#WBB Drops 54-34 Game at Florida Gulf Coast

Saturday, January 25

Fort Myers, Fla.

7 p.m.

University of North Florida

-513 | 16 ASun

Florida Gulf Coast

-136 | 70 ASun

North Florida

FLORIDA GULF COAST

1/25/2014 9:59:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: North Florida Athletics

Boxscore (PDF)

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Cold shooting and turnovers plagued University of North Florida women's basketball as the Ospreys fell 54-34 at Atlantic Sun leader Florida Gulf Coast Saturday night at Alico Arena.

It is the second-straight year in which the Ospreys limited Florida Gulf Coast to less than 60 points on the Eagles' home court. Last season, UNF held Florida Gulf Coast to 53 points.

Bailey Florin led the Ospreys with nine points. Larkira Jones made six rebounds.

UNF shot 29.5 percent (13-for-44), but held a 42-32 advantage in rebounds.

Stephanie Haas tallied a game-high 14 points, while Jenna Cobb and DyTiesha Dunson chipped in with 12 and 10 points, respectively. Sarah Hansen had a team-best six rebounds.

Florida Gulf Coast shot 31.5 percent (17-for-54) for the game, but were held to just 28.1 percent (9-for-32) from three-point range. However, the Eagles capitalized on Osprey turnovers, scoring 30 of their points off 26 UNF miscues.

"We had trouble getting open," said head coach Mary Tappmeyer. "We didn't use screens effectively. We were not tough with the ball. All game strategies go out the window when you throw it away 26 times and they score 30 points."

A nine-minute scoring drought hurt the Ospreys in the first half. UNF got out to a quick start and lead 11-6 at 13:05 when Brittney Wright hit both free throws. However, the Eagles went on a 17-0 run, hitting five three-pointers and one jumper, to go up 23-11 at 4:23. A Destinee Smith jumper broke the Ospreys' drought at 3:58. UNF and Florida Gulf Coast traded three-pointers, with Florin hitting a shot-clock buzzer beating trey at 2:21 to make it 26-10. Dunson hit a layup at 1:50 to put the Eagles up 28-16 and both teams remained scoreless for the rest of the half, allowing Florida Gulf Coast to take a 12-point lead into halftime.

After trailing by as many as 17 early in the second half, UNF cut the deficit down to 11 points. UNF freshmen Janeá Williams, Amber Robinson and Florin fueled an 8-2 run that made it 39-28 with 10:21 to go. However, the Eagles began to pull away. Already up by 13, a three-pointer from Cobb at 5:00 started an 11-4 run to finish the game.

UNF returns to action on Thursday against USC Upstate at UNF Arena. Tip is set for 5:30 p.m., and is part of a doubleheader with the Ospreys' men's team.