JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - North Florida women's basketball plays in its first home game since Nov. 21 when it hosts Bethune-Cookman at the UNF Arena Sunday, Dec. 12 at 2 p.m. It's the lone chance to the see the Ospreys at home during the month of December and North Florida's 15th game against B-CU in series history.
 

UNF vs. Bethune-Cookman | UNF Arena
Game 11	Sunday, Dec. 12 at 2 p.m.
Series History	B-CU leads, 9-5
Social Media / Coverage	@OspreyWBB | #SWOOPLife | @UNFOspreys

SERIES HISTORY
This is the 15th meeting between these two schools separated by a short drive on I-95 ... North Florida and Bethune-Cookman have played all 14 games against one another as Division I foes ... UNF and B-CU first met in 2005 ... the Ospreys and Wildcats last played each other in Daytona Beach December of 2018 ... North Florida is 5-3 against the Wildcats when playing at the UNF Arena.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Bethune-Cookman is 2-5 on the year, playing its first basketball since the 2019-20 season after the Wildcats did not compete during the 2020-21 campaign, choosing to opt out as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic ... this is Bethune-Cookman's first year in the Southwestern Athletic Conference after previously competing in the MEAC ... another first for the Wildcats, this is head coach Janell Crayton's first season as the head coach with Bethune-Cookman ... B-CU was picked to finish eighth out of 12 teams in the league's preseason poll ... Bethune-Cookman made the NCAA Tournament in 2019, the team's last year of competition ... two players, Camary Harris and Tania White, were on that team ... Harris, White and the Wildcats won 15-straight games during that season ... Bethune-Cookman has won against Edward Waters and Warner, while dropping games to Miami, FAU, Troy, Mississippi State and Alabama.

FROM THE JUMP
>> UNF is 5-5 on the season and coming off its longest road stint of the year, a five-game road stretch from Nov. 24-Dec. 8. UNF played at Clemson, Charleston, Auburn, FIU and Georgia during the stretch.
>> North Florida is a perfect 4-0 in the friendly confines of the UNF Arena this season.
>> UNF started 4-1 through its first five games, its best start through the first five in the program's DI history.
>> The Ospreys rank in the top 25 nationally in a number of statistical categories:

-Assists - 174 (9th)
-Assists/Game - 17.4 (24th)
-Blocked Shots - 47 (22nd)
-3 PT FG Att. - 242 (19th)
-3 PT FG Made - 82 (13th)

>> Kaila Rougier is the lone true freshman on an experienced Ospreys program.

>> UNF comes in ranked second in the ASUN Preseason Coaches Poll, its highest-ever preseason ranking. 

>> North Florida also racked up a third-place position in the ASUN Preseason Media Poll.

AN OSPREY WIN WOULD...
-Make UNF 5-0 at home on the season.
-Give the Ospreys a 2-0 mark on Sunday this year.
-Bring UNF back over the .500 mark.
-Make the Ospreys 2-1 at the UNF Arena under Head Coach Darrick Gibbs.

HOME COOKING
The Ospreys are 4-0 at the UNF Arena this season, earning wins against Warner, Trinity Baptist, Webber and Florida Atlantic most recently on Nov. 21. 

UNF is averaging 96.5 points per game while holding its foes to 52.3 points per contest in home games this year. Both Jazz Bond and Rhetta Moore are scoring at least 21 points per game in home contests. 

Ally Knights is posting nine assists per game, while the Ospreys are averaging just under 10 three-pointers per game shooting on their home court.

UNF's last home game was an 85-79 overtime-win against FAU.

COMING FULL CIRCLE
Jazz Bond is the lone Osprey on the current roster that played against Bethune-Cookman in the last meeting between these two teams nearly three years ago to the day in Daytona Beach. 

It was a big game for Bond who scored 16, grabbed nine rebounds, blocked two shots, nabbed two steals and converted 7-of-12 field goals in 26 minutes against the Wildcats. 

Her numbers weren't the only thing of note for the USF transfer. That game marked Bond's first appearance for the Ospreys. 83 games later and Bond is one of the best to put on the Navy and Gray uniform.

LAST TIME VS. BETHUNE-COOKMAN
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Despite holding a 33-27 lead at the half, North Florida's attempt at recording its first road win of the season fell short on Saturday afternoon as the Ospreys fell 76-60 at Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach, Fla.

LAST 5 vs. BETHUNE-COOKMAN
Date Result Location
12/15/18 L, 60-76 Daytona Beach
11/30/17 W, 70-63 UNF Arena
12/15/16 L, 50-52 Daytona Beach
11/27/15 L, 49-53 UNF Arena
11/28/12 W, 56-55 UNF Arena

SEASON HIGHS
A pair of Ospreys recorded season highs despite the loss at Georgia Wednesday, Dec. 8. Guard Jaida Bond made five-of-eight three-pointers for 15 points. Her five from beyond the arc was a season high and one short of her career high. Her point total also set a season high, making it the fourth time she's reached double-digit points this year. 

Tatiana Thompson was strong on the glass in 20 minutes of play at Georgia. The Georgetown transfer reeled in a team-high seven rebounds, giving her a new season high, while tying her career-high mark set as a Hoya.