UNF (3-1) earned a tough win over FAU (2-2) in double overtime on military appreciation day.
Head Coach Darrick Gibbs spoke on the team’s play.
“I’m really proud of how they competed, and how we executed,” said Gibbs.
The Ospreys were led by redshirt junior Simone Brown, who earned her first double-double on the season with a team-high 21 points and game-high 11 rebounds in addition to two steals.
“I feel like I’m starting to get my flow going and my confidence,”said Brown.
Starting the game, North Florida went up 7-0. FAU then answered back with six points of its own, to bring the score 7-6, in UNF’s advantage. The Owls continued to score and pushed the gap to 21-16 ending the first quarter.
During the second quarter, Tesh Hanson and an Owl both went up. In an effort not to land on a FAU player Hanson dove, and landed awkwardly on her hip. She would not return until after halftime. Hanson didn’t let the fall stop her, she ended the game with 17 points and four rebounds.
With under a minute in fourth quarter things were tight. At 68-65, FAU missed two pivotal free throws that would have made it a two possession game. The Owls were able to go up 70-68.
In the final seconds of regulation, Hanson tied the game at 70 with a lay-up, forcing the first overtime. The guard has not played in a collegiate game in three years, but you cannot tell.
Late in the first overtime Hanson in the same fashion made a lay-up tying the game at 79 forcing the second overtime of the night.
Guard Sierra Shepherd was pivotal for the Ospreys on the offensive and defensive ends.
Shepherd was “able to fight through it [fatigue], and not only fight through it, but make plays,” said Gibbs.
Shepherd had a career-high seven steals, and converted many of them into buckets for UNF late in the quarters. She ended the game with 16 points and five assist.
North Florida struck first during the sixth installment. Karrah Johnson netted a contested lay-up, giving the Ospreys the lead at 81-79. Johnson had nine rebounds and seven points for the night.
While the ball was being thrown in,some Ospreys and Owls became tangled up, and heated words were exchanged. Upon official review three technical fouls were called, two on FAU, and one on UNF.
Senior guard Claire Ioannidis netted four technical free throws extending the UNF lead to 85-79. She ended the night with 20 points. Ioannidis spoke about the play.
“I wouldn’t say it gave us a comfortable lead, but it put us up by six points,” said Ioannidis. “That’s enough for us to finally calm down, and focus on getting stops.”
During the final minutes, Maiya Rumph took a charge to give the Ospreys back the ball. Rumph had 11 points and nine rebounds, just one shy of a double-double.
The Ospreys were able to keep the Owls to just 18 points in the two overtimes while it scored 25. UNF closed the game out 95-88. All five Osprey starters had double digit scoring.
Next they will face Xavier in Cincinnati, OH on Nov. 22.
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