MACON, Ga – The UNF men’s basketball team has met their match in the first half of the Atlantic Sun Championship game, as the sixth seeded Ospreys trail the one seeded Belmont Bruins, 21-39, after the first 20 minutes.

It has been all Bruins from the get go. Belmont jumped out in front big before UNF realized the game had started. Belmont started the game with a 17-4 run, led junior center Mick Hedgepeth, who scored nine points in the first eight minutes of play. He didn’t stop there. He finished the first half with 17 points and five rebounds.

UNF struggled with Belmont’s size the entire first half. Belmont, who boast three players 6’9 or taller while the Ospreys boast none, outrebounded UNF 21-12 in the first half. The biggest thing was the offensive rebounds, 14 for Belmont, resulting 13 second-chance points. The Bruins also outscored UNF in the paint 22-12 in the first half.

UNF’s top two scorers on the season have been none factors thus far. Sophomore guards Parker Smith and Jerron Granberry have combined to go just 0-4 from the field. Senior guard Brad Haugabrook is leading the way for UNF with eight points and freshman forward Charles McRoy has added seven.

UNF will have to find a way to crash the boards, and get their two scorers involved in the second half to have any chance of coming back in this game.