JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - North Florida women's basketball looks to take the momentum of its latest win against Trinity Baptist when the Ospreys head up to face Auburn on Tuesday, Dec. 20, at 1 p.m. EST, followed by Alabama two days later at the same time in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Tuesday and Thursday's matchups will be broadcasted on SEC Network Plus with Auburn and Alabama's radio calls also available. Updates for both games will be made through live stats, as well as on Twitter at OspreyWBB.
FROM THE JUMP
- The Ospreys have won two of their last three games with wins over Bethune-Cookman and Trinity Baptist.
- Every player that made an appearance against TBC set a season-best mark in either points, assists or rebounds.
- Surpassed the D-I mark for team rebounds in a game with 66 total against Trinity Baptist.
- The old record dated back to the 2015-16 season, which was also against TBC with 61 rebounds.
- Lyric Swann earned her first career ASUN Newcomer of the Week honor after dropping 27 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals against TBC.
- The redshirt junior transfer from Elkridge, Md., continues to maintain her spot as the team leader for points (16.1), assists (3.0) and steals (2.5) per game.
- L. Swann also recorded her 40th consecutive game scoring against the Eagles, while Emma Broermann will attempt to earn her 30th consecutive against Auburn.
- Broermann entered the top 10 the D-I program record books for offensive rebounds with 165 total in her career, as she looks to improve on that number this week.
- Ospreys scored their most points in the second and third quarters this season, along with allowing their least number of points in the first and fourth quarters as well.
- UNF used their fifth unique starting lineup starting Jaelyn Swann in place of Brianna Livingston.
SCOUTING REPORT
- Auburn: The Tigers come into this matchup with only two losses on the year, including one to No. 5 Indiana...their biggest wins come against Colorado State in the Las Vegas Invitational, as well as a 40-point victory over UCF...this will be the last non-conference game for the Tigers before starting SEC play against Ole Miss after Christmas...the dynamic scoring duo of Preseason All-SEC selection Aicha Coulibaly and Honesty Scott-Grayson has led Auburn thus far, as they have combined for an average of 31 points a game...Coulibaly also leads her squad in rebounds, steals and blocks per game, while Scott-Grayson has made the most threes with 17 total.
- Alabama: The Tide, like Auburn, also only have two losses this season, which came in back-to-back games against USF and No. 17 Utah...some of their notable wins heading into this week have been against Wake Forest in the Pink Flamingo Championship, along with road victories against Tulane and Southern Miss...Bama will close their non-conference schedule with UNF as well before their debut SEC matchup against Georgia the following week...Preseason First Team All-SEC selection Brittany Davis has been the hot hand for the Tides' scoring averaging just about 17 points per game...Davis started three of her first four games with 23 or more points, along with a 24-point performance against Southern Miss...she also leads the team in rebounds (6.1 RPG) and minutes played (28.4 MPG).
AN OSPREY WIN AGAINST AUBURN WOULD...
- First win in program history against Auburn, as well as a Power Five opponent.
- Give UNF their second road win of the year.
- Be back-to-back wins and victories in three of their last four games.
AN OSPREY WIN AGAINST ALABAMA WOULD...
- First win in program history against Auburn, as well as a Power Five opponent.
- Be the third time in four years that UNF would head into ASUN play coming off a win.
- First time beating two teams in a span of three days since early last season if they also beat Auburn.
PROJECTED UNF STARTING FIVE (BASED ON LAST GAME)
G - Helena Rafnsdottir (2.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.4 APG)
G - Kaila Rougier (5.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.7 APG)
G - Lyric Swann (16.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.0 APG)
G - Jaelyn Swann (9.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.1 APG)
F - Emma Broermann (10.3 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.1 APG)
LAST TIME VS. AUBURN
AUBURN, Ala. - Tatiana Thompson drilled a three-pointer to give UNF a 63-60 lead at the 5:27 mark in the fourth quarter, but the host Auburn Tigers (4-3) rattled off a late run to take the lead for good as North Florida (5-3) came up short, 72-65, Tuesday, Nov. 30.
LAST 5 vs. THE TIGERS
Date Result Location
11/30/21 L, 65-72 Auburn, Ala.
