JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - North Florida women's basketball had three players reach double figures, but it was not enough as Jacksonville took the River City Rumble game, 68-58, on Saturday afternoon at Historic Swisher Gymnasium.
QUICK GLANCE
Score: North Florida 58, Jacksonville 68
Records: North Florida (7-9, 0-1 ASUN) | Jacksonville (12-4, 1-0 ASUN)
Location: Historic Swisher Gym (Jacksonville, Fla.)
The Short Story: North Florida cut a double-figure deficit to single digits in the fourth quarter thanks to three treys from Claire Ioannidis, but success in the paint gave Jacksonville the victory
GAMEDAY MEDIA CENTER
Final Boxscore: PDF | Full Game Book
OPENING TIP
- The Ospreys momentum was stifled early on, but UNF came back to outscore the home team 25-19 in the final frame.
- Senior Claire Ioannidis scored 14 points in the second half to lead the team with 16 thanks to four long-range shots.
- Junior Sierra Shepherd filled the stat sheet with 13 points, two rebounds, five assists and two steals.
- Tesh Hanson also added double-figure points with 15 to go with four rebounds, two assists and one steal.
- Christin Mercer led the way for Jacksonville with 18 points and six rebounds.
GAME CAPSULE
First Half Trends
- It was tightly-contested through the opening five minutes as neither team found a rhythm as it was Jacksonville with a 7-6 edge at the first media.
- Jacksonville held UNF off the board for more than six minutes as the Dolphins went on a 7-0 run before Sierra Shepherd ended the drought with a long ball to make it 14-9 after one.
- The home team created distance with a 12-2 run forcing UNF to call a timeout, but the Ospreys managed just two more baskets through the final six minutes.
- North Florida capitalized on a turnover with a jumper from Ioannidis, her lone points of the first half, to close the gap to 29-13, but Jacksonville held a 33-17 lead at half.
Second Half Trends
- Jacksonville held its biggest lead of the game, 49-29, late in the third quarter before the Ospreys came back with four straight points to close the gap to 49-33.
- Shepherd hit a basket to start the fourth, while holding Jacksonville without on for more than three minutes as it was a 52-37 game.
- Ioannidis hit back-to-back threes to pull UNF within 11 – its smallest deficit since early in the second quarter.
- The Dolphins eventually took back a 15 point lead on a three-point play from Rolanda Hayes, but UNF answered back with a three-point play of its own from
Maiya Rumph.
- With 25 seconds to play, Ioannidis hit her fourth triple of the game to pull back within 67-56 and eventually hit a late jumper to make it a 10-point game.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
- Jacksonville dominated off the glass, 41-25, to outscore the Ospreys 17-7 on second chance points.
- UNF shot 38 percent from the floor and from long range, while JU shot at a 46 percent clip.
- The Ospreys held JU to just two triples for the day, while hitting seven of their own.
- JU outscored UNF in the first and second quarters before having an even matched on in the third, 16-16.
- The 25 points from the Ospreys in the final quarter tied a season-high. UNF scored 25 against Nicholls State in November.
NEXT UP
- The Ospreys continue their ASUN schedule opening road swing with games at NJIT (Jan. 14) and USC Upstate (Jan. 16). UNF returns back to Jacksonville on Saturday, Jan. 21 against Kennesaw State.
