JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - UNF men's basketball begins its final road trip of the regular season when the Ospreys go up against Lipscomb in the Music City for a 2022 ASUN Championship First Round rematch Thursday, Feb. 16.

Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. EST from Allen Arena in Nashville.

GAME DETAILS
Date: Thursday, Feb. 16
Time: 8 p.m. EST
Location: Nashville, Tenn. | Allen Arena
Opponent: Lipscomb
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: statbroadcast.com
 
All-Time Series: Lipscomb leads, 18-17

• UNF and Lipscomb have played to a neck-and-neck mark in the all-time series, with Lipscomb leading the way by one through 35 games
• The two are playing their 29th game in regular season league games. UNF leads that series, 15-13
• Lipscomb won the last two meetings a year ago, including a meeting in the ASUN postseason March 1

An Osprey Win Would....

• Give UNF a win in four of its last five games
• Bring UNF to a 9-11 mark at Lipscomb
• Make UNF 4-1 in the month of February

PROJECTED UNF STARTING FIVE
G - Oscar Berry (5.0 PPG | 2.0 RPG | 0.6 APG)
G - Jarius Hicklen (11.5 PPG | 3.5 RPG | 2.9 APG)
G - Jose Placer (13.8 PPG | 2.3 RPG | 2.6 APG)
F - Carter Hendricksen (16.0 PPG | 6.2 RPG | 2.2 APG)
F - Jadyn Parker (6.8 PPG | 4.8 RPG | 0.8 APG)

LAST TIME OUT
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Jose Placer drilled a three-pointer 12 seconds after the opening tip-off as the Ospreys (11-15, 6-8 ASUN) led for 39 minutes and 48 seconds in a wire-to-wire rout of Stetson (14-11, 9-5 ASUN), 92-81, Saturday, Feb. 11. UNF shot 60.9 percent from deep, good for the best team mark since 2017 and the third-highest percentage in UNF program history for a single game.

LAST TIME VS. LIPSCOMB
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tied 31-31 at the half, North Florida (11-20) and Lipscomb (14-18) were looking to gear up for a repeat of their barn burner back in Jacksonville when the teams met in January. But, an 8-0 run out of the break helped push Lipscomb ahead for good as North Florida was ousted out of ASUN Championship play with a 74-65 loss to the Bisons Tuesday, March 1.

COACH DRISCOLL ON LIPSCOMB
"It's almost unreal to think that we're upon the last road trip of the regular season, especially after playing arguably the toughest non-conference road schedule in America. We have continued to take incremental steps of improvement, both defensively and offensively, which has allowed us to continue to compete for postseason action. Lipscomb has one of the best interior tandems in the ASUN, putting a lot of constant pressure on the rim. They also have aggressive guards that attack the glass and go downhill, creating rotations that give them a lot of lethal open three-pointers. The Bison have been defending well all year and currently rank second in defensive efficiency rating." -- Head Coach Matthew Driscoll
 

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NORTH FLORIDA NOTES

DROPPING DIMES
Jarius Hicklen has picked up his production in the assists column this year after bearing more of the point guard duties in 2022-23. As a result, the sharpshooter reached 200-career assists in Saturday's win. He and teammate Carter Hendricksen have both reached that milestone this year.

HOT FROM THE JUMP
UNF had one of its best shooting games in program history Saturday against Stetson. The Ospreys started off with a three-pointer from Jose Placer only 12 seconds into the game, going on to make 13 more as UNF shot 60.9 percent from deep. That mark was good for the best tally since 2017 and the third-best single game shooting percentage in program history.

TAKING WHAT'S GIVEN
UNF didn't miss out on opportunities Saturday. The Ospreys put the game out of reach thanks to a 20-for-22 effort from the free throw line. It's the second time this season UNF has shot over 90 percent from the line after going 18-for-19 at UNA.

LONGEVITY
Carter Hendricksen started his 101st game at UNF Saturday, tied for tenth in UNF history. He has played in 130, good for third in UNF history. With six more games, he would have played the most in program history.

FLY SWATTER
Jadyn Parker surpassed 100 blocks this month, becoming just the sixth Osprey to do so. He is currently fifth in UNF history with 104 swats.

TWO GOATS
Carter Hendricksen's 17-point effort last Saturday brought him into a tie for second all-time in UNF history for career points. He has 1,557, tied with UNF great, Beau Beech.

ALL OVER THE RECORD BOOK
Carter Hendricksen was already over the UNF record book quite a bit heading into the season, although the last few weeks have really sent him all throughout the ledger. Hendricksen ranks in the top ten in: points (T-2nd - 1,557), field goals made (5th - 504), field goals attempted (2nd - 1,270), three-pointers made (5th - 256), three-pointers attempted (3rd - 752), free throws made (5th - 293), free throw percentage (6th - .828), rebounds (4th - 710), rebounding average (5.5 - 10th), defensive rebounds (2nd - 572), defensive rebound average (5th - 4.4), games played (3rd- 131) and minutes 45th - 3,531).
 

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SCOUTING LIPSCOMB

• Lipscomb enters the game 16-11 and 8-6 in league play, tied for fifth in the ASUN standings
• The Bison have won three of their last five games, but are coming off a 10-point loss at UNA Saturday
• Prior to that Lipscomb was riding a three-game winning streak with victories against Queens, Liberty and Central Arkansas
• Lipscomb has thrived at home, posting a 12-1 mark at Allen Arena and 4-10 mark on the road
• Their biggest non-conference tests came at Notre Dame, Michigan and Louisville. Lipscomb nearly knocked off the Fighting Irish, falling by only one, but their responded to get an ACC win against Louisville. The Bison fell to Michigan by eight in one of their three P5 tests
• Lipscomb is paced by the scoring of Jacob Ognacevic, a versatile forward that is averaging 16.5 points per game. Will Pruitt is the only other Bison averaging double-digit points, adding 10 points per game.
• ASUN household name, Ahsan Asadullah, has taken a backseat to some other teammates in the scoring department this season. The veteran is averaging 6.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.
• Lipscomb relies heavily on its bench production, ranking second in the ASUN in bench points as well as 18th in the nation.
• The Bison attack the offensive boards, reeling in 27.4 per game, good for 24th in Division I.

