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Game Book

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The North Florida basketball team shot a blistering 75 percent and scored 49 second half points en route to topping Webber International, 79-55, in the home opener at UNF Arena.

The Ospreys (1-1) overcame a sluggish opening half to claim the fifth victory in a home debut under sixth-year head coach Matthew Driscoll. UNF trailed 31-30 at the half as the Warriors (0-4) played a slow-down style that kept North Florida off guard. In addition, WIU also shot 54 percent from the floor and made four three-pointers to keep things close.

"I thought we let them dictate the style of play in the first half and we played a little passive," said Driscoll. "In the second half, we did a much better job of playing at our pace and started getting easy baskets. I thought we were also much better on the defensive end and that allowed us to get into a better flow. This marks the second game we've started slowly and that is something we have to get figured out. We did a good job of playing unselfishly and also of taking care of the basketball in the second half. It is always good to get a win. I also want to thank the students for showing up and making it a great atmosphere."

UNF had the hot hand from long distance early in the game, opening up a 12-5 lead with four consecutive three-pointers. The Ospreys would maintain a lead for most of the opening half until a pair of late buckets by the Warriors allowed them to grab their first and only lead of the contest.

North Florida broke things open early in the second half behind a 14-0 spurt over the first four minutes of play. The run pushed the Ospreys in the lead 44-36, but Webber rallied to pull within three before another 21-6 run allowed UNF to seize control of the contest. UNF outscored the Warriors, 26-7, in the final 10 minutes of the contest to earn the comfortable victory.

Sophomore guard Dallas Moore finished with a team-high 22 points, marking his second straight 20-point performance of the season. Moore hit 9-of-12 shots including a 4-5 performance from the three-point line, while also grabbing five rebounds. Fellow sophomore Chris Davenport added 18 points, six rebounds and four assists while junior Beau Beech also hauled down six boards and handed out a team best five assists.

For the game, UNF shot 58 percent (28-48) from the floor and also made 10 of 18 three-point tries. The Ospreys out-rebounded the Warriors, 34-17, and posted 20 assists. Webber ended the game shooting 43 percent (33 percent in second half) while hitting eight treys. Jovany Deceus was WIU's top performer finishing with 14 points.

The win was also a milestone for Driscoll, marking the 100th victory in his coaching career (74th at UNF).

"I feel blessed to have been given the opportunity to lead the basketball program here at UNF," added Driscoll. "I could not have reached this milestone without the commitment of all the players and assistant coaches that have been part of our family."

North Florida will now play its next four games on the road beginning Thursday at Northwestern.

To keep up with all things related to UNF Basketball, follow the team on Twitter @OspreyMBB.