Florida Sports Wires

Playing one of the closest games of the season, the North Florida basketball team outlasted Florida Gulf Coast for an 82-76 victory Saturday night in front of 4,138 fans, the fifth largest crowd in UNF Arena history. With the victory, UNF (18-6, 7-0) completed the first half of the Atlantic Sun Conference schedule undefeated and extended their overall win streak to a program record tying eight games. Additionally, the Ospreys have also won 18 consecutive home games. Beau Beech led the way for UNF finishing with 27 points and eight rebounds. Beech hit eight of the teams 13 three-pointers on the night as the Ospreys became the only team in the country with more than 300 treys made. Dallas Moore scored 18 points and handed out eight assists, while Demarcus Daniels chipped in 13 points and seven rebounds. Marc-Eddy Norelia had 25 points and seven rebounds to pace FGCU (13-10, 4-3), who have now dropped three straight games overall and to the Ospreys. "I'm really proud of...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville University’s men’s basketball team took down Stetson 75-60 on Saturday with an impressive defensive performance, limiting the Hatters to 30.3 percent shooting and just 18.5 percent from three. “Tonight we were pretty good, for the most part,” said Head Coach Tony Jasick. “We had a couple of plays late that could have worked out a bit better, but when we were focused in it went well.” The Hatters would scrap their way to a 33-33 tie with 18:30 remaining with a 7-0 run, but JU responded with a run of its own, outscoring Stetson 10-3 over the next three minutes, leading 43-36 at the first media. The Dolphins’ defense locked in for the next four minutes, allowing just one bucket in nine attempts by the Hatters. Jacksonville’s lead would stretch to 16 points, 56-40, with two three-pointers by Darien Fernandez at 9:27. Stetson would claw back within 11 with 5:29 remaining, but would never get the lead under double digits. “Tonight we did a great job o...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The spell has been broken. After 11-straight setbacks, the Jacksonville University women's basketball team finally defeated Stetson, 69-49, at Swisher Gymnasium Saturday. Backed by double-doubles by Christin Mercer and Sherranda Reddick, the Dolphins shot 53.8 percent from the floor and outrebounded the Hatters, 42-26. The duo each tallied 18 points, and Reddick grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, one more than Mercer. Jasmyn Brown tied her career-high with 16 points.

Florida came out firing from the start and continued bombing away until the finish of today’s 88-71 victory over ninth-ranked West Virginia in this year’s SEC/Big 12 Challenge at the O’Connell Center in Gainesville, Florida. The Gators (14-7) made 12 three-point field goals and shot 53.1 percent from the floor for the game against a Mountaineer defense that came into today’s game ranked first in the country in steals and turnovers, and second in the country in field goal percentage defense. Today, the Gators were making them with hands in their faces, wide open, it didn’t matter. And Florida, one of the worst free throw shooting teams in the country, was even making those as well – 24 of 31. Dorian Finney-Smith hit five of seven from long range, added five of six from the free throw line and finished with a game-high 24 points. Gator guard Brandone Francis-Ramirez came off the bench to hit all three of his three-point attempts and finished with nine, and guards KeVaughn Allen...

By MIKE BONTS COLLEGE BOWL NEWS Judge Michael B. Chavies was installed as the Orange Bowl Committee's 78th President and Chair. Judge Chavies has been a member of the Orange Bowl Committee since 2000 and succeeds Immediate Past President & Chair Lee Stapleton. Judge Chavies will oversee the Committee’s continued commitment to the South Florida community, including a full slate of events, highlighted by the 83rd Capital One Orange Bowl on Dec. 31, 2016. The Orange Bowl invests nearly $1 million in the South Florida community on an annual basis, funding a variety of programs and initiatives, including the Orange Bowl Youth Football Alliance presented by Sports Authority, various scholarship programs and many other youth athletic events. "It has been my privilege for many years to serve on the Orange Bowl Committee and I am honored that my fellow members have entrusted me to serve in an even greater capacity as president," said Chavies. "I feel fortunate to t...

O'Reilly By MIKE BONTS Jacksonville SportsDay Flagler College senior right-handed pitcher Mike O’Reilly was selected to the Preseason All-Peach Belt Conference Baseball Team which was released this morning by conference officials. O’Reilly was selected to the NCBWA Preseason All-Southeast Region First-Team last Saturday. Last year, O’Reilly led the staff with a 2.89 earned run average and posted a 7-3 record with one save and he tossed three complete games. He was selected as the PBC’s Pitcher of the Year and earned first-team all-conference honors as well as being a consensus first-team all-region pick. O’Reilly struck out a staff-best 94 batters in 93.1 innings of work.  O’Reilly led the Peach Belt in shutouts (2); was second in wins, complete games and innings pitched; third in ERA; fourth in strikeouts; and sixth in games started (13). He was selected as the PBC’s Pitcher of the Week two times last year.  Flagler will open the 2016 season on the road with a th...

The Jacksonville Jaguars announced today that defensive line coach/run game coordinator Todd Wash has been promoted to defensive coordinator. Wash, who has 20 years of coaching experience, including nine seasons in the NFL, was named the Jaguars defensive line coach on January 28, 2013, adding run game coordinator to his title prior to the 2015 campaign. Wash and Head Coach Gus Bradley had previously coached together at Seattle (2011-12), Tampa Bay (2007) and North Dakota State (2002-03). Also among the coaching changes, Tony Sorrentino was promoted to assistant wide receivers coach, Aaron Whitecotton was promoted to assistant defensive line coach and Daniel Bullocks, a former NFL safety with the Detroit Lions (2006-09) and coach at Northern Iowa (defensive backs, 2012-14) and Eastern Michigan (cornerbacks, 2015), has been hired as the assistant defensive backs coach. The team also announced that Gus Bradley, who is entering his fourth season as the Jaguars head coach, has sign...