DeLAND, Fla. - Despite never leading in 45 minutes of basketball, Stetson (11-18, 5-11 ASUN) managed to push North Florida men's basketball to overtime. But, in edition number two of UNF and Stetson in the extra period this season, it was the Ospreys (11-19, 7-9 ASUN) that came out on top in a 74-69 regular season-finale victory Saturday, Feb. 26.
North Florida and Stetson played a very similar game back in Jacksonville, Jan. 8, with Stetson coming out on top, 68-66, in overtime. UNF evaded that result this time thanks to a 10-0 explosion off the overtime-period tip-off.
With the win, North Florida secured the number five seed in the ASUN East Division. The Ospreys will face ASUN West Division number-four seeded Lipscomb in the ASUN Championship First Round Tuesday, March 1. Tip-off is at 8 p.m. EST and 7 p.m. CST from Nashville, Tenn.
All told, the Ospreys led for 42 minutes and 37 seconds, while leading by as many as 11 points and creating as good as a 11-0 run.
Jarius Hicklen got back to his old ways, scoring 25 while
Chaz Lanier chipped in with 14 points, his career-best against a Division I foe.
Carter Hendricksen also made his first appearance since a Feb. 3 road game at Jacksonville State, and head coach
Matthew Driscoll earned his 118th win in ASUN regular season play, moving him into third in ASUN history for wins.
The Ospreys blocked 11 shots, a season high while tying for second in UNF single game history.
Jadyn Parker's nine blocks set a UNF single game record.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
1st Half
- UNF started things off with an 11-0 run, getting three-pointers from Emmanuel Adedoyin, Hicklen and Lanier … Stetson was able to go on a 10-2 run to cut UNF's lead to 13-10 … Stetson tied it up 15-15 as the first half hit the eight-minute mark … UNF held Stetson to 1-for-11 from beyond the arc in the first half, heading into the break with a 28-23 lead.
2nd Half
- UNF got its lead up to 33-25 to start the second … a flurry of points from UNF extended the Ospreys' lead to 49-39 with 7:33 to go in the game, capped by a Josh Berenbaum three-pointer at the top of the key … with UNF up eight with two minutes and 52 seconds on the clock, Stetson crawled back into the game, getting within three with under 30 seconds on the clock … a pair of missed free throws down the stretch allowed Stetson to stay within two points as Stephan Swenson cut to the rim and tied the game with a layup as the clock hit five seconds.
Overtime
- The Ospreys erased the ending to regulation from their memory, coming out of the quick break on fire from the floor … a pair of Hicklen free throws sandwiched four UNF free throws as North Florida created a 66-56 lead … Stetson got within two at 69-67 with 23 seconds left, but a Lanier fast break dunk and more free throws iced the game.
BY THE NUMBERS
UNF
Stetson
- Chase Johnston | 25 points, 3 rebounds, 4 steals
- Christiaan Jones | 18 points, 12 rebounds, 2 steals
- Alvin Tumblin | 7 points, 2 rebounds, 3 blocks
NOTABLES
- Hendricksen played in his first game since Feb. 3 at Jacksonville State.
- Head Coach Matthew Driscoll won his 118th ASUN regular season game, moving him past Frank Kearns of Georgia Southern for third all-time.
- Hicklen put up his fifth 20-plus point night of the year.
- Lanier scored 14, his most points in a game since putting up 11 at Stetson on the same day a year ago.
- UNF is 22-14 all-time against Stetson.
- The Ospreys will face Lipscomb in the ASUN Championship First Round Tuesday, March 1.
- The winner of UNF and Lipscomb advances to face Liberty at Liberty.
- Emmanuel Adedoyin is five points shy of 500 for his career.
- UNF's 11 blocked shots is tied-for-second in UNF single game history. The Ospreys have only reached that number or better five times in the program's history.
- Jadyn Parker set the UNF single-game blocked shots record with nine.
COACH DRISCOLL'S COMMENTS
NEXT UP
UNF travels to Nashville to face Lipscomb in the ASUN Championship First Round Tuesday, March 1 at 8 p.m. EST.
