UNF nails season-high nine 3-pointers

Saturday, January 3

Spartanburg, S.C.

1 p.m.

University of North Florida

-211, 03 ASun

USC Upstate

-210, 12 ASun

North Florida

USC Upstate

Stan Januska scored 13 points and pulled down eight rebounds Saturday.

1/3/2009 4:11:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Late rally comes up empty in loss to Upstate

By: Shawn LaFata

Box Score

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (Dec. 18, 2008) – The University of North Florida men's basketball team fell behind 18 points to USC Upstate in the second half of play and rallied to within four points, but could not get any closer in a 69-64 loss to the Spartans.

Cortez Riley scored 17 points for the Ospreys (2-11, 0-3 A-Sun) but it wasn't enough to overcome a 24-point performance by Upstate's Bobby Davis who also pulled down 16 rebounds for the Spartans (2-10, 1-2 A-Sun) with 10 of those coming on the offensive end.

UNF played catch up for most of the contest, falling behind 11-2 in the opening half before not scoring for the first five minutes of the second half and falling victim to a 14-0 USC Upstate run.

The Ospreys kept themselves in the contest with a season-high nine 3-pointers on the day with Cameron Lovelace and Riley knocking down three apiece.

UNF shot 44.2 percent from the field for the game, hitting 9-of-15 free throws, compared to an Upstate squad that hit 29-of-41 free throws and 13-of-16 in the opening half of play. Davis led all players at the charity stripe, knocking down 14 of his 16 attempts.

The Ospreys found themselves in an early hole, trailing 11-2 after Upstate hit a pair of 3-pointers and Davis completed a 3-point play. UNF fought its way back into the game thanks to 3-pointers by Germaine Sparkes, Riley and Eni Cuka, who also had a driving layup to tie the game 15-15.

A 13-3 run that Davis finished off with a dunk that he turned into a 3-point play with a free throw put the Spartans ahead 28-18. Another Riley 3-pointer as well as a pair of 3-pointers by Cameron Lovelace and Riley got the Ospreys back into the contest. Josh Chavis hit a jumper in the lane for the Spartans in the final seconds of the half to send his team into the locker room with a 35-31 advantage.

Riley scored 10 points in the half to lead UNF, while Cuka and Stan Januska each had five. Davis led all players with 17 points and pulled down five of his six rebounds on the offensive end. Upstate had nine offensive rebounds in the half and 16 overall.

The Spartans came out of the gates firing in the second half with Nick Schneiders scoring the first six points of the half, sparking a 14-0 Upstate run. UNF was able to pull within 11 points twice in the first 15 minutes of the half after the Spartans built an 18-point advantage.

That lead was cut to 10 near the four-minute mark after a Lovelace 3-pointer made it a 59-49 game. From there the Ospreys kept chipping away at the Upstate advantage, pulling within four points twice on baskets by Januska and Riley. Upstate sunk five of its last six free throw attempts to seal the win.

UNF outrebounded Upstate 37-34 with Januska pulling down a team-high eight rebounds to go along with his 13 points. The Ospreys turned the ball over 17 times on the day compared to the Spartans' eight turnovers.

UNF's two-game Atlantic Sun Conference road swing continues on Monday when the Ospreys take on East Tennessee State at 7 p.m. The team returns home Friday when it welcomes Kennesaw State to UNF Arena at 7 p.m.