Featured image by: Darvin Nelson

The North Florida Ospreys men’s basketball team got their revenge against the NJIT Highlanders with an 82-75 win on the road.

Despite only scoring five points in the game, a three-point dagger from JT Escobar late put him over 1,000 career points and helped cap the win against the surging Highlanders.

The Ospreys added some padding with a 16-point lead with just under 12 minutes remaining in the game. A 9-0 run quickly brought the lead back down to single digits and after five quick minutes, the Highlanders were back in the game.

North Florida just couldn’t seem to get the separation they previously had on the scoreboard as the game came down to the final minutes. Both teams went blow-for-blow in the final minutes.

With just over a minute remaining, it appeared that the Highlanders were primed to make one of the biggest comebacks of the season as they got the deficit down to three points late, 74-71.

Escobar’s dagger came with 42 seconds on the clock, giving the Ospreys some room to breathe, although the game was not secure yet. UNF managed to end the game by hitting five of their last six free throws, keeping the game out of reach for NJIT.

Wajid Aminu, who fouled out with just under two minutes remaining, led all scoring with 21 points and nine rebounds. He also racked up five blocks, making this his fourth five-block game of the season.

Sophomore forward Carter Hendricksen also stood out with his 19 points and eight rebounds. Garrett Sams complemented the team effort with 12 points and seven rebounds. Some say it’s better to give than receive and Ivan Gandia-Rosa can attest to that. The senior from Caguas, Puerto Rico put on a passing clinic, tallying seven assists along with his eight points.

The Ospreys now improve to 8-2 in conference play (15-10 overall) and will be in Fort Myers to play FGCU on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 7:00 p.m.

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