Cold Night Hurts Women's Basketball in 68-44 Loss at Vermont

Friday, November 22

Burlington, Vt.

7 p.m.

University of North Florida

2-3

Vermont

1-2

North Florida

Vermont

Cold Night Hurts Women's Basketball in 68-44 Loss at Vermont

11/22/2013 10:33:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: North Florida Athletics

Boxscore (PDF)
Live Stats (Saturday's Game)
Live Video (Saturday's Game)

BURLINGTON, Vt. – Cold shooting plagued University of North Florida women's basketball during its 68-44 loss to Vermont Friday night in the TD Bank Classic at Patrick Gymnasium.

"We shot the ball very poorly," said head coach Mary Tappmeyer. "We got good looks, but did not knock down our shots. I'm very disappointed in that we let our frustration on the offensive end affect our defensive intensity and effort."

The Ospreys shot 19.0 percent (11-for-58) from the field. Destinee Smith scored 11 points, while Bailey Florin added nine. Raneisha Lamar pulled down a game-best nine rebounds.

Vermont shot 38.8 percent (19-for-49), including 50.0 percent (12-for-24) in the second half alone. The Catamounts were 47.4 percent (9-for-19) from three-point range, including 54.5 percent (6-for-11) in the second half. Kristina White led Vermont with 21 points, while Nike Taylor and Kylie Bulter added 14 and 12, respectively. Vermont had nine team rebounds, while Butler led the players with seven.

UNF led by as many as 11 in the first half, going up 14-3 on a pair of free throws from Ki Conner at 11:20. However, Vermont chipped away at UNF's lead and used a 6-minute, 20-second UNF scoring drought to make it a one-point game. With the Ospreys up by three, Jordan Eisler hit both free throws at 4:21 making UNF's lead, 19-18.

A free throw from Lamar at 3:01 broke UNF's scoreless stretch allowing the Ospreys to regain a two-point advantage. Vermont came back to tie it three times, including with 41 seconds left in the half to make it 25-25. However, Smith made both free throws with 18 seconds remaining giving North Florida a 27-25 lead at the half.

Vermont trimmed UNF's lead in the second half and eventually took a 33-32 lead at 15:31 on a White trey. Although a three from Florin at 14:17 put UNF, another White trey along with an Annie Wheeler jumper and a Butler three-pointer would put Vermont up, 41-35, with 12:18 to play.

After trading points, UNF closed to within five when Conner hit a free throw at 11:18. But, that was the closest UNF would get as the Ospreys experienced a 5-minute, 55-second scoring drought that allowed Vermont to pull away. The Catamounts went on a 15-0 run during the Ospreys' scoreless stretch, building a 58-38 lead after an Eisler trey. A jumper from Smith at 5:23 ended Vermont's run, before the Catamounts closed the game with a 10-4 run.

UNF finishes play at the TD Bank Classic on Saturday against Siena in the Consolation Game at 5 p.m.