BY Josh Brannock, Sports Editor

Email Josh Brannock at sports@unfspinnaker.com

Follow @spinnaksports

Defense is key to winning championships and for the UNF women’s basketball team it was key in its 67-37 win over the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
Nov. 28. The Ospreys were able to force the Chanticleers to take tough shots as they only made 25% of their shots from the field.

The last time the Ospreys took the court was against a UMKC team that came into the game with a hot hand Nov. 22. The ospreys lost that game 100-63, a score much different than the one posted against the Chanticleers.

“I thought our guards did a really good job with the game plan, getting into the passing lanes and bothering them which forced turnovers,” head coach Mary Tappmeyer said.

“In past games we really struggled on covering the three-point shot,” junior guard Fabiola Josil said. “Working on [our] rotations and closing
out was a big thing in these last practices.”

UNF managed to not allow a single made three-point shot in the game. The only points that came from an outside shot for Coastal Carolina it hit three free throws off of a foul on a three-point shot.

Josil led the team with eight total rebounds and was tied for the lead in steals with three. The team managed to create 25 turnovers and nab 14 steals.

Offensively the Ospreys were led again by senior guard Brittany Kirkland who had 14 points despite making just six of her 17 total shots. Kirkland also tallied four assist and three steals.

“I just keep shooting until something falls, especially if they’re good open shots,” Kirkland said about starting the game shooting 3-13. “I work on it in practice…I have to shoot sometimes because the others won’t shoot.”

The Ospreys next game is against JU in their first conference game of the season Dec. 3. The game is the first of two games played in the River City Rumble and oddly takes place in the middle of the
non-conference schedule.

UNF is now 1-5 and will be playing the 0-5 Dolphins, who are coming off of an 83-54 loss to Wake Forrest Nov. 25.  After the JU game UNF continues its non-conference schedule taking on West Virginia Dec. 10. The Ospreys will not play another conference opponent until they play Belmont at home Jan. 2