JACKSONVILLE, FL – The Stetson men's basketball team dropped a heart breaker to North Florida, 101-100, on the road Wednesday, after battling back from a double-digit deficit and forcing overtime.
After North Florida opened up the scoring, Stetson went on an 8-0 run to take their first lead of the game. The two teams traded the lead back and forth until it was 26-25 in favor of the Hatters. The Ospreys got hot from beyond the arc and took a double-digit lead. As time expired in the first half, Jordan Wood tipped in a rebound to get the Stetson deficit to single digits, 44-35.
The Hatters came out strong in the second half, with Josh Massey hitting a layup on the opening possession to make it 44-37. Stetson managed to pull within five after Wood drained a three-pointer off an offensive rebound, but North Florida quickly extended its lead again. Trailing 83-71 with time running out, Stetson mounted a furious comeback, starting with a 7-0 run fueled by five points from Massey, cutting the gap to 83-78. Wood kept the momentum going, nailing a three to make it 85-81. Massey then drove the lane for another bucket, pulling the Hatters within two at 85-83. Stetson's defense stepped up, forcing a key stop, and Wood hit a clutch shot to give Stetson an 86-85 lead with just 5.7 seconds left. North Florida got fouled on the ensuing possession, but only made one of two free throws, sending the game into overtime with the score tied at 86. Stetson took care of business in the paint, recording 26 of its 51 points in the lane in the second half.
Overtime began with North Florida taking a slight lead, but Abramo Canka quickly tied the game at 94 with a smooth floater. Mehki Ellison, who struggled in the first half, found his rhythm in the paint, hitting a go-ahead layup to give Stetson a 96-94 lead. North Florida responded, pulling ahead 99-96, but Canka answered back. He grabbed an offensive rebound and was fouled with 14.5 seconds left. Canka sank both free throws, putting the Hatters up 100-99. Unfortunately, North Florida scored on its next possession, and Jamie Phillips Jr.'s last-second heave hit the front of the rim, and Stetson fell 101-100.
All five of Stetson's starters scored in double figures, led by Wood's career-high 26 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double. Massey added 22 points, while Phillips Jr. contributed 17 points and 4 assists. Ellison had 14 points and 8 rebounds, and Canka chipped in 12 points and 8 rebounds. The Hatters displayed excellent ball movement, recording 16 assists on 36 made field goals. Stetson also forced 18 North Florida turnovers, converting those into 28 points.
The Hatters will now head down to Fort Myers and take on FGCU on Friday, February 1 at 1:00pm.
