NKU Outlasts #MBB in Tough Road Loss

Monday, January 6

Highland Heights, Ky.

7 pm

University of North Florida

-98, 31 ASun

Northern Kentucky

-79, 31 ASun

North Florida

Northern Kentucky

Photo by: Bill Pearce - wlpearce.com

1/6/2014 9:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: North Florida Athletics

Final Boxscore (pdf)
Game Book

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. -- Senior Travis Wallace scored his 1,000th point as an Osprey and finished with 15 points but it wasn't enough as Northern Kentucky outlasted UNF for the 70-64 victory Monday night at the Bank of Kentucky Center.

The loss snapped UNF four-game win streak dropping the squad to 9-8 overall and 3-1 in Atlantic Sun Conference play. NKU improved to 7-9 and 3-1 after earning their sixth consecutive home win.

Wallace was joined atop the Osprey scoring chart by Jalen Nesbitt and Dallas Moore, who both also finished with 15 points. Beau Beech added 11 points and eight rebounds.

Northern Kentucky also placed four players in double-digits led by 16 from Jordan Jackson, the reigning ASun Newcomer of the Week.

"I thought we struggled finishing plays that we normally do tonight," said UNF head coach Matthew Driscoll. "We answered their early pushes and came out of the halftime break really well. We just weren't able to sustain that level and also failed to respond to their late rally. We have to move past this game and get back home and return to do the things that we do well."

After the two squads traded baskets over the opening five minutes, the Norse used a quick 8-0 spurt to grab the momentum with a 17-10 lead. Wallace and Nesbitt combined for the Ospreys next 11 points helping UNF cut the deficit to two points. North Florida eventually tied the score at 27-27 after a Beech trey and a free throw by Devin Wilson with 3:18 left in the period.

The Norse would close the stanza on an 8-2 run and head into the halftime break with a 35-31 lead. It marked the first time UNF has trailed at the half since the Michigan State game.

Moore drilled back-to-back treys followed by four points from Wallace and a three-pointer from Beech as North Florida grabbed a 44-39 lead behind a 13-4 surge. NKU answered with the next seven points to regain the lead by two.

The game stayed nip and tuck over the next several minutes but the Ospreys could never retake the lead. Northern Kentucky used another 8-2 spurt ending with 5:24 left to build a 60-54 lead. Demarcus Daniels got a tip-in and Charles McRoy connected on a pair of free throws in the next minute to pull UNF within two points. Unfortunately, the Ospreys would get no closer as NKU scored the next two baskets and held on for their third straight win over UNF.

Following their A-Sun road debut, North Florida now heads home for three consecutive games beginning Thursday against conference leading Florida Gulf Coast at 7 p.m. in UNF Arena.