Final Boxscore (pdf)JACKSONVILLE, Fla. –
Dallas Moore scored 25 points helping lead the North Florida basketball to an 87-70 victory Saturday night over in-state foe Florida A&M at UNF Arena.
The victory was the fourth straight for the Ospreys (10-4), while also extending their program record home win streak to 14 wins. In addition, UNF matched the all-time program record for non-conference wins in a season at 10.
Moore, who also shared team honors with seven rebounds and six assists, was one of four players in double digits in the win.
Chris Davenport was 3-3 from long distance en route to 18 points, while
Beau Beech added 17 and
Trent Mackey chipped in 11.
Justin Ravenal led the Rattlers (4-8) with 16 points.
"This was an important stretch of games for us and I'm excited that we were able to post four straight home wins," said head coach
Matthew Driscoll. "I thought the guys came out and played with great intensity in the first half. I felt like we let up a little in the second half and I'm not sure why this team doesn't put folks away when we have the chance. We are too good and too talented to keep having these lapses. I hope we can get some little things figured out so it doesn't end up biting us later this year."
The game was tightly played early in the first half as neither team could get into an offensive flow. The Ospreys got things rolling first building a double-digit lead, 24-14, after a layup by Mackey with just over nine minutes left. UNF then closed out the half on a 22-8 run, holding a 46-26 advantage at the half.
North Florida pushed its lead to 25 points just over a minute into second half play, but the Rattlers battled back behind a 19-5 run. FAMU eventually trimmed the Osprey margin to single digits, 68-59, with nine minutes remaining in the game.
Beech would score UNF's next 12 points including seven consecutive free throws and a three-pointer, and Moore added five points as the Ospreys pushed their lead back to 20. After allowing Florida A&M to score 31 points in the first 10 minutes of the second half, the North Florida defense tightened up holding the Rattlers to just 13 over the final 10 minutes.
North Florida will not play again at UNF Arena until hosting crosstown rival Jacksonville on Jan. 9. UNF tips off a four-game road swing Tuesday at Arkansas.
