HOOP SCOOP: Ospreys Host Liberty, Visit Lipscomb for Weekend ASUN Set

By: North Florida Athletics

Men's Basketball | 1/22/2020 10:08:00 AM

ASUN Weekend
Game 21: Liberty	Thursday, Jan. 23 \| 7 p.m. \| Jacksonville, Fla. \| UNF Arena
Game 21: Liberty	TV/Video: ESPN+ ($) \| Live Stats
Series History	Tied 2-2 \| @UNF: 1-0 / @LU: 0-2 / @Neutral: 1-0 \| Streak: L1
Last Meeting	Liberty 71, UNF 63 @ Vines Center (Mar. 7, 2019) \| Recap / Boxscore
Social Media	@OspreysMBB \| #SWOOPLife \| Facebook \| @UNFOspreys

Game 22: Lipscomb	Saturday, Jan. 25 \| 5 p.m. (ET) \| Nashville, Tenn. \| Allen Arena
Game 22: Lipscomb	TV/Video: ESPN+ ($) \| Live Stats
Series History	UNF leads 16-13 \| @UNF: 9-5 / @LU: 7-8 / @Neutral: 0-0 \| Streak: L3
Last Meeting	Lipscomb 92, UNF 55 @ UNF Arena (Mar. 6, 2019) \| Recap / Boxscore

JACKSONVILLE - North Florida men's basketball faces a challenging weekend of ASUN competition this week as the Ospreys welcome league leader Liberty to UNF Arena on Thursday night before making a quick turnaround for a game at Lipscomb on Saturday evening. Brooks Rehabilitation is the game sponsor on Thursday night.

1. REWIND
North Florida remained undefeated on the road in ASUN competition following a hard fought 75-68 victory at crosstown rival Jacksonville last Thursday night | Garrett Sams led a quartet of Ospreys in double digits scoring a team season high 24 points including 18 in the first half | Wajid Aminu narrowly missed a double-double finishing with 11 points and 9 rebounds | UNF defense limited Jacksonville to just 1 of 13 (7%) shooting from the three-point line | JU was led by David Bell's double-double (21 pts/13 rebs) | Win marked the 200th in the career of Osprey mentor Matthew Driscoll

2. #BIRDSofTREY
With 240 3PM this season, UNF leads the nation from beyond the arc and is one of only four teams with 200+ makes | The Ospreys have posted double digit 3PM in 15 games this season and are currently averaging a nation's best 12.0 threes per game | Against Trinity Baptist (Nov. 18) UNF connected on a program record 21 three-pointers | Ten different players have made a trey this season for North Florida while all 12 players on the roster have attempted a three-pointer

3. TALE OF TWO CITIES
The Ospreys are 6-1 at home this season and won 10 of their last 11 (lone loss was the last home outing Jan. 11 vs NJIT) | UNF boasts a 4-7 mark on the road this season having gone undefeated away from home (3-0) in 2020

4. MILESTONE MOVEMENTS
The win at JU marked the 200th in Matthew Driscoll's career while the next win would be the 175th of his UNF tenure... Driscoll is just two home wins shy of 100 victories at UNF Arena... Heading into Thursday's games, Driscoll owns 96 wins in ASUN play - the remaining 8 coaches in the league have combined for 98 conference wins | The next game start for Garrett Sams will mark the 100th of his career | Wajid Aminu needs 7 rebounds to reach 750 for his career

5. LAST TIME WE MET
The Ospreys and Flames squared off in the semifinals of the ASUN Tournament last year in Lynchburg, Va., with Liberty earning the slim victory, 71-63 | Garrett Sams finished with 22 points to pace a trio of Osprey in double figures while Scottie James' 23 points, 9 rebounds topped the LU performers | #BirdsofTrey connected on 13 threes led by six from Sams but were hindered by 16 turnovers

Lipscomb led wire-to-wire in a 92-55 victory versus North Florida in UNF Arena | Bisons made 12 three-pointers and netted their first 15 points of the game from beyond the arc | Garrison Mathews led the way for LU with 22 points | Wajid Aminu was the lone Osprey in double digits, finishing with 15 points

SCOUTING LIBERTY
- Liberty is 19-1 (5-0 ASUN) on the season including five straight victories | Lone loss came Dec. 29 at LSU
- Flames are currently receiving votes in both the AP and ESPN Coaches Polls and are ranked No. 2 in the most recent CollegeInsider.com Mid Major Poll
- LU ranks second in the nation allowing just 51.5 points per game
- Caleb Homesley tops the squad at 12.6 PPG while Scottie James adds 10.4 PPG and a team best 7.5 RPG
- UNF Arena is the only ASUN venue that the Flames have yet to earn a victory
- North Florida was one of just two ASUN teams to defeat Liberty last season
- Three meetings between UNF and LU were decided by an average of 6.3 PPG

SCOUTING LIPSCOMB
- Lipscomb carries a 7-12 (2-4 ASUN) record into this weekend's play | LU hosts Jacksonville on Thursday night before facing UNF on Saturday
- Bisons have dropped three straight heading into meeting with JU
- Ahsan Asadullah is LU's top performer averaging 15.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per contest | Four Bisons average in double figure scoring
- Head coach Lennie Acuff is in his first season with Lipscomb but his 30th career season as a head coach
- Ospreys have fallen in their last two visits to Allen Arena
- Bisons hold the longest active win streak vs North Florida in the ASUN

PROBABLE OSPREY STARTERS
G - Ivan Gandia-Rosa (14.0 PPG | 3.1 RPG | 5.7 APG)
G - JT Escobar (12.2 PPG | 1.4 RPG)
G - Garrett Sams (14.3 PPG | 4.4 RPG)
F - Carter Hendricksen (15.3 PPG | 8.0 RPG)
F - Wajid Aminu (10.3 PPG | 6.0 RPG | 1.7 BPG)

UP NEXT
Following their split action weekend, North Florida hosts a pair of ASUN contests that mark the end of the first half of league play and the start of round two. UNF closes round one welcoming Stetson to Jacksonville on Jan. 30 and then tips off the second half of conference ledger hosting rematch with Kennesaw State on Feb. 1.

FOLLOW THE ACTION: Stay connected with the Ospreys all season long by following @OspreysMBB and @UNFOspreys on Twitter for all of the latest UNF men's basketball updates. Be sure to use the hashtag #SWOOPLife and #BirdsofTrey

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Players Mentioned

#2 Wajid Aminu: F; 6' 7"; Senior; International Business

#3 JT Escobar: G; 6' 2"; Redshirt Senior; Master's - Criminal Justice

#10 Ivan Gandia-Rosa: G; 6' 1"; Senior; Sport Management

#23 Carter Hendricksen: F; 6' 7"; Sophomore; Sport Management

#11 Garrett Sams: G/F; 6' 7"; Senior; Sport Management

Players Mentioned

#2 Wajid Aminu
: 6' 7"; Senior; International Business
: F

#3 JT Escobar
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Senior; Master's - Criminal Justice
: G

#10 Ivan Gandia-Rosa
: 6' 1"; Senior; Sport Management
: G

#23 Carter Hendricksen
: 6' 7"; Sophomore; Sport Management
: F

#11 Garrett Sams
: 6' 7"; Senior; Sport Management
: G/F