University of North Florida
Kennesaw State
Ospreys fall to Kennesaw State, 66-59
2/27/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
KENNESAW, Ga. (Feb. 26, 2005) - The University of North Florida men's basketball team pushed defending national champion Kennesaw State to wire for the second time this season on Saturday afternoon - with identical results.
The Ospreys couldn't hold a late lead, watching the second-ranked Owls (23-4, 13-3 PBC) roar back from a 2-point deficit with five minutes to play and post a 66-59 win in Peach Belt Conference men's basketball action at KSU's Spec Landrum Centre.
The victory gave KSU a share of their second straight Peach Belt title and kept UNF (14- 16, 9-7 PBC) from finishing at .500 in the regular season. The contest was the final in the regular season for both teams.
Georgy Joseph was the difference for Kennesaw State, tallying 17 points and 18 rebounds, including 10 rebounds in the second half and a pair of big baskets in the final five minutes that fueled a decisive 9-0 run. Of Joseph's 18 rebounds, eight came on the offense end. The Owls outrebounded UNF 43-24 as a team, including 19 on the offensive end.
"(Joseph) was the difference in the game," UNF head coach Matt Kilcullen said. "He did a great job of rebounding and giving them second shots. I hate that it cost us the game, but you have to admire what he did. He was a man among men out there."
The game was back-and-forth for most of the day, with the teams swapping leads nine times and forging 13 ties along the way. UNF led 49-47 with 5:44 to go, but Kennesaw State used a 9-0 at that point to regain control and move ahead for good. Joseph hit a pair of layups during the run and blocked a shot to help fuel the Owls' charge.
The Ospreys cut the deficit to 61-58 with 34 seconds remaining, but KSU hit its last six free throw attempts to ice the game away.
Donny Lotz led UNF with 16 points, while David Ashwell added 13. UNF shot 39 percent for the game (19-of-49) but hit just 3-of-14 shots from 3- point range. Kennesaw State shot 37 percent (18-of- 49) and sank 25-of-28 free-throw attempts.
Both teams will play in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament in Augusta, Ga., next week. The Ospreys are the No. 4 South seed and will face USC Aiken in a first-round game on Wednesday. Kennesaw State has a first-round bye.
The complete tournament brackets will be released on Sunday.
