University of North Florida
-1012, 57 ASun
Jacksonville
-128, 83 ASun
JU Outlasts North Florida 73-61 in Front of UNF Arena Record Crowd of 3,815
1/29/2010 11:15:32 PM | Men's Basketball
Jeune scores career high 14 for UNF
JACKSONVILLE
Up six at halftime, 36-30, the Dolphins used an early second half surge to build a 12-point lead with 16:35 remaining and held on for the victory. North Florida cut the JU lead to six at 49-43 with 11:51 to play but the Ospreys could get no closer than seven the rest of the way.
UNF senior guard and leading scorer Stan Januska but did not see action in the second half after a hard first half fall. He was coughing up blood and taken to the hospital at halftime as a precautionary measure to be examined.
“This is a physical league,” said UNF head coach Matthew Driscoll, referring to Januska's injury. “JU goes after balls and it's a physical league. It's the way this league plays.”
North Florida fell to 10-12 on the year and 5-7 in Atlantic Sun Conference play, while JU improved to 12-8 and a league-best 8-3.
The Ospreys again did a great job defensively on the conference-leading Dolphins, holding JU to just 35.5 percent shooting from the field, but were done in on the glass. Jacksonville out-rebounded UNF 47-35, including pulling down 24 offensive rebounds. UNF also held Ben Smith, the A-Sun's third-leading scorer, to just 13 points, 6.5 less than his 19.5 per game average.
“This is what we told the guys before the game,” said Driscoll. “'This is what the game is going to come down to, whoever has the greatest will to defensive rebound, for us, or offensive rebound for them, that's the team that's going to win.' Whoever has the greatest will. They have better leapers than us, it's a fact and I am not embarrassed to say it. It is not degrading, it's life. So how do you defend that? Well you've got to get inside their body, put your body on their body and then it is an over-the-back. If you try to eye-jump somebody it's hard.”
Freshman forward David Jeune led UNF with a career high 14 points, eight more than his previous best of six. He also added six rebounds. Sophomore forward Matt Sauey had nine points and tied for game-high with 10 rebounds. Freshman forward Andy Diaz had nine points and eight rebounds.
Lehmon Colbert led JU with 22 points and 10 rebounds.
North Florida shot 37.5 percent from the field, 28.6 percent from behind the arc and 70 percent from the free throw line. The Dolphins shot 18.2 percent from 3-point range and 75 percent from the line.
The Ospreys are off for a week before making their Nashville trip to face Lipscomb on Friday, Feb. 5 and Belmont on Sunday, Feb. 7. Both games can be heard on AM 1320 WBOB and 103.7 FM in Jacksonville or on-line at 1320WBOB.com. They can also be seen on www.ASun.TV.
