University of North Florida
Florida A&M
UNF shoots season-best in loss
12/15/2007 6:30:49 PM | Men's Basketball
Ospreys go 48.9 percent from floor but commit 21 turnovers
UNF (1-7) shot a season-best 48.9 percent from the floor but did itself in with 21 turnovers and lack of clutch rebounding down the stretch in a 61-57 loss to Florida A&M. Junior Tom Hammonds led the Ospreys with 15 points, while senior Chris Timberlake tied his season-high of 13 points and dished out four assists. Timberlake also drained a 3-pointer, which puts him just one away from tying the UNF career record.
With 1:18 left in the game, and UNF trailing 56-48, the Ospreys looked liked they were down and out. But a quick two by Timberlake and a trifecta by
But a missed shot by FAMU's Leslie Robinson went long after hitting the front of the rim, allowing FAMU's Joe Ballard to chase down the loose ball and effectively end UNF's chances of a comeback. UNF shot 46.4 percent in the second but were just 1-for-6 from 3-point land and 3-13 (23.1 percent) for the game.
UNF jumped out to a 12-5 lead four and half minutes into the game, but a mountain of turnovers prevented the Ospreys from developing any kind of consistent momentum and allowed the Rattlers to eventually take a 21-14 lead. But UNF showed signs of life and went on an 8-0 run to go up 22-21.
Despite turning the ball over 14 times in the first half, UNF went into the locker room with a 26-25 lead. The Ospreys were able to shoot 52.6 percent from the floor, led by
Both freshman Justin Cecil and junior Cortez Riley finished with eight points. Sophomore Germaine Sparkes pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds, eight of which came in the first half. Cecil also had nine boards.
The Ospreys return to action at 7 p.m. on Tuesday to take on Florida Atlantic in
