Ospreys' late push falls short

Sunday, December 28

UNF Arena

4 p.m.

University of North Florida

2-9

IPFW

7-6

IPFW

North Florida

Junior Germaine Sparkes scored a team-high 13 points

12/28/2008 7:27:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

UNF outscored IPFW 34-29 in second half

By: Adam Jonson, UNF Athletics

Box Score

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Increased intensity in the second half brought the University of North Florida men's basketball team roaring back from a double-digit deficit on Sunday against Indiana Purdue-Fort Wayne, but the Osprey rally fell short and the Mastodons escaped UNF Arena with a 67-61 win.

UNF (2-9, 0-2 Atlantic Sun) put the pressure on IPFW (7-6) early in the second half, using full-court defense to cut the Mastodon's 11-point halftime lead to only five less than five minutes into the second frame.

"We played with a purpose in the second half." UNF head coach Matt Kilcullen said. "If we had played the same defense in the first half that we did in the second half, we would have been in a better position to win the game."

Junior Germaine Sparkes scored eight of his team-high 13 points in the first 10 minutes and nine seconds of the second half, helping the Ospreys cut the IPFW lead to two points at the 8:16 mark. Zack Plackemeier's jumper from long range put the Mastodons up by five with a little less than eight minutes remaining.

"Our kids really fought hard and gave our team a chance to win the game, but it just wasn't meant to be," Kilcullen said. "Credit IPFW for hitting the big shots they needed down the stretch to pick up the win."

The Ospreys never allowed the Mastodons to lead by more than six the rest of the way, but also could not manage to pull closer than two points. With a little more than two minutes remaining, sophomore Devon Jones flushed a pair of free throws to again bring UNF within two at 58-56. IPFW scored the next four to match their biggest lead down the stretch.

Junior Stan Januska drained a shot from 3-point land with 15 seconds left to play and the Ospreys immediately sent the Mastodons to the charity stripe in hopes of securing an opportunity to tie the game with another make from downtown. One made foul shot pushed the visiting team's lead to four before a pair of free ones with six seconds remaining finished the game's scoring.

In the first half, IPFW connected on .833 percent of their shots from beyond the arc (5-for-6) and .583 percent of their shots from the field. They also committed only three turnovers and forced seven UNF turnovers.

"I thought that they took it to us in the first half, and defensively we didn't play as well as we are capable of playing," UNF head coach Matt Kilcullen said. "They did basically whatever they wanted to do in the first half."

The Mastodons carried an 11-point edge into the break before UNF's defense stepped up and limited its opponent to .389 percent shooting from the field and .250 percent from 3-point territory in the second half.

"We simply need to play the full 40 minutes," Kilcullen said. "If we play the first 20 like we played the last 20, we will give ourselves a chance to be more successful."

UNF fired true on .373 percent of its shots in the contest (19-for-51), including .444 percent from long range (4-for-9). Senior Cortez Riley notched six points and added a team-best six rebounds. Sparkes dished four assists and contributed four rebounds, three offensive. Freshman Matt Sauey picked up seven points in 13 minutes of action.

IPFW's David Carson led all scorers with 16 points and grabbed six rebounds. Nick Daniels netted 14 points while Deilvez Yearby and Plackemeier each chipped in 12.

The Ospreys' next action takes them to Miami to face the Hurricanes on Wednesday, Dec. 31, at 2 p.m.