Ospreys Come up Short at Stetson, 68-64

Monday, January 9

DeLand, Fla.

4:15 pm

University of North Florida

-99 (32 ASun)

Stetson

-79 (42 ASun)

North Florida

Stetson

Photo by: Todd Drexler

1/9/2012 6:15:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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Game Book

DeLAND, Fla. -- The North Florida basketball team mounted another second half charge but came up just short in a tough 68-64 loss Monday night against Stetson at the Edmunds Center.

UNF (9-9, 3-2 Atlantic Sun) pulled within one point with the ball in the closing minute but were unable to make the game tying shot as the Hatters (7-9, 4-2) held on for the victory, snapping a two-game win streak for the Ospreys.

Jerron Granberry finished with 17 points including five three-pointers to lead the Ospreys, who also got a 16-point effort from Travis Wallace. Andy Diaz added nine points and seven rebounds.

Willie Green posted a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double in pacing the Stetson attack with Chris Perez adding 13 points.

“Give Stetson a lot of credit for making plays when they needed to,” said UNF head coach Matthew Driscoll. “I thought they played with just a little more energy than we did tonight and I'm not sure why. We fell behind again and we need to find a way to not have to keep coming from behind all the time. I felt like we did some nice things tonight but missed several opportunities. We can't go 4-for-12 from the free throw line and expect to win close games.”

The Hatters scored the first five points and maintained a lead through the opening minutes of the game. A 6-0 run by the Ospreys capped by back-to-back baskets by Wallace provided UNF with its first lead, 21-19, with 7:38 to play in the first half.

The lead was short lived as Stetson answered with a 9-2 spurt to regain the lead. The Hatters carried a 36-32 advantage into the halftime break.

Stetson scored seven of the first nine points in the second half building a 43-34 lead just over three minutes into play. The Hatters would lead by as many as 11 (55-44) before the Ospreys began to chip away at the margin.

UNF used an 11-1 surge over a three-minute span to get back into the game with just over six minutes remaining. The Ospreys trimmed the deficit to two twice only to watch Stetson push the lead back to six, 65-59, at the 2:00 mark.

Matt Sauey got a layup and Parker Smith hit a three, his only one of the night, to pull UNF within a point, 65-64, with 30 seconds left. After a missed free throw by Stetson gave the ball back to the Ospreys, Sauey got ahead of the pack but had the ball slapped off his leg by a SU defender.

Joel Naburg converted a pair of free throws giving the Hatters a three-point lead and North Florida's game tying attempt fell rimmed out allowing Stetson to claim the win.

North Florida returns home for its next two games against USC Upstate (Jan. 14) and ETSU (Jan. 16) before closing the month of January on the road.