Overtime defense lifts Lady Ospreys

Saturday, February 21

Jacksonville, Fla.

2 p.m.

University of North Florida

Stetson University

Seniors Jennifer Bowen (left) and Jennifer Guldager won their final home game

2/21/2009 8:06:00 PM | Women's Basketball

UNF held Stetson scoreless for the first 3:42 of overtime

By: Adam Jonson, UNF Athletics

Box Score

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two Lady Osprey seniors watched their final home game end in dramatic fashion Saturday night when the University of North Florida revved up its defensive pressure in overtime against Stetson and emerged with a 60-56 Atlantic Sun Conference women's basketball win.

Seniors Jennifer Guldager and Jennifer Bowen were honored in a pre-game ceremony before each seeing more than 40 minutes of action to help UNF (7-20, 6-12 A-Sun) score its fourth win in its last five games at UNF Arena and pick up the season sweep over Stetson (8-20, 5-14).

"I was really happy we could send them out this way," UNF head coach Mary Tappmeyer said. "I was pleased with Jen Bowen's aggressive play tonight, and Jen G (Guldager) was her rock-steady self. Even though Bowen didn't shoot particularly well she kept her head in the game, and Guldager grabbed the big rebounds when we needed them."

The Lady Ospreys owned a 10-point lead with less than 11 minutes to play (42-32) before hitting a road block and scoring only three points over the next six minutes. The Hatters used a 16-3 run to take hold of a three-point advantage at 48-45 with less than five minutes remaining.

"Stetson played with a lot of fire and intensity," Tappmeyer said. "They hit some big shots and never let themselves be out of the game."

Down two with 43 seconds left, junior Arlande Cherizol knocked down a jumper in the paint before adding a pair of free throws with 13 seconds remaining to put UNF up by two. Stetson's Sharnesha Smith drained a pair of free ones with two ticks left to send the game to extra time.

"Arlande stepped up in a big way for us tonight," Tappmeyer said. "She scored, she rebounded, she played defense and she came through in several clutch situations."

In overtime, Cherizol scored five of her game-high 15 points and had one of her game-high three steals. The Lady Ospreys held the Hatters without a field goal for a little less than three minutes to open the five-minute overtime period. Stetson's first overtime points came with 1:18 remaining and cut UNF's lead to two points.

Cherizol hit one more free throw with 13 seconds left in overtime and sophomore Juliemay Syquio capped all scoring by notching a free throw with two seconds remaining to boost the Lady Ospreys to their final four-point edge. Syquio finished with 13 points and five rebounds while Cherizol led all rebounders with 10 for her second double-double of the week and season.

"In the beginning of the second half we were not as focused as we needed to be," Tappmeyer said. "At the end of regulation, we talked about using the five overtime minutes to make up for the time we didn't play the way we wanted to. The girls owed it to themselves to make up for those minutes."

Bowen pulled down three offensive rebounds in the first two and a half minutes of overtime and Guldager added another off her own miss in the overtime period's opening minute. The Lady Ospreys had possession for all but 27 seconds of the first two minutes and 30 seconds of overtime.

"We grabbed some huge offensive rebounds in the beginning of overtime," Tappmeyer said. "That gave us a huge emotional boost even though we weren't shooting the ball well."

Ayesha Barkley led Stetson with 15 points and eight rebounds while Tierra Brown netted 12 points.

Freshman Brittany Kirkland chipped in 12 points and four assists for the Lady Ospreys to go along with Bowen's nine points and eight boards and Guldager's six boards and three points.

"Our two seniors won their first Division I game in 2005 (at Winthrop) and now will leave UNF having won their final Division I home game," Tappmeyer said.

Bowen, Guldager and the Lady Ospreys will attempt to finish the season on the road in the same fashion they did in their home finale when they take a trip to Nashville, Tenn., to take on Belmont and Lipscomb next weekend.