University of North Florida
BELMONT
UNF knocks off Belmont
2/23/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 23, 2006
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Feb. 23, 2006) - University of North Florida women's basketball coach Mary Tappmeyer is ready to begin a new season. After three-straight losses she challenged her team to a new start and got off on the right foot as her Lady Ospreys defeated Atlantic Sun leader Belmont 58-50 on Thursday night at UNF Arena.
"I told the team after the JU game that we were about to start a new season," Tappmeyer said. "Our goal was now to go 4-0 in that new season. The rest of the conference says this was an upset, but I say it is game one in our goal of an undefeated season."
UNF Senior Kayla Sheldon tied her career high with 13 points and helped lead a surge in the second half that saw the Lady Ospreys (10-15, 8-9 A-Sun) outscore Belmont (18-6, 14-3 A-Sun) 38-27.
"Kayla really stepped up for us in the second half and hit some big threes," Tappmeyer said.
The Lady Ospreys hit 10-of-15 shots from long range, putting forth their second best effort behind the 3-point arc, following the 11 3-pointers the team hit to open the season at Winthrop.
UNF's defense also held A-Sun freshman of the year candidate Alysha Clarke in check, limiting her to only 11 points after she scored 24 in the first meeting between the teams on Jan. 28.
Along with Sheldon, Andrea Dill also scored 13 points, while Tamara Hubbard scored in double figures for the second game in a row, finishing the contest with 10 points.
Back-to-back 3-pointers by Hubbard gave the Lady Ospreys a 33-30 lead with 12:59 to play in the game, before UNF increased that advantage when a Jennifer Guldager steal led to a Jennifer Bowen lay up.
Belmont put together a 10-2 run that Tonisha Jones capped with a pair of free throws, giving the Bruins a 43-40 advantage. UNF struck back with a C.C. Woolfolk layup and a Sheldon 3-pointer that Dill helped set up with a steal. That 5-0 run gave the Lady Ospreys a lead they would never surrender.
Hubbard nailed four free throws down the stretch before Bowen and Woolfolk made 3-of-4 freebies to top off the win.
UNF forced 26 Belmont turnovers on the night and turned the ball over only 18 times.
Clarke finished the game with a double-double, pulling down 14 rebounds to go with her 11 points. Belmont outrebounded UNF 37-26. Bowen led the Lady Ospreys with five boards.
Belmont led by as many as nine in the first half before the Lady Ospreys closed the frame on an 11-3 run to trail 23-20 at the break.
UNF will close out its home slate on Saturday when it hosts Lipscomb for Senior Day at 2 p.m. Live coverage of the game can be heard at www.unfospreys.com.
