#WBB Falls at Lipscomb

Saturday, February 15

Nashville, Tenn.

5 p.m. (EST)/4 p.m. (CST)

University of North Florida

-518, 111 ASun

Lipscomb

-519, 211 ASun

North Florida

Lipscomb

2/15/2014 10:05:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: North Florida Athletics

Boxscore (PDF)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Despite a career night by Brittney Wright and a hot-shooting first half, University of North Florida women's basketball fell 84-76 at Lipscomb on Saturday evening at Allen Arena.

Wright scored a career-high 19 points, including 13 in the second half, and dished out a career-high six assists. Destinee Smith added 18 points, while Chandler Merkerson tallied 11 points. Paulina Zaveckaite pulled down seven rebounds.

UNF shot 46.8 percent (29-for-62) for the game, including 60.0 percent (15-for-25) in the first half. The Ospreys were also 43.8 percent (7-for-16) from long range for the game and shot 62.5 percent (5-for-8) from beyond the arc in the first half. UNF held a slim 32-31 advantage in rebounds.

Ashley Southern led Lipscomb with a 29-point, 12-rebound double-double. The Lady Bisons also got double-digit points from Danay Fothergill (16), Sara Bliss (14) and Kelli Smith (12).

Lipscomb shot 51.9 percent (27-for-52) for the game, including 57.7 percent (15-for-26) in the second half.

UNF began the game strong and went up 20-7 at 14:26 on a Larkira Jones layup. Jones' layup was UNF's seventh-straight made field goal as the Ospreys went 7-for-7 from the field to start the game. The Ospreys did not miss a shot until the 13:03 mark. Lipscomb began chipping away at the Ospreys' lead and tied it at 33-33 on two foul shots from Bliss at 5:08. The game went on to be tied three more times before the end of the half, including at 1:39 when Ki Conner hit two foul shots to make it 39-39. Lipscomb broke the tie with a Kelli Smith trey at 1:21, but layups from Amber Robinson and Jones allowed the Ospreys to take a 43-42 lead into halftime.

UNF and Lipscomb battled for control of the game during the opening part of the second half. Lipscomb built up a seven-point lead at 14:47 with a three-pointer from Bliss to make it 56-49. UNF fought back and went up 63-62 when Destinee Smith made a layup, drew a foul and made the free throw at 10:31. A Fothergill jumper at 9:14 returned the lead to Lipscomb, but Wright hit a trey and then a jumper to put UNF up 68-64 at 8:21. However, Lipscomb took advantage of a costly Osprey scoring drought and went on a 10-0 run to go up 74-68 with 3:17 remaining. UNF attempted to rally and pulled to within one when Merkerson's jumper at 1:27 made it 77-76, but Lipscomb ended the game on a 7-0 run.

The Ospreys return to action on Thursday against Stetson at UNF Arena. Tip is set for 5:30 p.m., and is part of a doubleheader with UNF's men's program.