North Florida Tops Bethune-Cookman, 71-65

Tuesday, November 27

Daytona Beach, Fla.

7 pm

University of North Florida

2-4

Bethune Cookman

2-5

North Florida

Bethune-Cookman

Photo by: Todd Drexler

11/27/2012 9:03:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Boxscore (pdf)
Game Book

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The University of North Florida basketball team snapped a four-game skid with a hard-fought 71-65 road win Tuesday night at Bethune-Cookman.

Senior Parker Smith led the way for UNF (2-4) with 22 points including six three-pointers and Travis Wallace added 14 points and eight rebounds. Adrian Coleman posted a 21 point, 11 rebound performance to pace the Wildcats (2-5).

The Ospreys shot 51 percent from the floor in the game while also handing out 20 assists on 26 baskets. UNF also won the battle on the glass for the first time this season outrebouding BCU, 41-30.

"It feels great to get back into the win column," said UNF head coach Matthew Driscoll. "I was proud of our guys perserverance and resiliancy tonight. We did a good job of getting shots from the outside early in the game and then scoring in the paint when Bethune made adjustments. We still need to do a better job of making good decisions, especially in relation to shot selection."

North Florida raced out to a quick 10-3 lead thru the first five minutes of the game. The Ospreys then outscored the Wildcats 14-1 over a four minute span building a 24-10 advantage with 9:05 left in the opening period. UNF maintained a double-digit lead until closing the half with a cold spell.

BCU scored the final eight points of the stanza to close the halftime margin to 32-26. The Ospreys went scoreless over the final 3:45 in the period missing three shots and committing three turnovers.

The Ospreys built their lead back to double digits early in the second half as Wallace scored in the middle and Smith connected on back-to-back treys putting UNF up 41-29.

North Florida kept a comfortable lead over the Wildcats for much of the closing half building as large as a 17-point advantage, 66-49, with 3:47 left in the game. Bethune scored a couple of late three-pointers to close the gap but never really threatened the Ospreys down the stretch.

For the game, UNF got a balanced performance with all nine players seeing action netting points. Freshman Cameron Naylor finished with eight points in his collegiate debut while sophomore Charles McRoy chipped in eight points off the bench. Senior Will Wilson led the squad with five assists while Beau Beech handed out four. Senior David Jeune shared team high honors with eight rebounds.

UNF makes a quick turnaround returning to action Thursday against Florida A&M at 7 p.m. in UNF Arena. The game marks the Ospreys lone home contest in a stretch of 12 games.