College basketball week ahead: Momentum for late-season surge starts with River City Rumble

UNF forward Jonathan Aybar (21) tries to block a shot by JU guard Jordan Davis in last year's game at Swisher Gym.
UNF forward Jonathan Aybar (21) tries to block a shot by JU guard Jordan Davis in last year's game at Swisher Gym.

It's Rumble time.

It's crunch time.

And every game is a must-win from now on.

The University of North Florida and Jacksonville University men's basketball teams will meet twice within a 48-hour span this week, playing at JU's Swisher Gym on Thursday at 7 p.m. and UNF Arena on Saturday at 5 p.m.

And they're fighting for their post-season lives. After JU split two ASUN games last week and UNF was swept, the Dolphins are in a five-way tie for fifth place with a 5-5 conference record and the Ospreys are tied for 11th with Jacksonville State with a 3-7 ASUN mark. The top-10 teams qualify for the ASUN tournament.

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Ties for seeding purposes will be broken first by head-to-head competition. The ASUN is meeting this week to finalize scenarios for three-way, four-way and even five-way ties or more, with the NCAA net ranking used as the final tie-breaker.

Thursday will be the 40th meeting between JU and UNF. The Dolphins hold a 21-18 edge and have won three of the last four meetings.

After the two-game Rumble Series, both teams will play four of their last six games at home.

The JU and UNF women split their River City Rumble games last week, each winning at home (the Dolphins, 74-51 on Thursday and the Ospreys, 75-70 on Saturday).

The fourth quarter of the second game on Saturday was one of the most entertaining in a women's game this season. The score was tied twice and there were three lead changes before Lyric Swann of UNF hit two 3-point shots on consecutive possessions to put her team ahead for good.

The two teams combined to shoot 53.1 percent in the fourth quarter, had only three turnovers and UNF made five of eight 3-point attempts.

"Just sitting in the stands, you had to be excited," said UNF coach Darrick Gibbs. "The ebbs and flows, the playmaking, the shift of emotions ... a great basketball game."

Men

Player of the week: North Florida's Carter Hendricksen continued his hot streak, despite the Ospreys' two losses. He scored 63 points and shot 17 of 27 overall and seven of 14 from the 3-point line. He's averaging 25.3 points and is shooting 60.7 overall and 61.5 from 3-point range in his last six games. Hendricksen has scored 30 or more points three times since Jan. 19.

Stat line of the week: Sophomore guard Xavier Rose of Trinity Baptist had 29 points on 13 of 18 shooting, seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals in the Eagles' 119-115 four-overtime victory over Florida Gateway in Lake City.

This week’s games

Monday

Edward Waters at Benedict (S.C.), 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday

Trinity Baptist at Johnson University (Fla.), 7 p.m.

Wednesday

Georgia College at Flagler, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday

North Florida at Jacksonville, 7 p.m.

Trinity Baptist at Southeastern Baptist College (Miss.), 8 p.m.

Friday

Trinity Baptist at Pensacola Christian, 8 p.m.

Saturday

Morehouse State (Ga.) at Edward Waters, 3 p.m.

Flagler at Columbus State (Ga.), 3:30 p.m.

Jacksonville at North Florida, 5 p.m.

Noting UNF (8-14, 3-7 ASUN): It was a disastrous road trip for the Ospreys, who lost 88-85 in overtime at Central Arkansas (tied for last in the ASUN) on Thursday and 91-78 at North Alabama on Saturday, the first time they have lost in Florence. ... Outside of Hendricksen's 62.9 shooting percentage in the two games, the rest of the team shot 37.5 percent. ... Hendricksen passed 1,500 career points against UNA, joining Beau Beech, Dallas Moore, Garrett Sams and Koran Godwin. ... His 11 free throws, in 11 attempts, are the third-most in one game in UNF history.

Noting JU (12-9, 5-5 ASUN): The Dolphins bounced back from a horrendous second-half performance in an 80-62 loss at North Alabama to beat Central Arkansas 74-64. Senior forward Osayi Osifo had a career-high 17 points and 11 rebounds, two nights after he went for 14 and seven. ... Senior guard Kevion Nolan was held scoreless against CAU, the first time he has been blanked in three years at JU. In his last four games, he's shooting 31.7 percent overall and 22.7 percent on three-pointers. ... JU shot 64.0 percent in the second half against the Bears.

Noting Edward Waters (3-14, 2-10 SIAC): The Tigers were outscored 47-23 in the second after leading by five at the break in an 89-70 loss to Benedict (S.C.). ... EWU then split two games against Allen University, winning 76-70 at home and losing 75-71 in Columbia, S.C. ... Graduate senior center Larry Kuimi averaged 19.7 points and 8.7 rebounds in the three games.

