Boxscore (PDF)
 
FORT MYERS, Fla. – Despite out-shooting Florida Gulf Coast in the first half, a cold second half plagued University of North Florida women's basketball in a 75-42 loss to the Eagles on Wednesday night at Alico Arena.
 
"It was a game of two halves," said head coach Mary Tappmeyer. "We came out strong and executed our game plan in the first half, but we fell apart in the second. We have to play two consistent halves of basketball every game."
 
Paulina Zaveckaite led the Ospreys with nine points and 14 rebounds.
 
UNF shot 28.3 percent (15-for-53) for the game, but was just 18.5 percent (5-for-27) in the second half. The Ospreys shot 38.5 percent (10-for 26) in the first half.
 
Whitney Knight and Taylor Gradinjan each tallied 17 points and DyTiesha Dunson scored 11 points. Knight and Kaneisha Atwater each pulled down six rebounds.
 
Florida Gulf Coast shot 47.5 percent (28-for-59) for the game and was 63.0 percent (17-for-27) in the second half alone. The Eagles shot 34.4 percent (11-for-32) in the first half.
 
The Eagles also out-rebounded the Ospreys 40-36.
 
After Florida Gulf Coast scored the game's first bucket, UNF came back strong and built up a nine-point lead behind consistent shooting and solid defense. A layup from Zaveckaite at 13:28 gave the Ospreys a 13-4 advantage. Florida Gulf Coast chipped away at UNF's lead and tied it at 17-17 on a Knight three-point play at 9:52. An Amber Robinson layup allowed the Ospreys to gain a two-point advantage, but a Knight layup sparked a 9-2 run that put Florida Gulf Coast up 26-21 at 4:54. Florida Gulf Coast pushed its lead to nine after a Knight trey at 2:29. Janeá Williams sank a jumper at 2:13 and that was the half's last points as UNF trailed 33-26 at halftime.
 
UNF saw Florida Gulf Coast open the second half on a quick 11-3 run in order to go up 44-29 at 16:27. A three-pointer from Flo Ward at 15:57 brought the Ospreys to within 12. However, Florida Gulf Coast capitalized on a five-and-a-half minute scoring drought, going on a 10-0 run to take a 54-35 lead at 10:20. A three-point play from Ward at 10:20 halted the Ospreys' scoreless streak, but the Eagles finished the game on a 21-7 run.
 
UNF plays its first home Atlantic Sun game on Saturday when the Ospreys host Stetson. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m., and will air on ESPN3.