The Lipscomb men’s basketball team (11-11, 3-2 ASUN) fell short of a second half comeback as it was unable to slow the roll of the North Florida Ospreys (9-13, 4-1 ASUN).
Things weren’t looking good for the Bisons right off the bat in the jam-packed arena as UNF jumped ahead 18-7 only six minutes into the first half.
The Ospreys continued to dominate the half with their speed and ability to spread out the floor as they extended their lead to 14 after nine minutes of play.
“I thought North Florida was the aggressor early,” Lipscomb head coach Casey Alexander said. “They played inspired and with great confidence, and because of it, they got out to a good lead. We were a little rattled, and they defended us well. It took as a long time to respond.
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Josh Williams kept the Bisons alive by leading the way with 16 points in the first half, but the team was plagued with foul trouble in the first half, causing Lipscomb to pull players from the bench earlier than expected.
North Florida’s Dallas Moore showed why he is the defending ASUN Player of the Year as he exploded in the first half, scoring 14 points consecutively and finishing the half with 20 points.
The Bisons continued to fight their way back into the game although they were just 35 percent from the field and 5-of-22 on the court.
The Ospreys controlled the first half offensively and defensively by spreading out the Lipscomb offense and forcing them to take quick and off-balance shots. The Bisons struggled to get second shots, and before you could blink an eye, the Ospreys were on the run for another fast break.
UNF extended their momentum to the second half by outscoring Lipscomb 18-5 in the first five minutes of the half.
As soon as the Bisons shots began to fall, and the gap was closing in at just four points, UNF’s Aaron Horne sunk a three to extend the lead with under two minutes left.
Lipscomb never stopped fighting, but the consistency of the UNF team on the free-throw line sealed the deal for the Ospreys as they took the victory.
“I thought we played hard tonight, and our guys were trying to win down to the very end, but we were just swimming upstream the whole time,” Alexander said.
The Bisons head home to face a talented USC Upstate team Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. in Allen Arena.
Photos courtesy of Lipscomb Athletics