JACKSONVILLE (Florida Sports Wire) – The Jacksonville men’s basketball team fell to the UNF Ospreys 82-74 in the first bout this season of the River City Rumble.
Jacksonville’s (9-8, 0-3 ASUN) Marcus Niblack recorded his 11th game this season scoring in double figures, and freshman Donovan Rivers had a career-high 10 points. However, the Ospreys’ offense shot nearly 60% from the field to secure the UNF victory.
Not to be overshadowed was the resounding showout from The Green & White faithful, as all the JU sections were filled with administration, students, families, and fans cheering for the visiting Dolphins.
The first-half action was back and forth the entire way, with JU leading by as much as eight. Niblack and Rivers paved the way for the Dolphins, each scoring nine points in the first half alone. Jacksonville shot a whopping 52% from the floor in the half, compared to UNF’s 33%. Dorian James paved the way for the Ospreys in the opening half, with a game-high 11 points at the time.
The remainder of the game saw the Ospreys begin to find a seam in the Dolphins’ defense, and their luck from three followed. North Florida shot a whopping 85% from the floor in the half, with James doubling down with 25 points, which was a game-high. Chaz Lanier added an additional 21 points en route to the Osprey win.
UNF, who was averaging over 36 rebounds per game, was outrebounded by the Dolphins 36-17. The combination of Deejuan Pruitt, Robert McCray V and Rivers outrebounded the Ospreys themsleves with 22.