JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Senior Claire Ioannidis matched the program record for three-pointers made ina game en route to a game-high 28 points as North Florida women's basketball edged Nicholls State, 77-74, at the Jacksonville Thanksgiving Classic on Saturday afternoon at historic Swisher Gymnasium.
 
RECORDS: UNF 4-3 | Nicholls State 2-4
 
TOP PERFORMERS
Claire Ioannidis – 28 points, 7-10 3PT, 4 assists
Tesh Hanson – 13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals
Jaiveonna Norris – Season-High 11 points, 5 rebounds
Sierra Shepherd – 8 points, 6 assists
 
QUICK HITS
- Ioannidis matches Jadhken Kerr's single game record with seven three-pointers made in a game. Kerr set the record on Feb. 11, 2012 against ETSU. It is also the most of her career.
- Ioannidis also had the team's highest scoring output of the season and was one point shy of matching her career-high.
- The team shot a season-high 54.7 percent from the floor , while hitting 55 percent from long range for the second highest of the season.
- Nicholls State went a season-high 88.9 percent from the line going, 16-for-18 including 13-for-14 in the fourth quarter.
- Ioannidis is 21-for-21 from the free throw line.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
After a trey out of the gate from Ioannidis, the Colonels took back the lead with three straight treys and a lay up to lead 11-7 at 5:52. A basket from Maiya Rumph and a successful three-point play from Jaiveonna Norris followed by another bucket from the junior pushed UNF out front, 14-11 at 1:42. A pair of makes from the line from Hanson followed by a Nicholls basket made it a 16-15 game in UNF's favor to close the opening frame.
 
In the second, the Ospreys opened the quarter with a 10-2 run aided by back-to-back treys from Ioannidis. Nicholls went on a 7-0 run of its own to close the gap to 26-24, but Ioannidis came up with a short-range jumper to push the Ospreys out front again. A pair of free throws from the Colonels made it a two-point game again, but Rumph came up with a make in the paint with 28 seconds to play to give the Ospreys a 30-26 lead at the half.
 
North Florida led by as many as 17 in the third quarter thanks to a 20-7 run to start the second half. With the clock winding down in the third, freshman Kennya Simms dished a pass to the inside to Hanson who laid it in to make it 56-39 after three complete.
 
Nicholls State did not go down without a fight as it scored 17 points off the Ospreys' 11 turnovers in the fourth quarter. The Colonels also went 13-for-14 from the line to help with their comeback. UNF kept its double-figure lead until 2:15 left in the game. Nicholls outscored UNF 15-7 in the final three minutes and almost took the lead with 10 seconds left. On an inbound pass, Nicholls State forced a turnover and immediately hit a basket to make it 75-74. On the other end, the Colonels forced a foul on Ioannidis who went to the line to hit both freebies to secure the victory. 
 
COMING UP
The Ospreys head to South Carolina to play College of Charleston on Wednesday, Nov. 30. Game time is set for 7 p.m. UNF closes out its five-game road swing against NC State on Sunday, Dec. 4.