SunTrust River City Rumble <br>comes to UNF Arena - University of North Florida Athletics

Thursday, January 15

Jacksonville, Fla.

5:30 p.m.

University of North Florida

Jacksonville University

Senior Jennifer Guldager had eight rebounds in UNF's last meeting with JU

SunTrust River City Rumble
comes to UNF Arena

1/14/2009 5:14:00 PM | Women's Basketball

UNF squares off with JU at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday

By: Adam Jonson, UNF Athletics

Game Notes

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. –The University of North Florida women's basketball team has shown its potential during its recent action and will attempt to hold its strong performance for a full contest when it hosts Jacksonville for the first installment of the hardwood portion of the SunTrust River City Rumble on Thursday.

UNF (2-13, 1-5 Atlantic Sun) and JU (8-7, 4-2) tipoff at 5:30 p.m. at UNF Arena before men's action follows at 7:45 p.m.

The Lady Ospreys scored 35 in the first half against Kennesaw State last Thursday before netting 33 in the second half against Mercer on Saturday. Those marks rank as the second and third single-half scoring totals for UNF this season (48 in second half against Wofford), but the Lady Ospreys struggled in the other half of both contests.

Against KSU, UNF closed the game by scoring only 15 second-half points before banking a season-low 11 points in the first half against Mercer (also scored 11 in first half against Belmont).

However, the Lady Ospreys have been big on the boards, outrebounding their opponent in three of the last four contests. UNF grabbed 45 rebounds at USC Upstate and most recently pulled down 36 against Mercer, including 21 off the offensive glass.

The Dolphins have won three straight since dropping their 2009 opener to East Tennessee State, 86-77. During the three-game streak, JU is outscoring its opponents by an average of 17.3 points, with wins over USC Upstate, KSU and Mercer.

JU's offensive production is spread between five players averaging more than seven points per game. The group is led by Courtney Jackson and Virginia Gregoire at 9.9 ppg and DaVina Hamilton at 9.5 ppg. The Dolphins' defense is third in the A-Sun, allowing 60.3 points per outing while UNF's defense ranks fifth (62.6 ppg).

Last season, the Dolphins grabbed victories in both meetings, making five-straight wins for JU over the Lady Ospreys. UNF's last win came in the first-ever meeting between the two on Jan. 2, 2006, at UNF Arena, 64-51.

When: Thursday, Jan. 15 – 5:30 p.m.

Where: UNF Arena

Admission: Adult – $5; Seniors (55+)/Youth (13-17) – $3; See promotions below.

ASUN.TV: Click here (coverage begins at 5:15 p.m.)

Live Stats: Click here (begins at 5:30 p.m.)

UNF's Record: 2-13 (1-5 A-Sun)

JU's Record: 8-7 (4-2 A-Sun)

Series: JU leads, 5-1

Last Meeting: Feb. 16, 2008 at UNF Arena (JU won, 63-50)

Who's Hot: Freshman Kayla Mobley picked up her second double-double of the season and her career in UNF's last action. She grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds and led the Lady Ospreys in scoring with 11 points against Mercer. Her 11 points was also a career high.

Quoting Coach Tappmeyer: "We must shoot the ball better. We have been consistent in our rebounding but we have to become confident shooters. At this point, it is more psychological than anything and somebody just has to believe the ball is going to go in the bucket. We played well in the first half against Kennesaw State and in the second against Mercer and its time for us to put a solid 40 minutes together."

Gameday Notables: UNF is in its final season of the four-year transition into Division I … the Lady Ospreys are 3-2 all-time when playing on Jan. 15 … UNF is currently on a 10-game skid, which is the longest losing streak in program history (was seven from Dec. 30, 2004 to Jan. 22, 2005) … UNF has dropped five straight to JU after winning the first-ever meeting between the two (Jan. 2, 2006) … JU leads in the SunTrust River City Rumble count, 4-2, this season … the Lady Ospreys are coming off their best finish since entering the transitional period, finishing with a 13-16 overall record and 8-8 A-Sun record in 2007-08 … Bowen and senior Jennifer Guldager will steer the program once again, having been with the team through every season of the reclassification process.

Promotions: "Blue Out" JU … wear navy blue and pay only $1 for admission before halftime … "On Fire" 3-point contest … winner receives prize provided by Moe's Southwest Grill … Moe's Southwest Grill and Smoothie King giveaways … first 500 fans receive a coupon to Moe's or Smoothie King.