Strong Finish Powers #MBB to 72-70 Win at UALR

Monday, November 11

Little Rock, Ark.

7 pm (CT)

University of North Florida

1-1

UALR

0-1

Team	1	2	F
North Florida	37	35	72
UALR	41	29	70

Photo by: Bill Pearce - wlpearce.com

11/11/2013 10:27:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: North Florida Athletics

Final Box (pdf)
Game Book

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- The North Florida basketball team outscored UALR, 35-29, in the second half in powering to a 72-70 win at the Jack Stephens Center on Monday night.

With the win, UNF improves to 1-1 on the year and wrecks the season opener for a veteran Trojans (0-1) squad. The Ospreys dominated play inside earning a 41-29 advantage in rebounding including pulling down 14 on the offensive end.

Sophomore Demarcus Daniels scored 17 points, highlighted by four three-pointers, to pace a quartet of Ospreys in double digits. Travis Wallace and Dallas Moore each added 13 while Romelo Banks chipped in 12 for his second straight double-figure performance.

Josh Hagins scored 14 points in leading the UALR offensive attack,

"I am very proud of our effort and happy for the guys," said UNF head coach Matthew Driscoll. "I thought we did a great job of executing our end-game plan to earn an impressive road victory over a good team. We got solid contributions up and down the line-up but I felt like Romelo (Banks) and BaeBae (Demarcus Daniels) gave us a tremendous lift off the bench in the first half and kept us in the game."

The two squads spent the opening minutes of the game feeling each other as UALR built a slight lead. The Ospreys used a 10-3 run, including a pair of three-pointers by Daniels, to grab their first lead of the game, 17-14. UALR responded by scoring the next 11 points to recapture the lead. Daniels' third trey of the half snapped the Trojan run.

UALR pushed its lead to seven before Banks scored seven points in a 9-4 surge by the Ospreys that trimmed the margin to two, 34-32, with just under four minutes left in the half. A late five point spurt for the Trojans allowed them to carry a 41-37 lead into the halftime break.

The Ospreys soared out of the break using a 9-4 spurt to retake the lead just four minutes into the period. UALR again answered with a mini-run to regain the advantage. The Trojans would extend their lead to six, 58-52, with 11:05 on the clock before seeing UNF race back on the strength of a 12-3 run. Wallace scored seven points in the Osprey surge.

The two teams would exchange turns with the lead until a pair of free throws by Daniels with 3:39 remaining gave the Ospreys the lead for good. Wallace scored a pair of baskets in the closing minutes and Jalen Nesbitt iced the game making a pair of free throws with six seconds on the clock. The Trojans final game-winning shot attempt sailed long at the buzzer allowing UNF to hand the Trojans their first home opening loss in over 10 years.

North Florida concludes its season opening road swing Wednesday night against Middle Tennessee in Murfreesboro, Tenn.