High intensity seals UNF's first win

Sunday, November 30

Jacksonville, Fla.

2 p.m.

University of North Florida

Wofford College

Bowen posted her first career double-double and Kirkland scored a career high

11/30/2008 6:02:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Lady Ospreys tip off A-Sun action at home against Lipscomb on Thursday

By: Adam Jonson, UNF Athletics

Box Score

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Led by senior guard Jennifer Bowen's first career double-double and freshman point guard Brittany Kirkland's game-high 15 points, the University of North Florida women's basketball team notched its first win of the season Sunday, using increased energy, offensive outbursts and stellar play off the bench to wipe out Wofford, 71-60.

"The whole team really stepped up to this challenge," UNF head coach Mary Tappmeyer said. "We challenged them to set the tone in the first five minutes of both halves, and that's exactly what happened."

UNF (1-3) got hot a little more than two minutes into the contest, scoring 12 consecutive points. Kirkland nailed a jumper at the 17:37 mark to put the Lady Ospreys on the board and cut a four-point Wofford (0-4) lead in half. She pulled UNF within one after a made free throw before redshirt freshman Rachelle Rasley connected on a shot from downtown to lift the Lady Ospreys their first lead of the game at 6-4.

The Lady Ospreys built as much as a nine point lead over the next four and a half minutes, but the Terriers clawed their way back to a two-point lead by scoring eight-straight, moving the score in their favor at 17-15 with 7:38 remaining in the first half.

Freshman Jadhken Kerr drained three 3-pointers in the final 11 minutes of the opening half, accounting for nine consecutive UNF points and all of her team's points during a stretch of almost 12 minutes. Kirkland added a jumper with 34 seconds on the clock to bring the Lady Ospreys to a three-point halftime deficit (26-23).

Senior Jennifer Bowen, who finished the day with 13 points and 10 rebounds, led the charge after the break, sinking the first two baskets of the second half to put the Lady Ospreys on top 27-26. Over the next six minutes, the game featured six tied scores and six lead changes. In that time, junior Willonda Windham and Bowen each flushed two buckets.

With 13:23 on the clock, redshirt freshman Kim Baker entered the game and less than 20 seconds later knocked down a shot to knot the score at 40-40. Her defensive presence and back-to-back baskets by juniors Arlande Cherizol and Shennette Sheffield sparked another Lady Osprey run.

The Lady Ospreys allowed only five points over a stretch of almost eight minutes and scored 21 during that same stretch, running the score to 59-45 with six minutes left to play. Baker scored five points and snatched two steals during the UNF surge.

"KB was huge off the bench for us today," Tappmeyer said. "You really can't ask for more when your defensive stopper comes in and does her job on the defensive end of the floor while also scoring eight points in eight minutes."

After the Lady Ospreys mounted a 17-point advantage, Wofford's Mahogany Williams scored five of her 14 points to help the visiting team chip away the UNF lead. Wofford pulled as close as nine with under a minute to play, but free throws by Baker and Bowen settled the final score to 71-60.

Kirkland made her first career start for UNF, tabbing career highs in points, field goals made (5), field goals attempted (10), free throws made (4, also against Southeastern La.), free throws attempted (6) and minutes played (28, also against Florida State).

"It felt really good to be on the floor as a starter," Kirkland said. "I am becoming more comfortable as a leader and a link of the coaching staff to the rest of the team, and I am realizing that I am a leader of the team when I am on the floor."

Off the bench, six Lady Ospreys combined for 26 points, including 11 of UNF's 48 second-half points. In addition to Baker's eight points, Rasley had seven, Sheffield had four, sophomore Juliemay Syquio had three and Cherizol and freshman Kayla Mobley each added two.

"It really gives the team a lot of confidence to know that everyone can contribute," senior forward Jennifer Guldager said. "It builds excitement for us to have such strong play off the bench and really helps us trust each other on the court."

Guldager was instrumental down the stretch in directing the team's defensive sets, relaying which defense would be used in each scenario. She grabbed seven rebounds, scored two points and swiped two steals in 21 minutes of action.

Bowen's 10 rebounds helped the Lady Ospreys win the rebounding battle by a mark of 44-37. Four Lady Ospreys, including Bowen and Guldager, pulled down two offensive rebounds apiece to help the home team to a total of 18 offensive rebounds. Bowen also connected on a game-high six attempts from the field and played a game-high 31 minutes.

"It's nice to hit some shots after struggling in the first couple of games," Bowen said.

She sank just .227 percent of her shots and scored an average of 5.3 points through the first three games of the season. She fired true on .462 percent of her tries (6-13) Sunday, including .555 percent of her second-half attempts (5-9).

Like Bowen, the whole Lady Osprey squad found the shooting touch in the second half, racking up a .514 shooting percentage after connecting on .281 percent of their shots in the first half. Wofford bettered UNF's game shooting percentage by less than one percent, scoring on .412 of its shots. However, the Terriers turned the ball over 26 times, compared to 20 by the Lady Ospreys.

UNF opens its Atlantic Sun Conference slate on Thursday, hosting Lipscomb for a men's and women's doubleheader at UNF Arena. The Lady Ospreys tip off the action at 5:45 p.m. before the Ospreys follow with a 7:45 p.m. tip.