Game Notes
The University of North Florida men's basketball team starts the second leg of its trip through Atlantic Sun Conference play this week beginning with a matchup against USC Upstate on Friday night at UNF Arena.
UNF (4-16, 2-8 A-Sun) finished the first trip through league play on a winning note after Cortez Riley hit a buzzer beater against Stetson to give the Ospreys a 55-53 win on the road last Sunday. Eni Cuka paced the Ospreys in the win with 17 points while freshman Zack Riggins had a career-high 16 points off the bench.
This will be the second meeting between the Ospreys and Spartans (4-15, 3-7 A-Sun) this season. Upstate captured the first matchup on Jan. 3, holding off UNF to secure a 69-64 win in Spartanburg, S.C. The Spartans are coming off a conference split last week, scoring a season-high 44 points in the opening half to defeat Campbell 73-65 before suffering a 10-point defeat against A-Sun frontrunner East Tennessee State.
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Where: UNF Arena
Admission: Adults: $5, Staff/Osprey Club: $3, Youth (13-17): $3, Seniors (55+): $3; Students: free with UNF ID
On the Air: ASUN.TV/ 1320-AM WBOB (Coverage begins at 6:45)
Web: Live stats
UNF's Record: 4-16, 2-10 A-Sun
USC Upstate's Record: 4-15, 3-7 A-Sun
Series: Upstate leads 7-3
Who's Hot: UNF freshman Zack Riggins scored a career-high 16 points off the bench in the Ospreys' 57-55 win at Stetson … the Leavenworth, Kan., native hit 7-of-9 shots from the field and 2-of-3 free throw attempts while collecting five rebounds … Eni Cuka averaged double-digit point totals last week, beginning the week with 10 points against Florida Gulf Coast before scoring a team-high 17 points in the team's win at Stetson … UNF showed its fight against the hatters, rallying from a pair of 13-point deficits to claim its first road win in Atlantic Sun Conference play.
Gameday Notables: The Osprey coaching staff will leave their dress shoes at home during the USC Upstate contest as well as during the East Tennessee State game on Sunday … in lieu of loafers and dress shoes, coaches across the nation this weekend will throw on their sneakers as part of the National Association of Basketball Coaches 2009 Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Awareness Weekend … the sneakers are an effort to raise cancer awareness in the local community … Fans can find out more about Coaches vs. Cancer at www.cancer.org/coaches ... UNF has already captured more wins this season (4) than it did during the 2006-07 season … the Ospreys captured their first win on the road this season against an NCAA Division I foe (Dec. 18 at Furman) … UNF won its first road contest against an Atlantic Sun foe with a 55-53 win at Stetson on Jan. 25 and captured its first win against the Hatters in the process … the win against Stetson was also UNF's first against a conference opponent with a record at .500 or better … UNF's back-to-back wins against Furman (Dec. 18) and Palm Beach Atlantic (Dec. 20) gave the team its first winning streak since 2005 Thursday is service organization appreciation night at the arena.
