University of North Florida
Jacksonville
UNF falters late at JU
2/3/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 3, 2007
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The University of North Florida men's basketball team put a second-half scare into cross-town rival Jacksonville University on Saturday afternoon in their SunTrust River City Rumble matchup at Veterans Memorial Arena.
In the end, the Dolphins put together a game-clinching run when they needed it - and the Ospreys went ice cold from the floor and free throw line down the stretch - as JU pulled away for a 75-61 win.
Lehmon Colbert scored 10 of his 12 points in the first half for JU (11-11, 7-5 A-Sun), one of five Dolphins in double figures. JU only shot 41 percent for the game and hit just 6-of-21 shot from 3-point range, but a 42-27 rebounding edge and a 17-6 run over the final six minutes proved to be the difference.
UNF (2-21, 0-12 A-Sun) trailed 58-55 with five minutes to go, but a layup and 3-pointer on back-to-back plays by JU's Corey Claitt and another 3-pointer by Jesse Kimbrough stretched that advantage to 66-55 in a 45-second stretch, and UNF could never recover. The Ospreys scored just one field goal the rest of the way in losing their 11th straight game.
"I thought our guys played hard," UNF head coach Matt Kilcullen. "We just hit that same stretch that has hurt us all season. We turn the ball over, miss free throws, miss shots and dig too deep a hole. We've got to learn to fight through those situations. They kicked our butts on the offensive boards, too, (19 offensive rebounds for JU) which was big key to the outcome."
UNF got balanced scoring with 18 points from Aaron Caruthers and Chris Timberlake and 13 from James Grimball. The Ospreys shot 58 percent in the first half, but sank to just 35 over the final 20 minutes and were just 9-of-18 from the free throw line.
Caruthers came out firing in the first half, scoring 13 of his points - including the Ospreys' final eight points of the half in a 13-6 run that erased a 12-point deficit.
The Dolphins had muscled their way out to a 12-point lead in the opening half behind long-range shooting from Evan Jefferson - who hit a pair of treys - and Colbert. JU erased a brief deficit early with a 12-2 run and led 35-23 when UNF mounted its march late in the half.
Caruthers hit a layup with 40 seconds to go, but Kimbrough answered with a drive and score on the other end just before the buzzer to give the Dolphins a 41-36 lead the intermission.
UNF stayed hot to open the second half, hitting back-to-back 3-pointers on their first two possessions to jump back in front, 42-41. The teams battled back and forth from there until JU eventually took control.
The Ospreys return to action on Thursday when they play host to Kennesaw State at UNF Arena. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
