TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Jarius Hicklen had an unbelievable shooting day and UNF converted 14-of-24 three-pointers but the host Florida State Seminoles (12-5) were too much to handle down low in an 86-73 loss at FSU Thursday, Jan. 20.
UNF (4-15) shot a season-best 58.3 percent from beyond the arc and Hicklen scored a season-high 27 points in the Ospreys' final non-conference game of the regular season.
Emmanuel Adedoyin also added 18 points and six helpers as the Ospreys got within three points in the second half before FSU closed it out.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
1st Half
- UNF and FSU hung tight in the early going, starting 3-for-5 from beyond the arc … Josh Berenbaum drilled a pair early as the game was tied 13-13 before the second media timeout … Emmanuel Adedoyin hit a three-pointer and Dorian James followed with a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to 22-20 with just under 10 minutes in the first … UNF continued to keep it tight … Adedoyin scored a layup slashing to the hoop and Jarius Hicklen followed with a three just seconds later as the Ospreys were down one at 32-31 at the four-minute mark … FSU then went on a 10-0 run to create its biggest lead of the game … Hicklen was fouled just before time expired, giving him three free throw attempts … he made them all, making it 48-38 at the half … Adedoyin had 13 and Hicklen 11 at the break.
2nd Half
- The Ospreys continued to let it rain from downtown to start the second half … Hicklen dialed up a pair of three-pointers and Jordan Preaster added another, getting UNF within seven at 49-56 under the 16-minute media timeout … Hicklen and Chaz Lanier both got to the line out of the timeout and went 4-for-4 to get within three at 56-53 … FSU was able to get some put-back points and good looks down low to widen its lead to 72-56 at the 8:18 mark … Hicklen stayed hot, adding two more three-pointers off the dribble … Preaster slashed to the hoop and converted the three-point play to get UNF within single digits at 77-68 with 4:15 to go … Adedoyin sunk a couple free throws to get UNF within eight … the Seminoles closed things out down the stretch, with Hicklen finishing at 27 points and the Ospreys with 14 three-pointers.
BY THE NUMBERS
FSU
- Caleb Mills | 21 points, 4 assists
- Matthew Cleveland | 21 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 stealds
- Tanor Ngom | 13 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block
UNF
NOTEABLES
- UNF's starting lineup of Emmanuel Adedoyin, Jarius Hicklen, Dorian James, Jadyn Parker and Jonathan Aybar was the first such starting five of the season.
- The Ospreys have had six different starting lineups this season.
- North Florida and FSU have met seven times.
- This was the final non-conference game of the regular season.
- UNF has played eight of its 19 games against Power Five teams.
- It was UNF's seventh game with double-digit three-pointers.
- Adedoyin posted his fourth double-digit scoring game of the year and tied a season high with six assists.
- Hicklen notched his ninth double-digit scoring game of the year and first 20-plus point performance in the Navy and Gray.
- FSU had 24 second chance points to zero for UNF. The Noles had 30-more points in the paint than the Ospreys.
COACH DRISCOLL'S COMMENTS
NEXT UP
UNF gets back into ASUN play Saturday at Eastern Kentucky. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.
