JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – North Florida connected on three consecutive treys to open the game and didn't hold back as the Ospreys buried 7-of-10 three pointers in the first quarter, leading UNF to a 71-57 win over Stetson on Tuesday night at UNF Arena.
 
UNF improves to 7-8 overall and 2-2 in ASUN contests while the Hatters fall to 7-10 (2-1 ASUN).
 
Leaders
UNF
Jazz Bond: 17 points, 11 rebounds, 4 blocks
Arianna Emanuel-Wright: 17 points, 6 rebounds
 
STETSON
Mckenna Beach: 18 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
 
Inside the First Half
Emanuel-Wright opened the game with a triple in the corner, followed by Adrienne Jackson and Bond hitting from beyond the arc in the next two possessions to give the Ospreys a quick 9-0 advantage. Bond and Emanuel-Wright connected on one more trey apiece in the quarter while Ty Purifoy added a pair as the Ospreys shot 7-of-10 from three-point range to take a 27-10 after the first quarter.
 
The Ospreys cooled down in the second quarter as Stetson edged UNF 12-11 in the second quarter. Despite shooting 1-of-5 from three, North Florida still managed to shoot 45.5 percent from the floor to take a 38-22 lead into the locker room.
 
Inside the Second Half
After trailing 50-30, the Hatter reeled off seven straight points to bring the difference to 13 points with 2:44 left in the third quarter. North Florida responded by scoring the final seven points in the quarter, capped by Janesha Green's putback before the buzzer to take a 57-37 lead into the final quarter.
 
Back-to-back Osprey layups stretched the UNF lead to 24 points with 8:14 left in the game. Stetson posted a 16-5 rally in the next six minutes to cut it to 13 with 1:26 remaining. Purifoy converted a layup plus the and-one free throw and Emanuel-Wright connected on a jumper to put a halt on the Hatter momentum and clinch the 71-57 victory.
 
Thoughts From the Top
"This was a great team win, and it was great to see bounce back the way we did after Saturday. We were consistent and aggressive on both ends, leading to some great plays off our execution. Now it's time to figure out how to take that with us on the road." – head coach Darrick Gibbs
 
Osprey Fast Breaks

• North Florida shot 47.4 percent from the floor while limiting the Hatters to 36.1 percent shooting.
• The Ospreys tallied a 43-32 rebounding advantage.
• Bond recorded the first double-double of her career in the first half with 12 points and 10 rebounds before adding five points and a rebound in the second half.
• Purifoy continues to share the ball with success as the junior finished one assist shy of a double-double with 11 points and nine assists.
• Jackson was the fourth Osprey scoring in double-figures, posting 11 points and seven rebounds in the win.
• The 27 points in the opening quarter are the second-most points scored by UNF in the first quarter this season (29 vs. Trinity Baptist).
• The Ospreys shot a season-best 43.5 percent from beyond the arc and tallied the second-most treys in a game with 10 three-pointers.
• North Florida improved to 23-3 under Gibbs when scoring 70+ points, including 3-0 this season.
• The victory is the first win at home over Stetson since February 2, 2013.

 
What's Next
The Ospreys venture north to Lynchburg, Va. to face Liberty on Saturday, Jan. 19 at 2 p.m.