Noting Trinity Baptist (10-7, 2-2 NCCAA South Region II): The Eagles had five players in double figures in the overtime victory over Florida Gateway, with Westside graduate Zach Kiadii, a junior guard scoring 24 and Bartram Trail graduate and sophomre center Fausto Alvarez adding 16 points and 14 rebounds. ... The Eagles then lost two road games, 81-76 at Bob Jones College and 76-61 at Toccoa Falls College. Rose had 20 points, eight assists, five rebounds and three steals against Bob Jones and senior guard Michael West had 15 against Toccoa Falls. ... Trinity lost to TFC despite shooting 76.5 percent. Toccoa shot 82.4 percent.

Noting Flagler (11-10, 5-5 Peach Belt): The Saints have their first three-game winning streak of the season after beating Lander 97-86 in overtime on Saturday. Sophomore guard Jaylen Lemons led five players in double figures with 19 points. Flagler outscored Lander 18-7 in the extra period, and made 11 of 11 free-throw attempts. ... Sophomore guard Omar Figueroa led the Saints with 24 points off the bench in a 112-86 victory over Clayton State. He hit 11 of 15 shots from the floor and five of nine from beyond the arc. Lemon had 20 points and shot six of nine on 3-pointers.

Women

Player of the week: Jacksonville senior forward Shynia Jackson averaged 14.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 33.3 minutes in three games last week, and made 18 of 36 shots from the floor. She had double-doubles against UNF, with 12 points and 11 rebounds at Swisher Gym and 22 points and 14 rebounds at UNF Arena -- playing all 40 minutes. In four career against the Ospreys, she's averaging 13.5 points and 10.0 rebounds.

Stat line of the week: JU senior point guard Seraphine Bastin had 10 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and played all 40 minutes in a 79-70 loss to Eastern Kentucky.

This week’s games

Monday

Edward Waters at Benedict (S.C.), 5:30 p.m.

Tuesday

Trinity Baptist at Johnson University (Fla.), 5 p.m.

Wednesday

Georgia College at Flagler, 5:30 p.m.

Thursday

Florida Gulf Coast at Jacksonville, 1 p.m.

Trinity Baptist at Southeastern Baptist College (Miss.), 6 p.m.

Stetson at North Florida, 7 p.m.

Friday

Trinity Baptist at Pensacola Christian, 6 p.m.

Saturday

Florida Gulf Coast at North Florida, 1 p.m.

Stetson at Jacksonville, 1 p.m.

Flagler at Columbus State (Ga.), 1:30 p.m.

Noting UNF (6-13, 3-6 ASUN): Gibbs said this was the first week he's had all of his preseason roster available for practice and games, and it showed in the two games against JU. The Ospreys' bench outscored the Dolphins 36-10 in the victory on Saturday and 17-4 in the loss at JU on Thursday. Senior forward Elysa Wesolek scored 25 points off the bench for the week, 21 on Sunday for a career high. ... The last 18 baskets scored by freshman guard Maddie Millar have been three-pointers, covering the last eight games. She's shooting 40.0 percent in that span. The last two-point basket she made was Dec. 9 against Trinty Baptist.

Noting JU (9-10, 3-6 ASUN): The Dolphins starting five of Jackson, Bastin, Deshari Graham, Makayla Edwards and Jalisa Dunlap deserve a break. They combined to play 91.3 percent of JU's total minutes in three games last week, with Dunlap playing 118 minutes, Graham 112, Bastin 111, Edwards 107 and Jackson 100. ... The Dolphins are home twice this week but haven't had much success against their two opponents. JU has lost 14 in a row to Florida Gulf Coast and three of its last four against Stetson.

Noting Edward Waters (9-11, 5-7 SIAC): Junior forward Khadijah Smith topped 20 points in two of the Tigers' three games last week, 23 in a 78-72 home loss to Benedict and 24 points, plus nine rebound, in a 67-53 victory at home against Allen University. ... Allen got EWU back at home on Saturday, 61-58, coming all the way back from a 14-0 deficit with 2:38 left in the first quarter. The Tigers failed to score over the last 2:10 of the game.

Noting Trinity Baptist (4-12, 1-4 NCCAA South Region II): Junior guard Emma Parrish had 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists and freshman forward Katia Bogun had 17 points in a 73-66 loss at Bob Jones College. ... Bogun had 10 points and seven rebounds in a 73-51 loss to Toccoa Falls earlier in the week.

Noting Flagler (5-15, 2-8 Peach Belt): The Saints broke a three-game losing streak with a 61-55 victory at Lander. Sophomore guard Sharale McCormick had 22 points (topping 20 for the third game in a row and eight rebounds. ... McCormick had 23 points in a 68-54 loss to Clayton State.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: College basketball week ahead: JU, UNF on the ASUN tournament bubble