LYNCHBURG, Va. - Basketball is a momentum game, and Wednesday night that shone through as North Florida and Liberty traded scoring runs and large leads, but the host Flames (15-1, 3-0 ASUN) got the last push in UNF's 61-50 road loss Wednesday, Jan. 12.
UNF (7-8, 0-3 ASUN) and Liberty both had double-digit leads at one point while also notching at least a 10-0 run apiece in a game that had six double-digit scorers.
North Florida had the advantage for over 24 minutes of play, in part thanks to a 10-0 run to start the game. Liberty had an initial run towards the end of the first before delivering a 14-0 clip to close the third frame and eventually take the win.
Liberty has lost just one home game all season, while having not lost an ASUN home game since 2020.
LIB 61, UNF 50
Beyond the Box Score
- First Quarter: UNF's start couldn't have been better as the Ospreys raced ahead to a 10-0 lead, giving Liberty its first double-digit point deficit of the season … up 13-2, Liberty went on a 9-0 run, getting within 13-11 … Jaida Bond drilled a three-pointer as time expired, putting UNF up 19-15 at the end of one.
- Second Quarter: Liberty went up 20-19 at 8:33 in the second for its first lead of the game … UNF quickly turned that around, going on a 6-0 run while holding Liberty scoreless for over four minutes … Rhetta Moore hit a three-pointer with under a minute to go in the half to widen UNF's lead to five before Liberty closed the frame with a layup … the Ospreys held the lead for over 19 minutes of the first half … UNF forced 12 turnovers.
- Third Quarter: UNF scored the first bucket of the third and got a pair of free throws from Ally Knights, but Liberty went on an 14-0 run to go up 42-32, its largest lead of the game.
- Fourth Quarter: North Florida's offense came to life for a stretch in the fourth quarter thanks to consecutive three pointers … Evans hit a triple in the corner on a long pass from Moore, cutting the deficit to 50-46 with 4:14 … Liberty closed the game on an 11-5 run despite UNF shooting 60 percent from the field in the final quarter.
Leaders By the Numbers
UNF
Liberty
- Dee Brown | 15 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals
- Kennedi Williams & Nenna Lindstrom | 11 points
Notes
- This was the ninth meeting between these two teams.
- Liberty leads the all-time series, 5-4.
- Evans made her second-career start.
- Three Ospreys scored in double figures.
- Jazz Bond did not play in Wednesday night's game.
- Liberty has not lost an ASUN home game since Feb. 1, 2020.
- UNF led for nearly 10 more minutes than Liberty.
- Both teams had double-digit leads at one or more point in the game.
- Additionally, both sides had a scoring run of 10 or more points.
- There were only three lead changes and one tie score.
Coach Gibbs' Comments
Up Next
UNF returns to Jacksonville to host JU in the River City Rumble Saturday at 2 p.m.
