University of North Florida
RUTGERS
UNF hangs with Rutgers
11/25/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 25, 2005
FREEPORT, Bahamas - The University of North Florida women's basketball team put forth a strong effort against seventh-ranked Rutgers on Friday night in the first round of the Junkanoo Jam in Freeport, Bahamas, falling 66-36, in a contest where the final score was not indicative of the game.
UNF held an early lead on Rutgers and only trailed by 11 in the final 10 minutes of play. Rutgers, however, was able to close each half on a big run and hit a few three 3-pointers in the final three minutes to help to help pad the final score.
The Scarlet Knights (1-0) closed the opening half on a 15-0 run and held the Lady Ospreys (1-2) off in the final minutes of play with a 9-0 run.
"For our first game against a top 10 team, we did some good things," UNF head coach Mary Tappmeyer said. "It was great experience for us."
Preseason All-America Cappie Pondexter led all players with 20 points, while UNF's Anna Haberlien scored 10. UNF's Jackie Beik was the only player with double-digit rebounds, pulling down 10.
"If you take Cappie out of the mix in the first half, it's a different game," Tappmeyer said.
Pondexter hit 6-of-7 shots from the field in the opening half, but only hit two shots in the second half of play. Matee Ajavon picked up the slack for her in the second half, scoring 12 of her 19 points for Rutgers.
The Lady Ospreys hung with Rutgers in the early going, taking a 5-2 lead. Rutgers eventually grabbed a 9-5 advantage before Anna Haberlein hit the first of her two 3-pointers to cut the lead to 9-8.
UNF kept the defensive pressure on and only trailed 17-13 at the 7:08 mark. An Andrea Dill layup made it a 17-15 contest before UNF went cold from the field, not scoring another basket for the last seven minutes of the half. UNF finished that stretch 0-for-11 from the field.
Haberlein led the Lady Ospreys with eight points at the half.
Pondexter helped Rutgers to a 15-0 run that closed the opening half of play, knocking down three shots beyond the arc. She finished the half with 15 points.
UNF's beginning in the second half looked similar to its beginning in the first. The Lady Ospreys held Rutgers scoreless for the first three minutes of the frame and began the half on a 5-0 run.
The Scarlet Knights increased their lead to 41-24 before Haberlein and Jackie Beik hit back-to-back jumpers to make it a 41-29 game with just less than nine minutes to play.
UNF out-rebound Rutgers 35-34. Sixteen of those rebounds were on the offensive end.
UNF will take on Iowa State - which lost to N.C. State - Saturday at 6 p.m. EST in the third place game of the Freeport bracket in the Bahamas Junkanoo Jam.
