MBB: UNF earns second straight Atlantic Sun Conference regular season title with win over JU
The University of North Florida (21-10, 10-4) scored four points in the final 10 seconds of the game, escaping with an 81-80 win over Jacksonville University (16-15, 8-6 A-Sun) Thursday in the Historic Swisher Gym.
UNF made history by earning their second straight Atlantic Sun Conference regular season title.
"I am extremely proud of our guys and the history they made tonight," said head coach Matthew Driscoll. "We made it harder on ourselves than it should have been but I loved the way they really trusted each other and kept battling to earn a tough road victory. I thought in the final minutes, the guys really rose up and made some huge plays down the stretch to get the victory. We are thrilled to have accomplished one of our goals for the season and now turn our attention to the next phase of the year... postseason play."
Dallas Moore led the way for UNF scoring 22 points including 8 of the team's final 11 points in the first half, helping the Ospreys to a double-digit advantage. Demarcus Daniels added 14 points and Chris Davenport shipped in 10 points as both players topped the 1,000 point mark for their careers.
Trent Mackey finished with 13 points, going 5-for-6 from the free throw line highlighted by a pair of free throws made with two seconds remaining to secure the victory, while Beau Beech also reached double figures in scoring 11 points.
"Give credit to UNF," said Head Coach Tony Jasick. "They really took advantage of some opportunities that were created through the game, especially in the second half, which changed the game. At times I was frustrated by the lack of urgency and effort."
JU's Kori Babineaux impressed in his final regular season game, scoring 24 points on 11-22 shooting. The senior from Folsom, Calif., had seven rebounds, three assists, and a steal in 40 minutes. J.R. Holder had 23 points, four boards, three steals, and two assists.
The Dolphins' Josh Adeyeye had 14 points, three rebounds, and one assist in his senior finale. Marcel White had eight points and six rebounds. Darien Fernandez had five points and five rebounds, Antwon Clayton had four points and five rebounds, and Demontrez Austin had two points.
The Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament begins play Tuesday with quarterfinal action. Top-seeded North Florida hosts No. 8 USC Upstate, at 7:30 p.m. No. 2 NJIT hosts No. 7 Stetson while Jacksonville, the No. 3 seed welcomes No. 6 Lipscomb and No. 4 FGCU hosts No. 5 Kennesaw State.
UNF made history by earning their second straight Atlantic Sun Conference regular season title.
"I am extremely proud of our guys and the history they made tonight," said head coach Matthew Driscoll. "We made it harder on ourselves than it should have been but I loved the way they really trusted each other and kept battling to earn a tough road victory. I thought in the final minutes, the guys really rose up and made some huge plays down the stretch to get the victory. We are thrilled to have accomplished one of our goals for the season and now turn our attention to the next phase of the year... postseason play."
Dallas Moore led the way for UNF scoring 22 points including 8 of the team's final 11 points in the first half, helping the Ospreys to a double-digit advantage. Demarcus Daniels added 14 points and Chris Davenport shipped in 10 points as both players topped the 1,000 point mark for their careers.
Trent Mackey finished with 13 points, going 5-for-6 from the free throw line highlighted by a pair of free throws made with two seconds remaining to secure the victory, while Beau Beech also reached double figures in scoring 11 points.
"Give credit to UNF," said Head Coach Tony Jasick. "They really took advantage of some opportunities that were created through the game, especially in the second half, which changed the game. At times I was frustrated by the lack of urgency and effort."
JU's Kori Babineaux impressed in his final regular season game, scoring 24 points on 11-22 shooting. The senior from Folsom, Calif., had seven rebounds, three assists, and a steal in 40 minutes. J.R. Holder had 23 points, four boards, three steals, and two assists.
The Dolphins' Josh Adeyeye had 14 points, three rebounds, and one assist in his senior finale. Marcel White had eight points and six rebounds. Darien Fernandez had five points and five rebounds, Antwon Clayton had four points and five rebounds, and Demontrez Austin had two points.
The Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament begins play Tuesday with quarterfinal action. Top-seeded North Florida hosts No. 8 USC Upstate, at 7:30 p.m. No. 2 NJIT hosts No. 7 Stetson while Jacksonville, the No. 3 seed welcomes No. 6 Lipscomb and No. 4 FGCU hosts No. 5 Kennesaw State.
