University of North Florida
Lipscomb
OSPREYS WIN!!!
UNF shocks Lipscomb, 73-64
2/22/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 22, 2007
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Sooner or later, streaks must end.
The University of North Florida snapped some nasty ones in one fell swoop on Thursday night at UNF Arena by shocking A-Sun power Lipscomb 73- 64.
The Ospreys (3-25, 1-16 A-Sun) played perhaps their most impressive game of the season, getting double- doubles from James Grimball and Arnold Henry while icing the game away with nine straight free throws in the final two minutes to snap the nation's longest losing streak at 15 games. UNF also snapped a 22- game conference losing streak and a 32-game streak against Division I opponents.
Their seven-game home skid? It's history as well.
"I can't tell you how proud I am of our guys," UNF head coach Matt Kilcullen said. "They came out and executed the game plan and finished strong. We hit free throws, played great defense, did what we needed to do. Our players get all the credit. They came to win tonight."
The victory came against one of the hottest teams in the A-Sun. The Bisons (17-11, 11-6 A-Sun) sit in third place in the conference standings and had won nine of 12 games coming into Thursday. An inability to hit the long-range shot eventually doomed the Bisons, who hit just 10 of 40 3-pointers, including a 1-for-14 first half.
UNF shot 45 percent for the game and hit 24 of 35 free throws, including 17 of 24 in the second half. The Ospreys also committed just 11 turnovers, their second-lowest total of the year.
Chris Timberlake led UNF with 16 points, one of four Ospreys in double figures. Germaine Sparkes added 14 points, James Grimball 13 points and 10 rebounds and Arnold Henry 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Sparkes erased a brief 2-0 deficit two minutes into the game with a basket and free throw, and the Ospreys never trailed again. UNF led by as many as 13 points over the first 20 minutes and were ahead 32-27 at halftime behind 12 points from Timberlake.
In the second half, Lipscomb continued to fire up 3- pointers - missing nine in a row at one point - before finally catching fire late. Brian Fisk, who led all scorers with 21 points, drained back-to-back 3-pointers to bring the Bisons within 53-51 with 5:03 to play.
UNF answered with an 8-0 run over the next three minutes, however, to build a 61-51 lead with 2:08 to go.
The Bisons hit three of their final six 3-pointers to stay within striking distance from there, but Cortez Riley, Henry and Timberlake combined to hit their final nine attempts to ice the game and give the Ospreys their first win in 2007. Timberlake's four free throws were his only points of the second half.
Ard added 15 points for the Bisons, while Michael Teller had 12.
UNF returns to action on Saturday afternoon in its season finale, facing second-place Belmont at UNF Arena. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m.
