UNF men’s basketball (3-2) suffered their second loss of the season 70-57 to the St. Louis Billikens (4-0) at the Chaifetz Arena on Nov. 24. This is the first time the teams have ever faced each other.

The Ospreys struck first in the opening minute behind redshirt senior guard Trent Mackey’s three pointer to open the game. This lead would not last long after Billiken redshirt senior guard Ash Yacoubou sparked a mini-run with the help of sophomore guard Miles Reynolds to take the lead 6-5.

For the remainder of the first half, the two teams battled bucket for bucket with behind-the-arc play being a major strategy for both. For three minutes, UNF was scoreless before they created a 8-2 run thanks to a 6 point spark from junior guard Dallas Moore to close the half 33-32 in favor of St. Louis.

With their momentum, the Ospreys came out of the halftime break with a jumper by senior guard Beau Beech to take control of the lead 34-32. Both teams continued to make runs, but St. Louis pulled away for the 70-57 victory after missed opportunities and turnovers that the Ospreys couldn’t recover from.

The usually hot-shooting Ospreys would shoot just 25 percent (5-20) from behind the three-point line while the Billikens made 8 three-pointers on their end. Before this game, St. Louis made only 10 three-pointers combined in their first three games.

Yacoubou finished the night with 20 points and 10 rebounds. He contributed to half of the Billikens’ three-pointers in the game.

Once again, Moore led the Ospreys in scoring with 16 points and 7 rebounds. Beech added 11 points with 4 rebounds of his own.

Next for the Ospreys is the third game in the Brooklyn Hoops Holiday Invitational against the Hartford University Hawks in West Hartford, Connecticut on Nov. 27.

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