Final Boxscore (pdf)WEST HARTFORD, Conn. -- North Florida junior point guard
Dallas Moore nearly posted a triple-double finishing with 16 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists in leading the Ospreys to an 81-60 road victory Friday night over Hartford at the Chase Arena in Reich Family Pavilion.
The win, which improved UNF's season record to 4-2, marked the 100th career victory for seventh-year Osprey head coach
Matthew Driscoll. Moore's rebounding total was a career high, while also allowing him to collect his third double-double of the season.
Beau Beech added 15 points in the win and
Trent Mackey and
Aaron Bodager both chipped in 13 for the Ospreys. UNF made nine three-pointers in the game while holding a solid shooting Hawks (2-4) team to just 26 percent from beyond the arc. The Ospreys also enjoyed a 42-33 advantage on the glass but had a season high 16 turnovers and had to maneuver the lineup with Beech,
Demarcus Daniels and
Chris Davenport each picking up four fouls midway through the second half.
"This was a great team win," said Driscoll. "We were locked in defensively all night and anytime you can hold a great shooting team like Hartford is to below 30 percent from the arc is tremendous. I was proud of the way the guys continued to battle and it was amazing to see how we worked and competed through foul trouble. We have to get some rest because we have a quick turnaround for tomorrow night's game."
Both squads struggled to get into a flow early in the first half as the lead seesawed back-and-forth. The Ospreys seized control of the momentum midway through the opening period thanks to a 17-3 run that allowed UNF to build a double-digit lead. Six different players contributed points during the run that included three-pointers from Bodager, Mackey and Beech. North Florida would extend their lead to as many as 18 points before a buzzer beating trey by the Hawks sent the game into the break with a score of 43-28.
Moore scored a pair of quick buckets to open the second half pushing the Ospreys lead to 20. Hartford would continue to battle but could only pull as close as 11 points, 55-44. UNF maintained a comfortable lead down the stretch by hitting key shots and converting 8 of 12 free throws to secure the victory.
North Florida concludes its current four-game road trip Saturday against St. Francis Brooklyn at 7 p.m. at the Chase Arena.
