North Florida rebounds to rout Stetson, gaining momentum for next week's ASUN tournament

The University of North Florida couldn’t improve its position for next week’s ASUN tournament in the regular-season finale against Stetson on Friday at UNF Arena.

But the Ospreys will have a much better taste in their mouth before facing Austin Peay on March 5 in Clarksville, Tenn., to open the postseason.

Junior guard Chaz Lanier scored 26 points and made 6 of 10 from beyond the 3-point arc and forward Dorian James went out big on Senior Night in his 140th career game with 20 points and eight rebounds as the Ospreys routed the Hatters 79-58 on Friday at UNF Arena, snapping a three-game home losing streak.

UNF (16-14, 9-7) scored its most lopsided victory over the Hatters (19-12, 11-5) since a 94-64 victory on Feb. 4, 2017.

It was a complete reversal of Wednesday’s 79-60 home loss to Florida Gulf Coast, in which the Ospreys didn’t shoot well from the outside (making 10 of 35 3-point attempts) or defend well (FGCU made 15 of 29 3-point attempts).

That loss, UNF’s worst of the season in an ASUN game, was its fifth in eight games.

But the Ospreys made 14 of 28 3-point attempts, the first time they touched 50 percent this season, and held Stetson to 1 of nine — two days after the Hatters made 13 of 27 in an 86-73 victory at Jacksonville.

Stetson shot 35.1 percent overall (20 of 57) as UNF chased them off the 3-point line, then dropped back quickly when the Hatters drove to the basket.

“Our whole thing was today’s moving day,” said UNF coach Matthew Driscoll. “Let’s get off this funk. Let’s get out of this, whatever it looks like. Tonight, I thought we looked like we looked during that stretch when we were 6-2, battling for first place.”

James, who holds the career record for the most games in a UNF uniform, said the team came out more enthusiastic than at any time since an 85-76 victory over Lipscomb on Jan. 31 put them within a game of first place.

“During the past few games, we weren’t having as much energy, especially on the defensive end,” he said. “That’d where it really comes from. When we get our stops, the offense is really good.”

Lanier, who has scored 20 or more points in seven of his last nine games, said “everyone was on the same page.”

Halfcourt shot at the buzzer energizes Ospreys

UNF started slow but Lanier hit a pair of 3-pointers and Jaylen Smith added another during an early stretch to give the Ospreys the lead for good at 13-7.

The Ospreys steadily built on that lead but then got even more energized when James blocked a shot with seconds ticking away. Smith made the recovery, dribbled twice and let go with a half-court heave at the buzzer to give UNF a 42-20 lead.

“That was really exciting,” James said. “Everyone got hyper and that energy was infectious.

The Ospreys came out of the gate blazing hot in the second half with Jasai Miles scoring a layup and a 3-pointer and James connecting from the outside to get a 17-5 run started. Lanier made 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to make it 59-34 with 14:33 left.

The Hatters (19-12, 11-5) cut the lead to 12 points, 69-57, with Aubin Gaterreste (12 points, nine rebounds) leading a half-hearted comeback. But Oscar Berry came off the bench to make two layups on deft moves to the rim and Stetson didn’t score another basket in the final 4:34.

Jalen Blackmon led the Hatters with 22 points.

UNF lost to Austin Peay 95-91 in double overtime in Clarksville in their only meeting this season.

Driscoll said UNF won’t be thinking about that game.

“The tournament is different ... it’s a different animal,” he said.

JU qualifies thanks to Bellarmine loss

Jacksonville University lost at home on Friday, 58-57 to Florida Gulf Coast. But the Dolphins earned the 10th and final seed in the ASUN Tournament, thanks to Austin Peay beating Bellarmine 90-87 in overtime.

JU will face No. 9 Kennesaw (15-15, 6-10) on Monday in Richmond, Ky.

The Dolphins (14-16, 5-11) and Central Arkansas (9-23, 5-11) were tied for the 10th spot but JU got into the tournament based on their head-to-head victory over UCA, 59-55, on Feb. 8.

Had Bellarmine won to finish at 5-11 in the conference, the Knights would have nosed out JU because of their 69-63 victory over the Dolphins on Jan. 27.

Gulf Coast (14-17, 8-8) pulled away from a 50-50 tie with JU over the last few minutes and two free throws by Zach Johnson gave them a 59-55 lead with six seconds left. Gyasi Powell made a 3-pointer for the Dolphins with 2 seconds remaining. but the Eagles got the ball inbounds and ran out what was left of the clock.

Robert McCray V led JU with 23 points and Bryce Workman had 14 points and nine rebounds.

ASUN tournament schedule set

Eastern Kentucky (12-4 in the conference) is the No. 1 seed and regular-season champion and will get a first-round bye, along with second-seeded Stetson. The Colonels will play the JU-Kennesaw winner and Stetson will face the winner of No. 7 FGCU and No. 8 Queens (13-18, 7-9), both at home on Tuesday.

The other games are UNF at Austin Peay (17-14, 10-6) and third-seeded Lipscomb (20-11, 11-5) playing host to No. 6 North Alabama (14-16, 8-8).

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Chaz Lanier scores 26, Dorian James 20 to pace North Florida over Stetson