UNF clamps down on SE Louisiana

Saturday, December 8

Jacksonville, Fla.

2:00 PM

University of North Florida

SE LOUISIANA

Shandrea Moore and Jennifer Bowen both scored in double figures.

12/8/2007 3:58:17 PM | Women's Basketball

Team puts forth best defensive effort of season

Box Score

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – University of North Florida women's basketball coach Mary Tappmeyer felt good about her team's defensive game plan heading into its matchup with Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday. She felt even better about the defense after her team held the Lady Lions to 11 field goals in a 51-37 victory at UNF Arena.

“This team really buys into our defensive system,” Tappmeyer said. “We got down a little bit toward the end of the first half, but were able to bottle them up and play a full 20 minutes in the second half. This team has a chance to be a really special defensive team.”

On the offensive end, UNF's two-headed point guard of Shandrea Moore and Juliemay Syquio led the offensive charge and helped key a 15-3 second half run that sealed the win for UNF (3-5). Moore led all players with 13 points. Syquio followed her with 12 points and tied both Moore and Jennifer Bowen with a game high four assists. The 12 points tied a career high for Syquio, a freshman from Jacksonville.

The Lady Ospreys dished out a season-high 15 assists in the win and outrebounded the Lady Lions (3-4) 33-30.

Bowen tied SE Louisiana's Kristy Carlin and Zevy Ivory for a game-high six rebounds, while also finishing the contest with 10 points.

This was the second-straight game the trio of Bowen, Moore and Syquio has scored in double figures.

The Lady Ospreys took the contest over in the second half after Syquio nailed a 3-pointer at the 14:28 mark to give UNF a 24-21 advantage. That started the 15-3 run in which Syquio had three steals to complement Bowen's four points.

“Juliemay energizes everyone around her,” Moore said. “I love being on the court when she is out there.”

Antoinette Reames took over from there, scoring five of her seven points in a stretch of 2:37. She also blocked a shot in that run, before putting home a layup at the 4:31 mark that gave the Lady Ospreys a 47-29 advantage.

UNF blocked five shots on the day with Shennette Sheffield and Reames collecting two apiece.

The Lady Ospreys shot 44.7 percent from the field for the game and 52 percent for the second half.

UNF was a model of efficiency in the first eight minutes of play, taking only five shots, but making all of them count. The Lady Lions on the other hand missed their first eight shots from the field and watched Syquio and Moore hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Lady Ospreys a 16-3 advantage at the 8:40 mark of the half.

SE Louisiana countered from there and ended the half on a 13-3 run to trail 19-16 at the break. The Lady Lions pulled even with UNF on two occasions in the second half, but had no further answers for UNF in the final 14 minutes of play.

Brooke Necaise led SE Louisiana with nine points, knocking down 3-of-5 3-point attempts.

The Lady Ospreys will turn their attention to final exams next week before welcoming Wofford, NorfolkState and SavannahState to town for the UNF Holiday Classic. The Lady Ospreys will take on NorfolkState Dec. 18 and Wofford Dec. 19. Both games will start at 7 p.m. All four tournament games are free to the public.