Rough patch continues for men’s basketball in loss to Kennesaw State

Jacob Justice, Sports Reporter
January 17, 2023

KENNESAW, Ga. — The University of North Florida men’s basketball team faced off against the Kennesaw State Owls on Saturday, suffering a tough defeat by a score of 86-72.

The game was played at the KSU Convocation Center in Kennesaw, Georgia, one of 12 away matchups already played by the Ospreys this season.

The matchup was close throughout, with the Ospreys outscoring the Owls by eight points in the first half, giving them a 40-32 lead going into the break.

Kennesaw State picked things up in the second half however, with the Owls decimating the Osprey defense by scoring 54 points, as opposed to UNF’s 32, in the half to come back and win the game, 

UNF guard Jarius Hicklen receives a pass and prepares for his next move. (Justin Nedrow)

Despite this detrimental loss, many players on this UNF squad had outstanding performances during the matchup.

One such key performer was senior forward Carter Hendricksen, who furthered his veteran presence on this team by a game-leading 20 points.

This is now Hendricksen’s third 20-point performance on the season, with the opportunity for many more still to come.

Redshirt junior Jose Placer also proved to be a force to be reckoned with, dishing out 13 points of his own in the contest.

Sophomore forward Jonathan Aybar had quite the impact as well, performing efficiently with a team-leading four assists. Aybar has been doing it all, racking up 26 points against Stetson earlier this month.

This loss now places the Ospreys on a three-game losing streak, something that both fans and players alike are hoping will end as soon as possible.

The Ospreys will have two home games coming up in the next few weeks however, a glimmer of hope for many. UNF has yet to lose at the Nest this season, boasting six wins at home. Returning home could bring this losing skid to an end and get things going back in the right direction.

The Ospreys will look to atone for this loss on Thursday, as they are set to face Queens University, a first-year Division I team.

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