Women's Basketball Drops 64-52 Game at USC Upstate

Monday, January 28

Spartanburg, S.C.

5 p.m.

University of North Florida

-911, 54 ASun

USC Upstate

-812, 45 ASun

Team	1	2	F
North Florida	20	32	52
USC Upstate	36	28	64

1/28/2013 8:10:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: North Florida Athletics

Boxscore (PDF)

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Despite a 17-point performance from junior Ki Conner, University of North Florida women's basketball faced a hot-shooting USC Upstate team on Monday night and fell 64-52 at the Hodge Center.

“We did not match their intensity at all in the first half,” said head coach Mary Tappmeyer. “That dug us into a big hole. We tried to match their intensity in the second half, but we were not good defensively throughout the entire game. We need to get a lot tougher.”

It was the second time in as many games in which Conner paced the Ospreys' offense. Additionally, Conner made a UNF career-high five steals. Raneisha Lamar grabbed a team-best seven rebounds.

USC Upstate shot 58.1 percent (25-for-43) from the field, including 61.1 percent (11-for-18) in the second half alone. Tee'Ara Copney had a game-high 23 points – including 17 in the first half – behind 8-for-10 shooting and 5-for-6 from long range. Brittany Starling added a 21-point, 12-rebound double-double, while Shelby Hicks added 10 points.

UNF was 35.2 percent from the floor (19-for-54).

The Spartans held a 30-27 advantage in rebounds.

In the first half, UNF found itself trailing by as many as 14 when USC Upstate went on a 13-2 run to put the Spartans up 23-9 at 9:02. The Ospreys needed to contend an explosive USC Upstate that was shooting 71.4 percent (10-for-14) by the third media timeout at 7:57. A 7-0 run allowed UNF to cut into the deficit as a Conner trey made it 25-18 at 6:10, but that was the closest UNF got for the rest of the half as USC Upstate went on an 11-2 run in the final 5:45 to take a 36-20 lead into halftime.

UNF trailed by as many as 20 early in the second half before a 10-0 run allowed the Ospreys to chop the deficit in half. A pair of Conner free throws at 13:52 made it 40-30.

UNF eventually came to within eight, using three-pointers from Chandler Merkerson and Conner to help UNF make it 44-36 at 11:46. However, after trading points, a four-minute field-goal drought by the Ospreys resulted in USC Upstate going on a 10-1 run and going up 56-39 at 6:30. The Ospreys attempted to chip away at the Spartans' lead, but was only able to come to within 12 on three occasions in the final 3:16.

UNF returns to its home court on Saturday when the Ospreys host Stetson at 2 p.m., on UNF Arena.