Second half run lifts UNF to victory

Monday, January 28

Jacksonville, Fla.

7:00 PM

University of North Florida

USC Upstate

Shennette Sheffield led all players with 10 rebounds.

1/28/2008 9:19:29 PM | Women's Basketball

Lady Ospreys put clamps on Upstate in 48-37 win

Box Score

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The University of North Florida women's basketball team turned up the defensive heat on USC Upstate Monday night in a 48-37 victory at UNF Arena.

The Lady Osprey (9-10, 4-3 A-Sun) defense allowed only 15 second half points to a banged up Spartans (4-16, 0-7 A-Sun) squad, holding Upstate to six field goals in the second half of play. UNF used that defense to help it put together a 16-2 second-half run that ultimately sealed the win and got UNF back on the winning track after two-straight losses.

“That win was big for our confidence,” UNF head coach Mary Tappmeyer said. “Before we went on that run in the second half I spent the whole timeout convincing the team that the coaching staff knew they were good shooters, they just needed to believe in themselves.”

The Lady Ospreys took Tappmeyer's words to heart. After only scoring two points in the first four 4:17 of the second half, UNF watched its one-point halftime lead turn into a two-point deficit early in the half after Tiffany Whiting hit a 3-pointer to give the Spartans a 27-25 advantage.

Shandrea Moore came out of the first media timeout of the second half to score four points in a row and give the Lady Ospreys a lead they would never relinquish the rest of the way. Antoinette Reames followed Moore's four points by converting a 3-point play, working her way through a double team for a layup and drawing a foul on the play as well. She hit the free throw that followed, then looked on as Juliemay Syquio nailed a 3-pointer from the baseline on UNF's next possession to give UNF a 35-27 advantage.

Syquio led UNF with nine points. Reames and Moore followed her with eight points apiece, as eight of the nine Lady Ospreys who saw action cracked the scoring column.

Upstate's Shanea Wyant led all players with 11 points.

Moore put the clamps down on Upstate's Courtney Hawkins, who had scored at least 15 points in her last four contests. Hawkins finished the game with six points, hitting 3-of-11 shots from the field.

“Shandrea did a great job on Courtney Hawkins,” Tappmeyer said. “She held her well below her season average. Shandrea did a good job of taking away her quickness and forcing her to go in directions she didn't want to go.”

Brittany Jones came off the bench to help put the finishing touches on UNF's second half run, hitting a jumper in the paint at the 7:44 mark that Reames followed up a minute later with a pair of free throws. Jones finished the game with six points and has averaged eight points a game since returning from a sprained foot that held her out of the Jan. 19 contest against Jacksonville.

UNF shot 44.2 percent from the field for the game, but turned the ball over 27 times compared to 21 Upstate turnovers.

The Lady Ospreys and Spartans traded baskets in the opening half with neither team able to grab a lead of more than five points.

Jones scored four of her points in the opening half to help put UNF on a 6-2 run that gave the Lady Ospreys an 11-8 advantage. Upstate eventually tied the score at 11-11 before Jennifer Bowen hit a 3-pointer from the baseline to give UNF a 14-11 lead and help it eventually take a 20-15 advantage. The Spartans, however, outscored UNF 7-3 over the final four minutes of the half and trailed by one heading into the locker room.

UNF held a 17-13 advantage on the boards in the first half and dominated the boards the rest of the way, finishing the contest with a 39-22 rebounding advantage. Shennette Sheffield led the Lady Ospreys with 10 rebounds, while Bowen had eight. Ebony Johnson led the Spartans with six rebounds.

With 10 games left in the season, UNF has already secured more wins – nine – this season than it did all of last year.

The team will try to increase that win mark when it welcomes Campbell to UNF Arena on Saturday at 2 p.m. before hosting Gardner-Webb next Monday at 7 p.m.