University of North Florida
GARDNER-WEBB
Rally falls short against GWU
1/21/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 21, 2006
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The North Florida men's basketball team continued with its season of close calls on Saturday afternoon at UNF Arena, this time taking defending Atlantic Sun Conference champion Gardner-Webb to the wire before falling just short in a 71-67 loss.
UNF (4-13, 1-9 A-Sun) had three chances to tie or take the lead against the Bulldogs (8-9, 5-5 A-Sun) in the final three minutes but could never connect after slicing an 11-point deficit to 69-67 with 2:58 to play. A pair of missed layups by UNF's Alain Laroche - one of which was blocked by GWU's Brian Bender - allowed the Bulldogs to hold off the Ospreys' rally and win their second straight game on the road.
Gardner-Webb's Simon Conn scored 18 points to lead the Bulldogs, while Bender added 15 points for the GWU, which shot 57 percent for the game. Bender's two free throws with two seconds remaining provided the final cushion.
"We wanted the ball in Alain's hands at the end," UNF head coach Matt Kilcullen said. "(GWU's) experience really paid off. They have been in some big games and have six seniors on their roster. In the last three minutes, our defense was terrific. We just couldn't score. We had our chances."
Laroche scored 21 points to lead UNF, while Rashad Williams added 20. Chris Timberlake was the only other Osprey to score in double figures, adding 12 points.
UNF shot 46 percent for the game - including a 48 percent effort in the second half - but could never find an answer for the inside tandem of Conn and Bender. Conn had 10 points in the first half and Ricky McPhee added 11 points off the bench, helping the Bulldogs stretch out to a 38-30 halftime lead.
In the second half, the Bulldogs stayed with Conn and Bender - riding them to their biggest lead of the game, 67-56, with 6:50 remaining.
From there, UNF took control, going on an 11-2 run over the next three minutes. Timberlake's two free throws with 2:58 remaining cut the deficit to 69-67, but the Ospreys could never get closer. UNF was 0- for-4 from the floor the rest of the way, including two misses by freshman Ryan Daugherty, whose last shot on a drive to the basket rimmed out with four seconds to play.
The loss was only UNF's third at home this season in seven games.
"Gardner-Webb has won at Minnesota, played North Carolina within three points and won this conference last year," Kilcullen said. "Those experiences paid off. They made the plays when they had to. It was a heck of a basketball game."
UNF will open the second half of conference play on Wednesday night when cross-town rival Jacksonville pays its first visit to UNF Arena. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. The game will be carried live on Comcast Jacksonville Channels 99 and 14, as well as on WIOJ- AM 1010 in Jacksonville. It will also be webcast at www.UNFOspreys.com.
