Ospreys Dominate Spartans on Senior Day, 77-53

Saturday, February 23

Jacksonville, Fla.

4:30 pm

University of North Florida

12-17, 7-9ASUN

USC Upstate

14-16, 8-9ASUN

Team	1	2	F
USC Upstate	24	29	53
North Florida	36	41	77

2/23/2013 8:52:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Final Box (pdf)
Game Book

JACKSONVILLE -- Behind inspired play on both ends of the floor, the North Florida basketball team saved their best for last posting a 77-53 victory over USC Upstate in the regular season home finale Saturday at UNF Arena.

With the victory, UNF (12-17, 7-9 Atlantic Sun) ended a three-game losing skid to the Spartans (14-16, 8-9) while also posting the largest A-Sun margin of victory in program history. The Ospreys also ended the regular season with a 7-4 record at home including wins in their final three contests.

The game marked the final home appearance for UNF's senior group of Andy Diaz, David Jeune, Parker Smith and Will Wilson, and the win on Saturday was the 56th in the quartet's career making them the winningest class in program history.

Freshman Beau Beech connected on five three-pointers on his way to matching a career best of 17 points. Smith added 15 points including three treys, which gives him 107 on the season and matches the Atlantic Sun single season record. Jeune scored a season best 12 points while Wilson tallied seven points, five assists and three steals in his home finale. Diaz added six points for UNF while juniors Charles McRoy and Travis Wallace both finished with nine points.

Ricardo Glenn had 16 points to lead the Spartans offense.

The early part of the first half was highlighted by back-and-forth play with both teams taking turns with the lead. An Upstate basket with 8:19 left in the opening stanza put them in front 20-19, but that would be their last lead of the game. North Florida closed the half on a 15-4 run holding the Spartans to just one field goal with one minute left. The surge allowed the Ospreys to carry a 36-24 lead into the halftime break.

UNF carried their momentum into the second half outscoring Upstate, 16-5, through the first four minutes of play putting North Florida up 52-29. The Spartans would only get as close as 18 the rest of the way as the Ospreys kept the pressure on both offensively and defensively.

"I was very proud of how our guys competed for 40 minutes tonight," said UNF head coach Matthew Driscoll. "They played with a real high level of energy on both ends of the floor. The real credit for the win goes to our defensive effort and our strong runs to end the first half and open the second half. This was a special way to send our seniors out. They have been the foundation of what we are trying to build here and have been tremendous representatives for our program and the university."

North Florida will now hit the road to close out the regular season with games at Northern Kentucky on Thursday and next Saturday at Lipscomb.