After a hot start by UNF, the Buccaneers crept up on the Ospreys throughout to force an overtime, but the Ospreys won out on key shots and heads up plays.

UNF (3-2) broke out in the first quarter with an active presence at the post, outrebounding the Charleston Southern Buccaneers (1-5), 10-6. Senior Arianna Emanuel-Wright collected seven points and Freshman Lauren Gross connected on two of her three point daggers. The Ospreys carried a 22-13 lead at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Buccaneers began chipping away at UNF’s lead by hitting nine out of their 18 shots from the field. The Ospreys picked CSU’s pockets, scoring 19 of their points off turnovers. At the end of the first half, the Ospreys led, 41-35. Emanuel-Wright leads the Ospreys in scoring with 15 points at the half and Junior Adrienne Jackson led in rebounds with 6.

All of the offense was happening on the interior as neither teams recorded a three pointer in the third quarter. The Ospreys held the Eagles to 25 percent shooting in the third, holding a 53-46 lead.

The Eagles climbed within four of the Ospreys on a three pointer by Sophomore Kelsie Ruff-Mills to make it 55-51, UNF.  Ruff-Mills answered again later in the fourth with a three to put the Bucs ahead, 58-57.Emanuel-Wright picked up three points from the charity stripe to tie the game at 60. Ruff-Mills continued her hot streak with another three to put the Bucs up 63-62. Junior Dasha Eremeeva was fed a ball close to the rim as she hit a layup to give the Ospreys a 64-63 lead with 32 seconds left in the game. Junior Tierra Steede of CSU only knocked down one of her two free throws to tie the game at 64 with nine seconds left. Junior Adrienne Jackson was fouled with 0.9 seconds left in the game but missed the two shots, forcing an overtime, tied 64 all.

Senior Ty Purifoy landed a three to put the Ospreys up by five and Senior Ke’Asia Jackson of the Bucs answered with a three of her own to put the Bucs behind two. Senior Rachel Burns made a layup and a free throw to put the Bucs up, 72-71. Junior Dasha Eremeeva hit a layup, putting the Ospreys up, 73-72. Jackson landed a jumper with a foul to extend a 75-73 lead. Gross hit a three, Ospreys leading, 76-75. Emanuel-Wright hit a key layup and a foul to put the Ospreys up, 79-75.  After key free throws from Sophomore Elli Bartley and Gross, the Ospreys prevailed with an 82-76 win.

Emanuel-Wright led the team in points (25), rebounds (10), and assists (6). The Senior talked to Spinnaker about being able to take advantage of her matchup in the game

“In the first half, our pace was really fast and when we got defensive rebounds, we just ran down the floor and that really helped me,” Emanuel-Wright said. 

Coach Darrick Gibbs talked to Spinnaker about the team’s performance.

“I thought we got off to a great start, did some really good things on both ends of the floor. We kinda stalled out a little bit, especially in the second half when they went zone.  Overall, I thought our kids were really resilient, made some really good plays and we had a lot of people make big shots in big moments,” Gibbs said.

The Ospreys head west to Colorado to play Colorado State on Sunday, Dec. 2 at 2 p.m.

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