@OspreyWBB Ends First Part of Conference Schedule with 61-49 Loss at USC Upstate

Saturday, January 31

Spartanburg, S.C.

2:00 p.m.

University of North Florida

-1012, 16 ASun

USC Upstate

-1111, 34 ASun

North Florida

USC Upstate

@OspreyWBB Ends First Part of Conference Schedule with 61-49 Loss at USC Upstate

1/31/2015 4:43:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: North Florida Athletics

Boxscore (PDF)

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Turnovers hurt University of North Florida women's basketball in a 61-49 loss at USC Upstate on Saturday at the Hodge Center to end the first half of Atlantic Sun play.

"Our defensive intensity in the second half was much better," said head coach Mary Tappmeyer. "We had good production out of Bailey [Florin] and Lindsey [Levings]. We have to put together two complete halves."

Although USC Upstate committed 16 turnovers, the Spartans also capitalized on UNF's miscues and tallied 19 points off the Ospreys' 17 turnovers.

Bailey Florin paced the Ospreys with 14 points and five steals, while Paulina Zaveckaite and Destinee Smith each tallied 11 points. Zaveckaite also led the Ospreys with nine rebounds, while Smith added four steals and seven assists.

UNF shot 32.2 percent (19-for-59) for the game.

Brittany Starling led USC Upstate with 16 points, while Sharmayne Edwards scored 11. Travonda Haddock grabbed a team-best six rebounds.

USC Upstate shot 44.6 percent (25-for-56), including 50.0 percent (14-for-28) in the first half alone. USC Upstate also held a 40-37 rebounding advantage.

After a close start to the opening half, a five-and-a-half minute UNF scoreless stretch saw the Spartans pull away. After a Zaveckaite lay up at 11:19 made it a four-point, 16-12 game, USC Upstate went on a 7-0 run to go up 23-12 at 6:48. A layup from Zaveckaite at 5:43 ended the Ospreys' scoring drought and UNF eventually brought the deficit down to eight behind a Smith trey. However, USC Upstate ended the half on a 9-2 run to take a 36-21 lead into halftime.

A quick start by the Ospreys allowed UNF to come to within seven points. Brittney Wright's layup at 19:10 sparked a 12-4 spurt to start the half as UNF made it a 40-33 12:21. The Spartans answered with an eight-point tun in order to gain a 15-point 48-33 advantage at 9:43.

UNF came to within 10 on a Florin trey at 6:14 that made it 50-40, but the momentum swung towards USC Upstate's favor as the Spartans went on a nine-point run to push their lead to 19. UNF attempted to cut into the deficit and finished the game on a 7-2 run.

UNF returns to action next Saturday when the Ospreys host cross-town rival Jacksonville. The second River City Rumble meeting of the season is set to tip-off at 2 p.m., at UNF Arena.