Basketball Rally Falls Short at Belmont

Monday, January 30

Nashville, Tenn.

7 pm (CT)

University of North Florida

-1113, 56 ASun

Belmont

-167, 92 ASun

North Florida

BELMONT

1/30/2012 10:13:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Boxscore (PDF)
Game Book

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The North Florida basketball team poured in 40 second half points but were unable to overcome an early scoring drought as Belmont held off a charging Osprey squad for an 83-69 victory Monday night at the Curb Event Center.

The Ospreys (11-13, 5-6 Atlantic Sun) shot 51.6 percent in the second half and outrebounded a taller Belmont (16-7, 9-2) squad, 35-32. Unfortunately, the Bruins connected at a 51.7 percent pace for the game and collected 21 assists on 30 baskets.

Jerron Granberry scored 12 points, including three three-pointers, to lead the Osprey attack. With his trey trio, Granberry became UNF's all-time leader in three-pointers with 172 passing former record holder Chris Timberlake, who finished with 170 from 2004-08.

David Jeune and Travis Wallace each chipped in 10 points with Jeune also pulling down a team-best seven rebounds. Will Wilson handed out seven of the team's 13 assists in the game.

Belmont had four starters in double figures led by 16 from Kerron Johnson.

“We can't win games against good teams by trying to outscore them,” said UNF head coach Matthew Driscoll. “We scored the ball well in the second half and got contributions from several players. It just seemed like every time we scored they would come right back and score on us. It's important for us to get back home and refocus for the final month of the regular season.”

Belmont got things rolling early behind an 11-4 opening run. The Bruins pushed their lead to double digits midway through the period before back-to-back buckets by Travis Wallace capped a 9-2 spurt by the Ospreys that trimmed the deficit to 24-17, with 9:49 left in the half.

UNF kept the lead near single digits until Belmont closed the half on an 18-8 surge including scoring nine of the final 10 points in the stanza. The Bruins led 47-29 at the half.

The BU lead held firm through the first five minutes of the second half, before North Florida used an 8-2 run to close within 11, 56-45, with 13:30 left. The Bruins answered with their own run to push their lead back to 17 over the next four minutes.

The Ospreys refused to quit trimming their deficit to single digits, 72-63, following a 12-4 surge with 6:03 remaining. The squads would trade baskets over the next three minutes as UNF could get no closer. The two teams combined for just four points in the final three minutes of the game.

North Florida will now play four of their next six games at home beginning Saturday against Stetson at 7 p.m. in UNF Arena.