JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – North Florida Men’s Basketball fell at Jacksonville, 63-56, at Swisher Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.
Senior guard Kamrin Oriol posted 16 points in 38 minutes. He has scored 10 or more points in 26 of 27 games this season.
Sophomore guard Kent Jackson added 15 points on 6-13 from the field and 3-6 from three, in addition to a career-high nine rebounds in 35 minutes. He has turned in 10 or more points in 10 of the last 11 games and 20 games this season. Graduate student guard/forward Dalton Gayman rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points on 4-6 from the field in 24 minutes.
Jackson got the scoring started for North Florida with a three from the left arc. After Jacksonville led 15-10 at the initial first-half media timeout, consecutive scores from redshirt sophomore guard/forward Mason Lee cut the margin to 15-14 at the 13:18-minute mark of the first half.
A fastbreak finish from Gayman tied the game at 18 at the eight-minute mark of the first half. Jacksonville led 32-26 at the half. Jackson led all Ospreys with eight points in the first half.
Lee knocked down a three to close the margin to 33-31 at the 16:34-minute mark of the second half.
Trailing 42-35, North Florida went on a 7-0 run over a stretch of 1:49 minutes to tie the game and force a Jacksonville timeout. Oriol scored on consecutive possessions to secure a 48-45 lead for North Florida with 6:47 minutes left in regulation.
Gayman finished a layup on a find from freshman guard/forward BJ Plummer to cut the margin to one possession at 54-53 with 2:38 minutes left in the game.
North Florida converted on 13-25 from the field for 52 percent and 3-5 from three for 60 percent in the second half. North Florida outscored Jacksonville 30-24 in the paint.
North Florida hosts Austin Peay at UNF Arena on Thursday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.