Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

University of North Florida Athletics

JT Escobar takes a jump shot over a Mississippi State defender
Blake Williams, MSU Athletics
81
North Florida UNF 5-11
109
Winner Mississippi State MS 12-1
North Florida UNF
5-11
81
Final
109
Mississippi State MS
12-1
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
North Florida UNF 43 38 81
Mississippi State MS 47 62 109

Next Game:

Florida National

1/2/2018 | 7 p.m.

ESPN3

Next Game

Full Schedule
Jan. 02 (Tue) / 7 p.m.
 Florida National
History

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | North Florida Athletics

Second Half Surge Pushes Mississippi State Past Ospreys

OPENING TIP
Score: North Florida 81, Mississippi State 109
Records: North Florida (5-11) | MSU (12-1)
Location: Humphrey Coliseum (Starkville, Miss.)
The Short Story: Mississippi State used a 62-point second half surge to break open a close game at the half as North Florida fell 109-81 at Humphrey Coliseum in the squad's final non-conference road game of the season.

GAMEDAY MEDIA CENTER
Final Boxscore PDF | Full Game Book

NOTABLE NUMBERS
- Trip Day finished with 17 points including 13 in the second half to lead a quartet of Ospreys in double digits
- JT Escobar scored 14 (4-7 3PM) with Wajid Aminu adding 13 and Ivan Gandia-Rosa chipping in 12
- Five Bulldogs reached double digits led by 23 from Aric Holman
- MSU out-rebounded UNF, 46-21, and held a 58-28 advantage in paint points
- #BirdsofTrey made 12 three-pointers in the game with 5 different players connecting from beyond the arc

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half Notes
- Fast-paced, high-scoring opening 20 minutes that featured 10 ties and three lead changes with neither team in front by more than 5 points
- MSU had a 40-14 advantage in paint points but Ospreys answered with 7 3PM while holding Dogs 0-7 from beyond the arc
- JT Escobar was hot early hitting his first 3 trey tries
- With game knotted at 43 following a floater by Osborn Blount with 1:35 left in period, State scored the final two baskets for the 47-43 halftime margin
- Ospreys saw 7 of the 8 players that got on the floor get in the scoring column.

Second Half Notes
- MSU opens half on a 14-3 run to grab first double-digit lead
- During the stretch, UNF committed 5 turnovers and also went 1-6 from the field
- The Bulldogs added another 10-0 spurt midway through the frame to take control of the game
- UNF made a late surge cutting the deficit to 16 with just over four minutes to play but State closed the game with the final nine points to reach the final score


INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
- Ospreys fell to 0-22 all-time against SEC teams
- Trip Day led the Ospreys in rebounding with 4
- 12 3PM gives the Ospreys 10 games with double digit treys
- After going 0-7 from long distance in 1H, MSU was 7-11 from the arc in the 2H
- UNF fell to 1-10 on the road this season | LSU improved to 12-1 at the Hump and have still not played a true road game this year
- Ospreys surrendered triple digits in back-to-back games for the first time in the Driscoll Era

LAST WORD
"Playing the kind of non-conference schedule that we've played, it seems like today some of the areas we need to work on really showed up. We are fortunate that now we get to go home and have a chance to practice and play a game on continue to work on them and improve. We need to really lock in and get focused as we move into the next phase of our schedule, ASUN Conference play. We have now gained some experience for this previously inexperienced squad and the next step is the transfer of learning. That is going to be huge step for us to be able to move forward. The transfer learning has to be quick and embraced by everybody. We are looking forward to the next chapter of the season." -- Head coach Matthew Driscoll

NEXT UP
North Florida tips off the 2018 calendar and closes its non-conference ledger against Florida National in UNF Arena on Jan. 2.

 
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Osborn Blount

#10 Osborn Blount

G
5' 10"
Redshirt Senior
Educational Leadership
Ivan Gandia-Rosa

#21 Ivan Gandia-Rosa

G
6' 1"
Sophomore
Sport Management
Trip Day

#22 Trip Day

F
6' 7"
Freshman
Exploratory

Players Mentioned

Osborn Blount

#10 Osborn Blount

5' 10"
Redshirt Senior
Educational Leadership
G
Ivan Gandia-Rosa

#21 Ivan Gandia-Rosa

6' 1"
Sophomore
Sport Management
G
Trip Day

#22 Trip Day

6' 7"
Freshman
Exploratory
F