12/17/20 L, 81-94 Auburn, Ala.
LAST TIME VS. ALABAMA
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Despite a strong opening 15 minutes, turnovers and fouls hampered North Florida women's basketball as it dropped a 69-47 decision against Alabama at Coleman Coliseum on Monday afternoon.
LAST 5 vs. THE CRIMSON TIDE
Date Result Location
12/14/15 L, 47-69 Tuscaloosa, Ala.
LOOKING AHEAD
UNF will have time to celebrate the holidays before heading back on the road to start ASUN play against Stetson on Monday, Jan. 2, at 5 p.m.
OTHER SEASON NOTES
TEN
The Ospreys will man an 10-player roster throughout the 2022-23 season, which is the lowest it has been under head coach Darrick Gibbs.
NEWBIES
The Ospreys have plenty of new faces to go around with six transfers and three freshmen bringing their talents to Jacksonville, Fla.
Elysa Wesolek (South Carolina), Brianna Livingston (Monmouth), Selma Eklund (UNC-Wilmington) come directly from D-I programs, while Lyric Swann (CCBC Essex) and Jaelyn Swann (CCBC Essex) are additions from NJCCA institutions. The Swann sisters do have experience playing at the D-I level, as they previously played for UMBC before transferring to CCBC Essex.
UNF brings in three freshmen after only have one on the roster this past season (Kaila Rougier). Maddie Millar, the only in-state product on the team, and Sarah Taub are guards with stellar shooting abilities. Helena Rafnsdottir also joins as a freshman after playing for her club team in Iceland since she was five years old, as well as the Icelandic Women's National Team.
Assistant coach Myron Brown and director of operations Adrienne Jackson are also welcomed as a newcomers to the squad. Brown joins the Ospreys' coaching staff after being the head women's basketball coach for Thomas University since 2017. Jackson returns to UNF after playing under Darrick Gibbs from 2016-2020.
TWIN TIES
Lyric and Jaelyn Swann both transfer in from CCBC Essex in Maryland to join the Osprey roster. They are one of 15 sets of twins playing for the same Division I women's basketball team this season.
This is also the second consecutive year that UNF will sport a set of sisters on the squad, as Jazz and Jaida Bond both played for the Ospreys this past year.
INTERNATIONAL FACES
Helena Rafnsdottir (Iceland), Selma Eklund (Sweden) and Brianna Livingston (Canada) all join the Ospreys this season representing three different countries. Rafnsdottir and Eklund both have experience playing for the national teams of their respective countries.
It's the third straight season rostering three or more international players, while it also being the first time since 2014-15 that three or more players come from unique countries outside the United States.
INTERNATIONAL PLACES
UNF will make the trip out the Dublin, Ireland, to compete in the MAAC-ASUN Dublin Challenge, joining Eastern Kentucky as the fellow ASUN member playing against MAAC foes.
They are scheduled to compete against Rider on Friday, Nov. 18, at 2:30 p.m. EST, followed by a matchup against Marist the next day on Saturday, Nov. 19, at 9:30 a.m. EST.
SUNSHINE STATE
UNF plays 17 of their 29 games this season inside the state of Florida, including 13 of the 17 matchups played at UNF Arena.
It will also be the first time since the 2014-2015 season that the Ospreys will open the season with two games inside their home arena.
ROAD RUNNERS
The Ospreys will visit six different states in their travel schedule on the year, along with their pair of games overseas in Dublin, Ireland.
UNF will visit Wisconsin, Ireland and Alabama before Christmas break, and will return with trips to North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee and Arkansas.
Out of this year's road slate, the Ospreys will play against four Power Five opponents in Wisconsin, Miami (FL), Auburn and Alabama.
BROERMANN TIME
Emma Broermann leads this team as the unquestioned leader heading into the 2021-22 season. She enters he senior season as the only player on the team with more than one year of experience playing for UNF.
Last season, she was the only player on the team to start all 30 games played. The Okeana, Ohio, native also had the second-best field goal percentage (.602) and the ninth-most blocks (25) in the conference.
Broermann enters her senior season with the Ospreys sitting in the top spot for field goal percentage (.550), as well as the 10th-most blocks (37), in D-I program history.
