Slow Start Stymies Ospreys at Upstate

Tuesday, January 26

Spartanburg, S.C.

7:00 p.m.

University of North Florida

USC Upstate

Photo by: Todd Drexler

1/26/2016 7:56:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Ioannidis, Shepherd score 16 points each

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - A slow offensive start and struggles from behind the arc stymied North Florida women's basketball at USC Upstate in a 69-54 loss to the Spartans Tuesday evening at Hodge Center.

The game, delayed from its scheduled start due to Winter Storm Jonas preventing UNF from reaching South Carolina, saw the Ospreys shoot only 30.4 percent from the field in the first half. UNF was unable to overcome a nine-point halftime deficit in the road trip that started the previous Thursday.

Sophomore Sierra Shepherd and junior Claire Ioannidis each scored 16 points to lead the team, while Kadesia Johnson narrowly missed a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds.

The Spartans held a 50-23 advantage off the glass and scored 19 second chance points from 21 offensive boards. Johnson pulled down one of the Ospreys five offensive rebounds, while Karrah Johnson had two and had five total.

It was a slow start for both teams as it took more than a minute for a basket to be made. Shepherd opened the scoring for the Ospreys when she stole the ball in the mid-court and hit a fast break layup. The lead was short lived as an 8-0 run by the hosts gave them a lead they would not relinquish. UNF closed the gap back to two, 8-6, but Upstate eventually moved its lead to eight on a final jumper by Brittany Clency to end the quarter, 18-10.

In the second period, a pair of free throws pushed the hosts' lead to 20-10 before a jumper at 7:23 from Kadesia Johnson started a 7-2 run to shorten the deficit, 22-17. The teams traded baskets to close down the second frame, but a make from Kadesia Johnson brought the Ospreys to within nine, 29-20, at the half.

UNF shot 53 percent and scored a game-high 22 points in the third frame. The Ospreys got as close as five on jumper from Ioannidis with 4:43 to play, but Upstate went on a 12-5 run to end the quarter and hold a 54-42 lead at the break. The Spartans eventually took their biggest lead of the game on a jumper from Kristen Dickerson at 7:31 in the final quarter to move to 3-2 in conference play.

USC Upstate had five players hit double figures led by Raven Jefferson's 20 points. Dickerson tallied 14, while Travonda Haddock and Brittany Clency each recorded 11. The Atlantic Sun leader in rebounds, Brittany Starling, recorded a double-double with 12 boards and 10 points to wrap up the hot shooters.

The Ospreys now return to the Sunshine state for their next three contests with FGCU coming up at UNF Arena on Saturday. Game time is set for 2 p.m. UNF then turns around and heads to Stetson and FGCU the following week to begin the second half of league play.