Saturday with a Noon CST tip off with Campbell. The Camels topped Maryland Eastern Shore, 77-72.