University of North Florida
#15 Missouri (Mizzou Sports Network)
Second Half Surge Propels #15 Missouri Past UNF
11/20/2010 6:38:27 PM | Men's Basketball
Final Boxscore
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- No. 15 Missouri broke open a closely contested game with the University of North Florida scoring 55 points in the second half en route to a 96-58 victory Saturday afternoon at Mizzou Arena.
The Ospreys (1-3) were led by sophomore Parker Smith, who finished with a season-high 17 points including four three-pointers, and 14 points from Matt Sauey. The Tigers (2-0) placed five players in double digits paced by 18 points from Marcus Denmon.
UNF committed 34 turnovers leading to 30 points for the Tigers who also earned a 44-32 advantage in rebounding.
Missouri raced out of the gates taking a 9-0 lead through the first three minutes of play. The Ospreys finally got on the board with 16:29 to play on a lay-up from Jimmy Williams. The Tigers would extend their lead to 16-2 before things settled into a back-and-forth battle.
North Florida settled down midway through the period and eventually turned things around on their defensive end holding Mizzou scoreless for over four minutes during a 17-9 run that saw UNF close the gap to just three points, 29-26, around the four-minute mark.
The Tigers answered in the closing minutes using a 10-1 spurt to build a 41-33 advantage at the half. UNF committed 21 turnovers in the first half but out-rebounded the Tigers, 18-16, and shot a blistering 52 percent (10-19) from the floor.
UNF continued its strong play to open the second half scoring the first six points and trimming the deficit to just two points at the 18:09 mark. Sauey keyed the aggressive start hitting a jumper and then converting a dunk off a turnover.
A few minutes later, Mizzou used an 11-0 spurt to regain momentum in the contest and open up a 58-43 lead. The Ospreys got as close as 12 before going scoreless for the final eight minutes of the game. The Tigers, who shot 64 percent from the floor in the second half, scored the final 24 points of the contest.
“We felt pretty good about our position at the half because despite our 21 turnovers we were only eight points down,” said UNF head coach Matthew Driscoll. “We came out and did exactly what we wanted to do at the start of the second half, but after getting to within two I think our guys relaxed because they felt like they were back in the game. Against a team that plays a style like Missouri, that can't happen because they are just relentless on both ends of the floor. We have to learn our lesson, move past this game and get ready to play in Cancun.”
North Florida concludes its 10-day, four-game swing with games Nov. 23-24 in Cancun, Mexico. The Ospreys face Prairie View A&M Tuesday before meeting either Western Illinois or Morgan State Wednesday.
