The University of North Florida men’s basketball team secured their first conference victory on Saturday night, defeating Bellarmine 98-83 in Louisville, Kentucky. The Ospreys shot 62.1% from the field, their highest mark on the season and their highest mark against an Atlantic Sun (ASUN) opponent since 2018 against Stetson.

First Half

The game started back and forth, with the Knights leading 12-9 after the first five and a half minutes of play. Sophomore guard Jaylen Smith and freshman forward Josh Harris accounted for all of the early scoring done by the Ospreys until senior guard Nate Lliteras drained a 3-point effort to draw the Ospreys level at 12.

Over the next 6 minutes, UNF went on a 25-9 run ignited by the additions of freshman guard Dante Oliver and graduate forward Liam Murphy off the bench. The duo would combine for five 3-pointers made over the next few minutes to propel the Ospreys to an 11-point lead.

Bellarmine would respond with a shot from beyond the arc by freshman guard AJ Lux, but the Ospreys continued to maintain their lead with back-to-back 3-pointers from senior guard Oscar Berry.

The first half ended with Jaylen Smith driving to his left for a floated layup to give the Ospreys a nine point lead heading into halftime.

Second Half

Smith picked up right where he left off coming out of the locker room, with a shot from inside the paint to give UNF their first points of the second half. He hit a 3-point shot soon after, followed by sophomore guard Jasai Miles laying down a dunk as the Ospreys continued their relentless offensive pressure. Smith ended the night with 14 points, 3 assists and 2 rebounds.

While the Knights did their best to keep up, the Ospreys’ offensive barrage was unrelenting. They shot 54.1% from range. The scoring also came from various sources, with UNF outscoring Bellarmine 41-17 off the bench.

With 11 minutes remaining and the Ospreys on offense, senior guard Ametri Moss faced intense pressure from Bellarmine defenders near midcourt. His pass was deflected but landed perfectly for Murphy, who drew additional defenders before delivering a behind-the-back pass to Harris for an easy basket to extend the Ospreys lead to 14 points.

As the game approached its conclusion, the Ospreys were led by Jasai Miles, who made two final 3-pointers down the stretch, including a particularly impressive long-range shot over two defenders with the shot clock winding down.

Miles and Liam Murphy stood out for the Ospreys throughout the contest. Miles recorded 20 points and 7 rebounds, surpassing the 20-point mark for the third time this season. Murphy contributed 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists while setting a season-high mark, making six 3-pointers.

Post-game Thoughts

After the game, head coach Matthew Driscoll commented favorably on the team’s work ethic and willingness to perform their roles, even if they may not be “glamorous”.

“I thought we sustained well”, Driscoll said. “I’m proud of our team win, because that’s what it was.”

Driscoll also highlighted the fact that UNF shot 16-21 from 2 point range, noting that many opposing sides focus on defending the deep shots, leaving players open closer to the basket.

“A lot of people get enamored with the 20 threes… Obviously we did a great job guarding the 3-point line for them as well”, he said.

Up Next

The Ospreys return home to take on Central Arkansas this Thursday, with tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m. at UNF Arena.