#WBB Fights for 50-46 Final Minute Victory Over Kennesaw State

Saturday, March 8

Jacksonville, Fla.

1 p.m.

University of North Florida

-623, 216 ASun

Kennesaw State

-623, 414 ASun

Kennesaw State

North Florida

#WBB Fights for 50-46 Final Minute Victory Over Kennesaw State

3/8/2014 4:29:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: North Florida Athletics

Boxscore (PDF)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A huge six-point run in the final 1:03 propelled University of North Florida women's basketball to a 50-46 win over Kennesaw State on Saturday afternoon during Senior Day at UNF Arena. The game was also the Ospreys' season finale.

"It's been a long, tough season," said head coach Mary Tappmeyer. "Not having been in those situations very often, it was nice to come out on the top side. They really battled today. We didn't shoot the ball well in the first half, but we really stepped it up in the second half."

Down by two, a jumper from Destinee Smith at 1:03 tied the game at 46-46. Kennesaw State's Kristina Wells was assessed with a technical foul with 26 seconds to go as the Ospreys attempted to inbound the ball and Ki Conner knocked down both free throws to put the UNF up 48-46. Two more Conner foul shots with 18 seconds to go sealed the win.

"That technical was huge," said Tappmeyer. "There was 26 seconds left and Kennesaw State still had fouls to give. We got to inbound the ball three more times and take some time off the clock before we actually went to the line and made free throws."

A trio of Ospreys scored double-digits points. Destinee Smith tallied a game-high 15 points, while Amber Robinson and Ki Conner added 13 and 12 points, respectively. Conner and Janeá Williams each pulled down five rebounds.

UNF shot 37.7 percent (20-for-53) from the field. UNF also committed a season-low eight turnovers. It was the third time this season UNF had less than 10 turnovers in a game.

Wells led the Owls with 12 points before fouling out with 21.7 seconds left in the game. Lisa Capellan and Deandrea Sawyers each grabbed a game-best six rebounds.

Kennesaw State shot 32.7 percent (16-for-49) from the floor and had a 37-36 advantage in rebounds.

The first half was close with five ties and three lead changes. The final tie of the half came at 3:32 when Bailey Florin's three made it 15-15. Kennesaw State ended the half on a 6-2 run that included three-pointers from Sawyers and Wells in order to take a 21-17 lead into halftime.

Kennesaw State went up by as many as seven in the second half. After a Destinee Smith jumper at 16:53 tied the game at 23-23, two Wells free throws sparked a 7-0 run as the Owls went up 30-23 with 15:19 to go. UNF chipped away at Kennesaw State's lead and forced the game's eighth tie at 8:29 when a Brittney Wright three-pointer evened the score at 36-36.

A jumper from Capellan and a three-pointer from Aareon Smith allowed Kennesaw State to take a 41-36 lead with 5:43 to go. Robinson had the Ospreys' next six points, including a game-tying layup at 2:38 that made it a 42-42 game. Gratia Brooks made two free throws at 2:04 to break the tie, but a Wright jumper at 1:50 evened the score at 44-44. Wells hit a jumper at 1:31 to give the Owls' a two-point lead before the Ospreys' mounted their six-point rally.

Prior to Saturday's game, UNF honored its four senior student-athletes – Conner, Larkira Jones, Raneisha Lamar and Chandler Merkerson – as well as senior manager Steph Richman for their contributions to Osprey women's basketball.

UNF concludes the 2013-14 season with a 6-23 overall record and 2-16 in Atlantic Sun play. However, Saturday's win marks the third consecutive year the Ospreys have registered a regular-season ending victory.