Women’s basketball looks to continue three-game win streak on the road.
The North Florida women’s basketball team is headed to Nashville for its next two games. The Ospreys (8-12, 5-4) will take on the Belmont Bruins (6-14, 5-4) Jan. 26, followed by the Lipscomb Bison (3-17, 1-8) Jan. 28.
The Ospreys have faced both teams once already this season in Jacksonville. The Bruins left victorious, defeating the Ospreys 54-37 Jan. 2. It was one of only three times the Ospreys had been held to less than 40 points in a game. However, the Ospreys followed that loss with a 77-67 conference win over Lipscomb Jan. 4.
The women’s basketball team is only two games behind the second-place Stetson Hatters in the Atlantic Sun Conference after winning three of its last four conference games. Most recently, the Ospreys swooped through the state of Georgia, defeating Kennesaw State (66-57), as well as Mercer (49-39).
Junior Larkira Jones, the team’s forward, is building momentum heading into the upcoming games. Jones tied the UNF’s all-time record for shots blocked in the Ospreys’ last game against Mercer. With two-thirds of the season complete, the Ospreys will look to finish the regular season strong and head into the conference tournament with a full steam ahead.
By: Zach Morgan, Contributing Writer
Men’s hockey looks to stop five-game losing skid.
The UNF men’s hockey team will look to put a halt to its five-game losing streak on the road this weekend. The team will travel to Daytona Jan. 27 to face off against Embry Riddle.
UNF dropped its last two games to the University of Florida. The Ospreys lost 8-7 to the Gators Jan. 20, after coming back and tying the game late in the third period. UF scored the game-winning goal with just four seconds left to play, after the referees waved off an icing for no apparent reason, and the Gators came down the ice and put the puck in the back of the net.
The game Jan. 21 was another heartbreak for UNF, as would lose 4-3 in overtime to the Gators. UNF was called for a two-minute minor penalty in overtime, and the Gators took advantage as they scored the game winner shortly after. UNF is now 16-7 on the season.
Lacrosse hopes to begin 2012 season on the right foot.
The UNF lacrosse team will begin its 2012 season Jan. 28 as it hosts the University of Central Florida at 2 p.m.
This is the fourth season for UNF lacrosse, and will will look to continue growing as a Division II program. Last season, the Ospreys were 4-6 overall and 2-2 in conference play.
When UCF and UNF met last season in Orlando, UCF over-powered UNF, winning 26-12. UNF will play a total of 11 games this season, including seven in Jacksonville.
Although UNF doesn’t play the likes of top Division I teams, it will look to impress the rest of the lacrosse world and show that a club team can compete with the rest of the nation.
Swimming and diving ends dual season with loss.
The UNF women’s swimming and diving team finished its final dual meet of the year with a
132-102 loss to Florida Gulf Coast University at the UNF Aquatic Center Jan. 20. It was UNF’s
senior day, and the school honored Gala Poon, its lone senior.
Out of 13 events, the Ospreys finished first in four of them.
Junior Sara Evans, the reigning Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association Swimmer of the
Week, won the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:10.21.
Junior diver Julia Moomaw and freshman diver Monica Rice went back and forth in the diving portion of the meet for the Ospreys. Moomaw barely edged out Rice in the one-meter dive, 253.50-252.07. Rice did the same to Moomaw in the three-meter diving event. Rice’s 271.95 topped Moomaw’s 270.37 for first.
UNF’s next meet will be the CCSA Championship beginning Feb. 16 and ending Feb. 18. FGCU has won the last three CCSA Championships.
Head Coach Beth Harrell said the team looked good, despite the lopsided loss.
“We are at our most tired going into conference, which is good,” Harrell said. “If they were
rested and couldn’t hold on, I’d be worried.”
By: Josh Brannock, Sports Editor
Email Josh & Zach at sports@unfspinnaker.com.
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