College basketball week ahead: North Florida has busy schedule, Jacksonville visits Pitt
The opening week of the 2023-24 season saw the usual number of blowouts either way among First Coast four-year universities.
The Jacksonville University men’s team won a game by 67 points but was brought back to earth at Xavier. The JU Dolphins and the University of North Florida women’s teams won easily at home then lost to in-state Power Five opponents.
The UNF men, perhaps rebuilding as much if not more than anyone, was the first team to go 2-0 with an easy victory at home and a come-from-behind victory on the road against another mid-major.
And this coming week? JU’s men face a tough home game a tougher away game. UNF will play four games in six days and three in a row – but at home. The UNF women head across the country and then face one of the toughest in-state opponents.
Men: Robert McCray leads JU
Player of the week: Robert McCray V of Jacksonville University, a 6-foot-4 sophomore guard, scored 34 points and shot 15 of 26 (57.7 percent) in two games. McCray made 4 of 9 from beyond the 3-point arc and added 14 rebounds and six assists. In the opening game against Johnson (Fla.) he had 19 points, six rebounds, three steals and two assists, and made 8 of 11 from the floor.
Stat line of the week: Destin Clark, a sophomore guard at Flagler, had 23 points, six rebounds, three assists and made 8 of 15 from the floor in the Saints’ 118-112 overtime loss to Anderson (S.C.).
This week’s games
Monday
North Florida at South Carolina State, 7 p.m.
Clinton (S.C.) at Trinity Baptist, 7 p.m.
Tuesday
Georgia Southern at Jacksonville, 7 p.m.
Wednesday
Rollins at Flagler, 6 p.m.
Trinity Baptist at Bethune-Cookman, 7 p.m.
Edward Waters at Columbus (Ga.), 7:30 p.m.
Thursday
Presbyterian at North Florida, 7 p.m.
Embry-Riddle at Flagler, 7 p.m.
Friday
Edward Waters vs. Fisk University, Huntsville, Ala., 6:30 p.m.
Northwestern State at North Florida, 7 p.m.
Jacksonville at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.
Saturday
Edward Waters at Young Harris (Ga.), 3 p.m.
Trinity Baptist at Valdosta State, 4 p.m.
Maine at North Florida, 5 p.m.
Flagler at Lynn University (Boca Raton), 7 p.m.
Noting UNF (1-1): Coach Matthew Driscoll promised the 3-point light would stay green all season. The Ospreys made 24 of 61 (39.3) in their first two games with nine players attempting 3s in a 92-55 opening-game victory over Coastal Georgia. ... Chaz Lanier made 4 of 7 from beyond the arc and scored a career-high 28 points in UNF’s 81-70 victory at Charleston Southern. … After playing at South Carolina State on Monday, UNF will host the First Coast Classic with Maine, Presbyterian and Northwestern State. The Ospreys have never before played any of those teams.
Noting JU (1-1): In his first two games after missing the entire 2022-23 season with a knee injury, Dolphins senior forward Bryce Workman scored 26 points on 11 of 16 shooting and had 16 rebounds In the Dolphins’ 79-56 loss at Xaiver he had 10 points and seven rebounds and made 5 of 7 shots from the floor. … The Dolphins are 16-14 overall against their Tuesday home opponent Georgia Southern, with most of the games in the 1960s and 1970s when the two played home-and-home. They haven’t played since 2005, an 84-79 loss at home by JU.
Noting Edward Waters (0-1): Tigers’ first-year coach Howard White Jr., used 17 players in the opening game on Saturday, a 98-45 loss at Lee (Tenn.). Junior guard R.J. Noord led EWC with nine points.
Noting Trinity Baptist (2-1): The Eagles were outmatched in a 109-54 loss at Stetson. Diego Fernandez, a sophomore guard from Puerto Rico, led with 12 points
Noting Flagler (0-1): The Saints led by 10 at the half, were outscored by 10 in the second half, then lost 118-112 in overtime to Anderson (S.C.) College to open the season. Three players scored in the 20s, Omar Figueroa (27), Malik Bryant (23) and Clark (23). Flagler couldn’t contain Anderson’s Garrett Denbow, who had 38 points on 13 of 19 shooting.
Women: UNF freshman shines off the bench
Player of the week: Alexa Washington, a freshman guard from Monroeville, Pa., scored 31 points and shot 12 of 24 from the floor (including 7 of 16 from beyond the arc) in UNF’s 82-65 loss at Florida and 116-44 victory at home over Trinity Baptist. She came off the bench in both games.
Stat line of the week: UNF senior forward Emma Broermann had 14 points and 10 rebounds and shot 7 of 9 from the floor against Trinity.
This week’s games
Monday
Edward Waters at Fort Lauderdale, 11 a.m.
Florida Atlantic at North Florida, 7 p.m.
Tuesday
Trinity Baptist at Beacon College (Leesburg), 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday
Rollins at Flagler, 6 p.m.
North Florida at Gonaga, 9 p.m.
Thursday
Georgia Southern at Jacksonville, 6:30 p.m.
Friday
Edward Waters vs. LeMoyne-Owens, Birmingham, Ala., 4 p.m.
Trinity Baptist at Savanna State, 7 p.m.
Saturday
Edward Waters vs. Miles College (Ala.), 4 p.m.
St. Leo at Flagler, 6 p.m.
Sunday
North Florida at South Florida, 2 p.m.
Noting UNF (1-1): The Ospreys had seven players in double figures and two (Washington and Broermann) with double-doubles against Trinity to give coach Erika Lambert her first victory at UNF. The Ospresy outscored the Eagles 50-6 off turnovers. … Transfer graduate guard Jayla Adams had 14 points, four rebounds and five assists in the loss at Florida.
Noting JU (1-1): The only two returning players for the Dolphins helped coach Special Jennings get her first victory at JU, 66-47 over Warner. Makayla Edwards had 14 points and nine rebounds and Jalisa Dunlap added 11 points. … Junior guard Edyn Battle, a transfer from Miami (Ohio) started her JU career in fine fashion with 30 points in the first two games. She led JU with 16 in an 81-53 loss at Miami, with two steals.
Noting Edward Waters (0-0): The Tigers open the season on Monday with their morning game at Fort Lauderdale.
Noting Trinity Baptist (2-3): Despite the lopsided loss at UNF, Emma Parrish had 17 points and Madyln Touze had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Touze almost had another in a 97-67 loss to Dilliard (La.) University with 10 points and nine rebounds, and Katia Bogun had 19 points.
Noting Flagler (0-0): The Saints opened the season with a neutral-site victory over Virginia-Wise, 68-56. Two junior transfer guards led the way: Destiny McClendon, from Chattanooga, had 17 points and Dane Bertolina, from Appalachian State, added 10 points and 12 rebounds. Flagler had a 53-33 lead entering the fourth quarter.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: UNF hosts First Coast Classic to highlight the week for area colleges
