University of North Florida
Kennesaw State
Ospreys falter late vs. KSU
1/15/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 15, 2007
KENNESAW, Ga. - The University of North Florida men's basketball team found itself in a tight battle with longtime nemesis Kennesaw State on Monday afternoon in Atlantic Sun Conference men's basketball action.
Only a five-minute stretch in the second half proved to be UNF's undoing.
The Ospreys put together a strong 35 minutes, but suffered a fatal lapse midway through the second half en route to a 77-57 loss to the Owls at the KSU Convocation Center.
Ronell Wooten scored 17 points to lead four KSU players in double figures as the Owls (8-12, 4-4 A-Sun) broke open a tight contest and pulled way with a decisive 16-3 second-half run in winning their fourth straight game. UNF (2-15, 0-7 A-Sun) lost for the fifth straight time.
James Grimball tallied 17 points and 12 rebounds for his fifth double-double in eight games for UNF, but the Ospreys couldn't overcome their second half letdown - watching a 40-40 tie with 17:43 remaining balloon into a 56-43 deficit with 12:46 to go. A 16-2 run after - during which KSU hit four consecutive 3-pointers - all but sealed the final outcome, pushing the Owls out to as much as a 22- point lead with 4:58 to go.
"Our guys gave great effort and energy in the first half," UNF head coach Matt Kilcullen said. "In the second half, we lost our defensive intensity, and that allowed them to put together a couple of big runs. That was the difference in the game. When you play on the road in conference play, you have to play 40 minutes. Our guys are still learning to do that."
UNF shot 47 percent for the game - including a 58 percent mark in the first half - and shot a season-high 54 percent from 3-point range (7- of-14). Kennesaw State matched UNF, however, hitting 48 percent for the game and 43 percent from beyond the 3-point arc (11-of-26). The Owls outrebounded UNF, 34-25.
The teams battled back and forth in the first half, exchanging leads nine times and forging four ties along the way before Kennesaw finally took control.
UNF took a 17-15 lead on Jonson Yousefzadeh's 3-pointer with 9:54 to play in the first half, and the squads were tied 19-19 with 8:14 to play after that. The Owls took the lead for good on Andre Morgan's 3-pointer on their ensuing possession and held off the Ospreys from there.
Brent Ragsdale's jumper from the lane as time expired gave the Owls a 37-33 lead at halftime.
Aaron Caruthers added 14 points for the Ospreys.
UNF returns to action this week when it faces A-Sun foe Stetson on Thursday night at UNF Arena in a game that will be broadcast locally on Comcast Jacksonville. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
