Friday, March 05, 2010

MACON, Ga. – UNF used a strong defense to knock off Jacksonville and head to the finals of 2010 General Shale Brick Atlantic Sun Championships with a 50-46 win.

Read the Atlantic Sun Insider column associated with this game here.

The UNF backcourt duo of Brittany Kirkland and Juliemay Syquio combined for 20 points as the Ospreys built an early lead and held Jacksonville to 24.6 percent shooting. UNF built an early lead and held the Dolphins to only three field goals in the first in the first 13:41 of the game to knock of the No. 6-seeded Dolphins.

Syquio and Kirkland have already proved to be a dominant force in Macon, as the duo provided 20 total points toward the winning score. UNF senior center Shennette Sheffield scored on the inside to help point the Ospreys toward an early lead. UNF continued its strong defense from the win against Mercer Thursday, controlling the pace with a 2-3 zone defense. Griggs stood as the first Dolphin to respond to UNF’s charge as the freshman guard put points ended an early 11-0 run with a 3-pointer, JU’s first field goal coming at 16:15 of the first half.

The Dolphins started the game at just 2-for-20 from the floor. With 10:03 remaining in the first half, a drive from JU freshman guard Maggie Wilson broke a 6:12 field goal drought for the Dolphins, and Jacksonville used that quick momentum to hit three-of-five field goals. However, UNF carried a 26-17 lead into halftime as the Ospreys’ defense held the Dolphins to just 21.9 percent from the field in the first frame.

Jacksonville opened second-half play with an easy layup from junior forward Taneskei Richardson. JU tried to mount a comeback, but UNF continued to keep up the defensive pressure. The Dolphins exerted a 12-4 run earlier in the second half, however the Ospreys carried a 31-29 lead with 11:53 left in the game. Less than one minute later, senior forward Arlande Cherizol prevented the Dolphins from taking the lead with an inside bucket. At 50 seconds remaining in the game, junior guard Gigi Thomas scored a trey, but a pair of free throws from freshman guard Jadhken Kerr sealed the victory for the Ospreys and the program’s first title-game appearance in Division I. No. 7 UNF also stands as the lowest seeded team to ever make the title-game

UNF heads into Saturday's final with regular season champion ETSU. The game starts at noon and can be seen on CSS and A-Sun.TV. The winner of tomorrow’s final earns the Atlantic Sun’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championships.

Tickets to all Championship games are available at MercerBears.com.

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The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.

A-SUN CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES
* UNF becomes the lowest seed to ever make the Women’s Championship Final. On three occasions a No. 6 seed advanced to the title game with UCF, in 1996, doing it most recently. That UCF team owns the only title won a sixth seed. Georgia Southern in 1992 and Mercer in 1993 represent the only sixth-seeded teams to make the final

UNF
* After dropping eight straight to their crosstown rivals, the Ospreys have now won back-to-back games against the Dolphins. * Shennette Sheffield tied and A-Sun Championship single-game record for blocks with six. Belmont’s Jessica Bobbitt set the record in the 2007 title game against ETSU. * With 13 rebounds, Arlande Cherizol recorded her eighth double-digit rebound game of the season.
* In three games against Jacksonville, Cherizol averaged 13.0 rebounds – including a career high 18 on Jan. 18.
* The Ospreys have held each of their last eight opponents to less than 70 points.

JACKSONVILLE
* Gigi Thomas led the Dolphins with 12 points. In two A-Sun Championship games, she averaged 17.5 points.
* Jacksonville shot only 24.6 percent from the floors (15-for61), their lowest percentage since shooting 23.5 percent (16-for-68) against Howard on Nov. 25.