The University of North Florida basketball team stormed back in the second half to defeat Florida Gulf Coast University by the score of 76-70 on a Thursday night at UNF Arena. 

Senior guard Kamrin Oriol led the Ospreys with 26 points, including 18 in the second half. UNF trailed 36-27 at halftime, but outscored the Eagles 49-34 in the second half to secure its biggest comeback win of the season and snap a five-game losing streak.

First Half

North Florida held FGCU scoreless for the first few minutes, allowing UNF to jump out to a 4-0 lead three minutes into the game. FGCU responded, making three of its next four from beyond the arc, supplementing a 13-2 run. 

This run prompted a UNF timeout, trailing 13-6. In a game of runs, the Ospreys answered back, scoring seven straight points thanks to five from graduate forward Dalton Gayman, who finished the game with 15 points.

Gayman knocked down a three-pointer, then slammed a dunk to tie it up at 13. Halfway through the first half, with the game tied at 16, six lead changes ensued. Freshmen Trey Cady and BJ Plummer made three-pointers, keeping UNF out in front, but FGCU always had a follow-up.

Leading 25-22, with 6:33 remaining until halftime, FGCU closed out the half on a 14-2 run. The Eagles held UNF without a field goal for the remainder of the half, forcing multiple Ospreys turnovers.

At the break, UNF had 11 turnovers and were dominated in the paint thanks to offensive rebounds, spearheading second chance points. Offensively, the Ospreys were shooting just 30.8% (8-26) from the field, while their counterpart was shooting just over 33%, but took 10 more shots.

These extra offensive rebounds and fewer turnovers led to four more Eagle field goals. However, once halftime ended, the Ospreys flipped the script in their favor. There haven’t been many games where the Ospreys trailed at halftime and came back to win.

Second Half

In fact, there have been more games where UNF led at halftime but gave it up in the second half. Not this time, though. Out of the break, Jacksonville native Kent Jackson opened the scoring by nailing two three-pointers from way downtown.

A few minutes later, Plummer sank his second of two three-pointers, shrinking the deficit to two, 40-38. UNF tied the game at 42 when Gayman made a nice move to the left side of the basket, laying the ball in the net.

Next possession for FGCU, J.R. Knonieczny, who finished the game with 31 points, hit a three to steal the lead right back. The Ospreys took their first lead of the half on an easy Oriol layup. Now, UNF led 57-55 with just over seven minutes remaining.

From this point on, the Ospreys never gave up their lead. Recipes for winning include a strong offensive second half, committing few turnovers, limiting an opponent’s offensive rebounds and making free throws.

After committing 11 turnovers in the first half, North Florida turned the ball over zero times in the second half. The Ospreys scored nearly half a hundred second-half points, contributing to an offensive onslaught after a less-than-stellar shooting first half. 

Additionally, North Florida shrank the rebounding gap, passing the Eagles on defensive rebounds. Lastly, UNF made several more free throws and shot a better percentage from the charity stripe.

Postgame Reaction

All of these factors contribute to winning ballgames in a tightly contested ASUN conference where no lead seems safe. Following the game, head coach Bobby Kennen credited most of the team for their belief, effort and consistency.

Specifically, Kennen touted Oriol and Gayman for their consistency all year. Off the bench, Kennen said Mason Lee, Dante Olive and Cady produced good minutes. The biggest difference in the win, according to Kennen, is how the Ospeys cleaned up their turnovers.

“In this team, we’re talented enough, if we just keep moving the ball, not turn it over and get shots, the ball is going to find the right guys at the right time and we’re going to score,” Kennen said. “We were able to do that because they were connected. They played together and they continue to believe in each other.”

Belief and a short memory have been a key to this team’s resilience, Kennen said.

“We’re committed to our process. We’re committed to everything that we’ve done,” Kennen said. “This team has showed up the same every single day. We haven’t let the results define us at all. We’ve continued to work. We’ve continued to move towards our goals.”

Despite this season’s record (7-23), the UNF men’s basketball team still has all its goals in front of it. The Ospreys will look to start a winning streak on Saturday against rival Jacksonville University in the second edition of the ‘River City Rumble.’ Tip-off is at 6 p.m. inside UNF Arena for the final regular-season game for both teams.

As part of senior day, UNF will honor seniors Nestor Dyachok, Oriol and Gayman. 

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