University of North Florida
10-18, 7-10ASun
Mercer (CSS-TV)
13-15, 10-7ASun
Mercer Eludes Ospreys in Closing Seconds
2/18/2011 10:04:57 PM | Men's Basketball
Boxscore
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- North Florida's game-tying three-pointer rattled around the rim but wouldn't fall as Mercer earned a 78-75 victory over the Ospreys in a tightly contested Atlantic Sun game Friday night at UNF Arena in front of energized crowd of 2,402.
In a familiar story line, UNF (10-18, 7-10 A-Sun) battled to the final seconds only to see an opponent escape with a slim victory. Mercer (13-15, 10-7), who secured a spot in the upcoming A-Sun Tournament, won for the fifth straight time and ninth in their last 11 games.
Senior Brad Haugabrook finished with 19 points, one shy of a career high, to lead the Ospreys on offense. Junior Jimmy Williams also just missed a career-best performance scoring 18 points. Andy Diaz added 13 for UNF while Jerron Granberry chipped in 10, scoring all his point from the free throw line (10-10). Diaz pulled down a team-best nine rebounds with Haugabrook and Williams each handing out four assists on the night.
Brian Mills led Mercer with 34 points going 11-for-22 from the floor and 12-of-14 at the free throw line. He was the lone UM player in double digits. The Bears shot just 38 percent from the floor for the game but converted 24-of-26 (92 percent) free throw attempts.
“Give Mercer a lot of credit for playing with a lot of confidence and for working together as a team,” said UNF head coach Matthew Driscoll. “Our guys continue to battle in every game but you can't give up 78 points and expect to win many games. We did enough on offense to win tonight. However, we had too many defensive breakdowns and some effort let downs that really hurt us. Over these last few games we have got to take care of those items.”
The first half featured scoring runs from both squads. UNF opened the game with an 11-2 run over the first five minutes. Mercer then outscored the Ospreys, 22-5, during the next eight minutes of action to grab a 24-16 lead at the 7:54 mark.
North Florida answered with a 13-2 run regaining the lead, 29-26, with just 4:00 remaining in the period. The two teams were nip and tuck the rest of the way and were tied 33-33 at the halftime break.
The second half was highlighted by nine lead changes and seven ties as the teams continued to battle back-and-forth and neither squad owning more than a five-point advantage. Mercer maintained a slight edge for much of the closing stanza, but a layup by Diaz with 29 seconds remaining put the Ospreys up 75-74.
Jake Gollon hit a baseline jumper with 0:14 left giving Mercer a one-point lead before blocking a shot on UNF's next possession. Gollon then converted a pair of free throws with four seconds remaining to give the Bears a three-point margin. Parker Smith's three-point attempt from the top of the key at the buzzer just missed allowing Mercer to hold on for the win and earn a season split against the Ospreys.
UNF closes out its home schedule Sunday at 4 p.m. against Kennesaw State. The game will mark the final home appearance for seniors Brad Haugabrook and Kyle Groothuis, who will be honored during a pre-game ceremony.
