JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – North Florida Women’s Basketball fell to West Georgia 71-76 in overtime in the opening round of the ASUN Tournament at Swisher Gymnasium Tuesday evening.

Redshirt junior guard Georgi Buzzetti led UNF with a career-high 19 points on 6-12 from the field and 7-10 from the free throw line in 32 minutes.

Junior guard/forward Karyzma Pierre would secure her first double-double and North Florida’s second double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds in 44 minutes.

The Ospreys jumped out to an early 10-7 lead at the first quarter media timeout. Freshman guard Soraya Ogaldez would convert on an and-one opportunity to help the Ospreys take a 15-12 lead into the second quarter. 

West Georgia would fight back to grab an 18-17 lead. Junior guard Ellie Blatchford would sink a three to help North Florida regain the lead 24-23 at the 3:42 mark of the second quarter. An Ogaldez layup would give UNF a 29-26 lead at the half. Ogaldez and Pierre led the way offensively in the first half each securing eight points. 

Ogaldez posted her third game in double-figures with 10 points. 

A three from redshirt sophomore Alexa Washington helped North Florida take an eight-point advantage, 34-26, to begin the third quarter. The Wolves would cut the Osprey lead to just three, 37-34, at the third quarter media timeout. 

A Washington three would give the Ospreys their first double-digit lead of the game, 48-38. UNF would take a 50-40 lead into the fourth quarter. 

West Georgia would begin the fourth quarter on an 8-0 run to narrow the UNF lead to a single possession, 50-48. The Ospreys would answer back to push their lead back out to six, 54-48. A West Georgia three would tie the game at 59-59 with one minute remaining in the contests. 

Washington would hit a layup to regain the lead 61-59 with 43 seconds remaining. A free throw from redshirt junior Buzzetti would make it 62-60 with 22 seconds remaining. West Georgia would hit a pair of free throws to tie the game, 62-62 and send the game to overtime.

Washington would end the contest with 16 points on 6-7 from the field and 3-3 from three which marked her 11th game of the season with at least 10 points.

West Georgia would start the overtime period on a 6-0 run to take a 68-62 lead. North Florida would cut the lead to one-possession 72-69 with one minute remaining, but West Georgia would hold onto the lead for the remainder of the overtime period.

North Florida led West Georgia in paint points, 38-24 and bench points, 17-12.