University of North Florida
Edward Waters
UNF blisters EWC, 91-58
11/12/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 12, 2005
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The North Florida men's basketball team got its final tune-up for the 2005-06 season on Saturday night against cross-town foe Edward Waters.
The Ospreys won 91-58, but that mattered little to UNF head coach Matt Kilcullen after the game. More important to the seventh-year head coach was what he saw from his squad as the game progressed.
"I thought overall that we did a lot of good things," Kilcullen said. "We still have a ways to go in order to be successful this season, but I was most pleased with our purpose in playing. We have an idea of what we are trying to do. We just need to fine-tune it and keep getting better."
Freshman Aaron Caruthers scored 19 points for UNF to lead all scorers, while the Ospreys' inside tandem of David Ashwell and Rashad Williams also enjoyed productive nights. Williams scored 16 points while Ashwell added 13, with the pair combining to shoot 11-of-18 from the floor. Sophomore Carl McNally scored 13 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for UNF.
Dionta Ellis led Edward Waters with 16 points.
Both teams started sluggish in the first half before UNF hit its stride, turning an 18-12 lead into a 37-14 halftime advantage behind a strong offensive surge and stifling pressure defense. Williams scored eight of UNF's points in its 19-2 run over the final 11 minutes of the half. The Ospreys allowed just three EWC field goals in the first 20 minutes, holding the Tigers to 13 percent shooting (3-of-24).
In the second half, UNF continued with more of the same. The Ospreys stretched their lead to as many as 37 points in the waning minutes before settling for the final margin.
UNF shot 54 percent for the game (37-of-69) and outrebounded the Tigers 49-35. The Ospreys also forced 25 EWC turnovers. EWC shot 33 percent for the game but finished just 1-of-12 from beyond the 3-point arc.
Saturday's game marked the end of the preseason for the Ospreys, who open their regular season on Nov. 22 against North Greenville at UNF Arena. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
