Taylor Hawks lifts Jacksonville University women's basketball past North Florida

The Jacksonville University women's basketball team continues thriving and surviving on defense and rebounding.

North Florida is still trying to figure out why a season that included a streak of four victories in five games has gone sour.

JU senior point guard Taylor Hawks hit a pair of free throws with 10.7 seconds left and Jazz Bond missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer as Jacksonville University edged North Florida 52-50 on Saturday in an ASUN women's basketball game in front of 779 at UNF Arena.

Box: JU 52, UNF 50

The Dolphins (9-5, 2-1) trailed 48-41 with 5:01 left on Bond's 12-footer. But JU outscored UNF (7-9, 0-4) 11-2 over the balance of the game to break a three-game losing streak against the Ospreys and win at UNF Arena for the first time in three years.

UNF was without coach Darrick Gibbs, who had an illness in his immediate family. Assistant coach Khadijah Rushdan ran the team.

Shynia Jackson (13 points, 10 rebounds) scored five points in the final minutes, including a free throw with 52.5 seconds left that tied the game 50-50. Jackson went to the line after being fouled on her third consecutive miss and offensive rebound.

UNF's Summah Evans missed a shot after that and Asiah Jones of JU rebounded to set up the final sequence of events.

Bond had 13 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots coming off the bench. She missed last week's game at Liberty.

Jalisa Dunlap added 11 points for the Dolphins.

The game wasn't artistic. Both teams shot 31 percent from the floor, each had 17 turnovers and the Dolphins made only 1 of 17 three-point attempts. But JU made 13 of 14 from the foul line (9 of 10 in the second half) and outscored UNF 30-18 in the paint.

"We got some really, really good looks ... I was pleased with the looks we got," JU coach Darnell Haney said. "We didn't shoot as well as we wanted but we just want to make sure and hang our hats on what we do defensively."

JU's final play was designed for Hawks to penetrate, and while she missed her layup attempt she was fouled by Ally Knights and hit both free throws.

"I was looking for Asiah on the other side and I saw the help side [a UNF player came over from weak side to cover Jones] and took advantage of it," she said.

Rushdan said the play that was called in the huddle was for Bond to post up. But JU's defense jumped the post and Bond, who had hit 3 of 7 3-pointers before that, drifted out to the perimeter.

Rushdan said the shot could have been taken a bit sooner to give someone time to rebound and take a second shot.

"I still think we executed it correctly," she said. "Nonetheless, that play doesn't define us if we do what we're supposed to do, in terms of making free throws and taking care of the basketball. It doesn't have to come down to that."

UNF was picked to finish second in the ASUN in the preseason by both coaches and media, but that was mainly due to an experienced team returning. However, one of those players, Marissa Mackins, transferred in December and Bond and Tiffany Tolbert have been battling injuries.

The Ospreys are averaging 18 turnovers per game in conference play and have been outrebounded by a margin of 21 in the last two games.

"We need to focus on rebounding and making sure we're pushing people out," said forward Emma Broermann, who had nine points and nine rebounds. "Also focus on taking care of the ball."

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Taylor Hawks free throws lift Jacksonville to 52-50 victory over North Florida