Poor Second Half Hurts #WBB in Loss to ETSU

Saturday, February 1

Jacksonville, Fla.

4:30 p.m.

University of North Florida

5-15, 1-8ASUN

ETSU

7-13, 3-6ASUN

ETSU

North Florida

2/1/2014 9:36:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: North Florida Athletics

Boxscore (PDF)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Despite shooting 48.1 percent in the first half, a cold second half doomed University of North Florida women's basketball in a 72-57 loss to East Tennessee State Saturday afternoon at UNF Arena.

Destinee Smith and Bailey Florin scored 16 and 12 points, respectively, for the Ospreys. Paulina Zaveckaite and Raneisha Lamar each pulled down six rebounds.

UNF went on to shoot 34.6 percent (18-for-52) for the game and held 39-34 advantage in rebounds.

Serena Clark notched a 20-point, 11-rebound double-double and led four ETSU players in double figures. Brianna McQueen and Maria Bond each had 13 points, while Jasmine Hotchkins added in 12.

ETSU shot 41.8 percent (23-for-55) for the game.

Consistent shooting powered the Ospreys' first half. Tied at 4-4, a layup from Smith sparked a nine-point run that put the Ospreys up 13-4 at 14:54. ETSU responded with a 9-2 spurt that cut the Ospreys' lead down to two. A layup from Lamar started a 15-6 Osprey run, giving UNF a 30-19 at 6:10. Flo Ward hit a trey that capped the Ospreys' run and put them up by 11.ETSU continued to chip away at UNF's lead and made it a two-point game behind a 13-4 run. A layup from Clark at 1:37 made it 34-32, but Zaveckaite hit a pair of foul shots at 37 seconds to send the Ospreys into halftime with a 36-32 lead.

The Ospreys, who went 20.0 percent (5-for-25) from the field in the second half, went scoreless for the first six minutes of the second half as ETSU had a 10-0 run to open the half. A Smith jumper at 13:58 broke UNF's scoring drought as the Bucs held a 42-38 lead. ETSU began to pull away, going on an 8-0 run that was started by a Chandler Christopher three-pointer. UNF was only able to get 19 points in the final 11:34, making 10 free throws and hitting just four field goals.

UNF concludes its three-game homestand next Saturday against cross-town rival Jacksonville in the season's second SunTrust River City Rumble. The game will also be UNF's Play4 Kay game and fans are encouraged to wear pink. Tip is set for 4:30 p.m., at UNF Arena.