Jacksonville Falls to the University of North Florida 77-63; Schools Meet Again Saturday
The opening parts of the first half were almost polar opposite to last year's contest in Swisher. North Florida led for almost the entire half, and at one point more than doubled Jacksonville's score 27-13 with less than eight minutes to play.
A huge part in the opening stages included a near 67% shooting percentage from the field in the first 13 minutes by UNF, which included 50% from deep. The Dolphins shot 26.3% for comparison in that span, and didn't connect on any of their seven three point shots.
In the final seven-plus minutes of the half, the same story was being written as JU still could not get hot on the offensive side and didn't hit a three pointer. The Ospreys were able to continue to build on their lead and were up by as much as 21 in the first half, though they led by 19 at the end of the half.
The Dolphins came roaring out of the gates in the second half, starting the first five minutes on a 19-7 run. Mike Marsh then hit a couple of free throws alongside a two point pull up jumper from Gyasi Powell and suddenly the game was within five.
Powell then followed up an Osprey miss with another mid-range jumper to bring the game to within one shot for the first time since 13:41 in the first half.
The Ospreys however found their groove again on the offensive front and responded with a 13-4 run from the 11:57 to 5:57 mark and regained a foothold on the game with a 12 point lead.
The rest of the way saw the Ospreys outscore the Dolphins 14-12 to clinch the win.
The Dolphins are back in action Saturday as they'll play part two of the River City Rumble at North Florida. Tipoff is slated for 5 PM on ESPN+ and 1010 XL.
