Ospreys Tip Hatters, 99-96

Saturday, February 4

Jacksonville, Fla.

7 pm

University of North Florida

12-13, 6-6ASun

Stetson

8-15, 5-7ASun

Stetson

North Florida

Photo by: Todd Drexler

2/4/2012 9:24:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Boxscore (PDF)
Game book
Postgame Interview (Jerron Granberry)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- North Florida shot 60 percent for the game and had a season high five players in double digits en route to a record-setting 99-96 victory Saturday night over Stetson at UNF Arena.

The Ospreys (12-13, 6-6 ASun) snapped a two-game home skid with the thrilling victory and moved a game ahead of Stetson (8-15, 5-7) in the conference standings.

The 99 points were a program high at the Division I level and also marked just the fifth time UNF has topped the 90-point plateau since the start of the 2005-06 season.

Jerron Granberry led all scorers with a season high 25 points including a perfect 6-for-6 performance from beyond the three-point arc. The six treys equaled his career high.

Parker Smith also finished with 21 points, marking the second time this season that a pair of UNF players have scored 20-plus in the same contest. Smith's total also allowed him to reach the 1,000-point mark in his collegiate career.

Andy Diaz dropped in 16, going 8-of-9 from the floor, while Travis Wallace chipped in 14 and Matt Sauey added 11. Sauey also finished with a team best nine rebounders in leading UNF to a 38-26 advantage on the boards.

The Hatters also had a pair of 20-point scorers in Aaron Graham (24) and Chris Perez (22).

“We had a bunch of guys step up and make big plays for us tonight,” said UNF head coach Matthew Driscoll. “Our guys are an unselfish group and did a great job of getting the ball to the hot shooters. Overall, I was proud of the way our guys dug deep and fought the entire game. We played well as a unit especially in the second half. This was an important win for us to not only protect our home court but also continue climbing up the standings.”

The lead seesawed early in the opening minutes of play with both teams holding an advantage. A 9-2 surge midway through the first half allowed Stetson to grab the momentum and a 26-18 lead. The Hatters pushed the margin to their largest lead of 10 a couple times, but UNF fought back behind a 9-2 spurt of their own.

SU tallied seven straight points late in the first stanza and carried a 54-47 lead into the halftime break. The 54 points were the most allowed by the Ospreys in the first half this season. Both teams blistered the nets at over a 55 percent clip.

Stetson maintained their lead through the first 10 minutes of the second half. The Ospreys made a charge and pulled within one, 63-62, with 13:51 left only to see the Hatters extend the lead back out behind three consecutive treys by Graham.

The Ospreys refused to fold and eventually grabbed the lead, 83-81, with 4:44 remaining after a three-pointer from Granberry and a pair of treys by Smith. Stetson would not the score at 83 but another Granberry triple gave UNF the lead for good.

North Florida used a 9-2 spurt in the final three minutes to build an eight-point lead only to have Stetson drill back-to-back treys to close the margin to two, 98-96, with three seconds left. A Granberry free throw pushed the lead to three and Graham's desperation half-court attempt at the buzzer came up short allowing UNF to earn the win.

North Florida next hosts Florida Gulf Coast on Monday at 7 p.m.