 

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OTHER NOTES

LEADING LATE
UNF has fared very well under head coach Matthew Driscoll when possessing a lead with under five minutes to go in the game. Under Driscoll, North Florida is 185-16 when leading with five minutes to go on the clock.

1K CLUB TIMES 2
Jose Placer surpassed 1,000-career points in a UNF uniform Thursday, Feb. 9. He already joined a 1,000-point club earlier this season after reaching 1,000-collegiate points during the win against Austin Peay Dec. 31. 

ON LOCK
UNF held JU to only 58 points in the win Saturday. North Florida is 1-0 on the year when holding foes to between 50-59 points, as well as 33-4 during head coach Matthew Driscoll's tenure.

FEELIN' IT IN FEBRUARY
UNF has played its best basketball in February during head coach Matthew Driscoll's tenure. North Florida is 62-36 during his time as head coach and 3-1 this year.

OSPREY NATION
The UNF Arena saw the sixth largest crowd in program history during the Feb. 4 win with a reported attendance of 4,439. It's the fourth-largest attendance for a River City Rumble game in the UNF Arena, as well as the largest crowd since 2016.

TELL-TALE STATS
UNF has established a few tell-tale stats that have given a hint of a positive outcome for the Ospreys during head coach Matthew Driscoll's tenure. UNF is 170-40 when leading at the half, 185-17 when leading with five minutes left, 86-8 when holding foes under 40 percent from the floor and 178-34 when shooting better than its opponent.

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
The Ospreys have played one of the toughest schedules in the nation, having already played opponents such as No. 2 Gonzaga, Washington, Duquesne, No. 15 Kentucky, High Point, No. 1 Houston and Pittsburgh.

PRESEASON ALL-ASUN 

• Jose Placer and Carter Hendricksen were both tabbed to the All-ASUN Preseason team. 
• UNF joined Liberty as the only two teams in the ASUN Conference to have two honorees on the preseason squad.

RETURNING MINUTES AND POINTS

• After having one of the youngest teams in the nation last year, North Florida returns as a veteran team. 
• The Ospreys bring back 81 percent of their scoring and 74 percent of minutes played from last season. 
• All told, UNF has nine returners and four newcomers, with five of the nine returners being regular starters last season.

AWARDS AND HONORS IN 2021-22

•  Jose Placer and Carter Hendricksen both took home ASUN All-Academic honors to close the 2022 season. For Hendricksen, it was his third-career honor. 
• Hendricksen also joined former teammate, Wajid Aminu, as a CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree a year ago. Despite battling injury during the 2021-22 season, Hendricksen still managed to average 12.2 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per contest, bringing him past 1,000-career points and 500-career rebounds.
• Shooting guard Jarius Hicklen put the ASUN on notice last year, averaging 12 points per game over 30 games and 15 starts. Initially not starting at the beginning of the 2021-22 season, Hicklen's consistency, combined with some injuries on the UNF roster, brought him into a starting role that he did not let go of. The Dallas, Texas native was named ASUN Newcomer of the Week and ASUN Player of the Week one time apiece last year. He started his collegiate career with two seasons of basketball at Division II Oklahoma Baptist before transferring to North Florida. 

LOOKING AT THE 2022-23 SEASON

• UNF is set to play 30 regular season games including 13 at home. The Ospreys play a 13-game non-conference ledger, with 18 league games lined up as the ASUN expanded to 14 teams.
• The Ospreys will play seven first-time opponents in Gonzaga, Washington, South Carolina State, Houston, Duquesne, Davis & Elkins and Atlantis.
• UNF also has Pittsburgh and Kentucky on the schedule for this year, marking the second-straight year UNF has taken on Kentucky.

CSI COMPANIES COURT

• North Florida men's basketball practiced away from its home court for all of the summer and much of the preseason as the UNF Arena was undergoing renovations that included the construction of the new CSI Companies Court. UNF didn't practice in its home gym until Oct. 24 and instead practiced at the UNF Fieldhouse adjacent to the gym, or at the Florida State College of Jacksonville (community college) across the street from campus. 
• The CSI Companies Court features a gray and navy look, with the state of Florida and UNF banner logo donning the center of the floor. UNF's location in Jacksonville is emphasized with a star located on the floor, while Osprey talons mark the sidelines. 
• The UNF Arena was also renovated with brand new lighting and sound system, as well as other aesthetic touch ups. The Bank of England Hospitality Suite is also nearing completion, providing a premier experience for donors.

NOTABLE

• Head coach Matthew Driscoll picked up his 200th-career win last year. He is the winningest coach in program history. 
• UNF had arguably the best blocking trio in the league last year, with three student-athletes averaging at least 0.9 blocks/game. Jadyn Parker led the way with 1.6, Dorian James swatted 1.1 per game and Jonathan Aybar blocked 0.9 shots per contest. Parker set the UNF single game blocks record with nine last season at Stetson.
• No stranger to tough schedules, UNF opened the year last year with a stretch of games against Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Grand Canyon, Arizona State and UCLA before playing a home game. The Ospreys played one home game before going back on the road to take on Kentucky.