The week ahead in First Coast College basketball
The week ahead for First Coast NCAA college basketball teams:
Men
Records: Flagler 6-2, Jacksonville 4-2, Edward Waters 5-6, North Florida 2-8.
Player of the week: Flagler sophomore guard Jalen Barr scored 30 points on 12 of 19 shooting and added 14 rebounds, eight steals and three blocked shots in two victories. Barr had only one turnover in each game and in a 77-60 victory over Spring Hill (Ala.), he shot 7 of 10 for 20 points, along with five rebounds and five steals.
Game of the week: Jacksonville pulled away from a tie early in the second half with a 15-0 run to beat the College of Charleston 67-65, on the road. It was the third game in a row that JU held an opponent below 60 points. During that span, the Dolphins have limited opponents to .389 shooting overall and .271 from beyond the 3-point arc.
Stat line of the week: Flagler senior guard Jaizec Lottie had 22 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in the Saints' victory over Spring Hill.
This week’s schedule
Tuesday
Benedict at Edward Waters, 5:30 p.m.
Jacksonville at Georgia, 7 p.m.
Wednesday
North Florida at Florida, 7 p.m.
Saturday
Austin Peay at North Florida, 2 p.m.
UNC-Wilmington at Jacksonville, 3 p.m.
Flagler at University of Fort Lauderdale, 4 p.m.
Sunday
Edward Waters at Clinton (S.C.), 2 p.m.
Notable: For the second year in a row, Jacksonville guard Kevion Nolan has been plagued by a knee injury during the non-conference season. Nolan hurt the same knee that hampered him last season in the opening game against Trinity Baptist and has been rehabbing ever since. Nolan is the team's best outside shooting threat and without him, the Dolphins are .277 from beyond the arc. His status is still game-by-game. JU plays at Georgia on Tuesday. ... Speaking of that game, the Dolphins have a fighting chance based on how much the Bulldogs have been struggling this season. Georgia is 3-5 and has lost a pair of 10-point games to Georgia Tech and Virginia in the ACC, got pounded by Northwestern by 16 points and then lost to Wofford 68-65. The Dawgs rallied by beating Memphis in their last game. JU is 0-10 lifetime against UGA. ... North Florida will play the Florida Gators on Wednesday in Gainesville, a year after a game between the two was canceled. UNF and UF were scheduled to play four days after the Gators played Florida State but that was the game Keyontae Johnson collapsed on the court and UF canceled their next four non-conference games. UNF is 0-5 against the Gators. ... The Ospreys and Austin Peay will get a sneak peek at each other on Saturday at UNF Arena. Austin Peay enters the ASUN next year. ... Flagler's men shot a blistering .739 in the second half in a 77-60 victory over Spring Hill on Friday in Mobile, Ala. The Saints shot 17 of 23 in the second half and made 14 of 16 shots from inside the 3-point arc. ... Edward Waters continues to be plagued by injuries. Guard Shannon Sanford has been out, center Bryant Nolan Jr., just returned from an injured ankle and during the game last week against North Florida, 6-10 center Jonathan Kanyanga had to be helped off the court with a lower-body injury. "We need to get healthy so we can be the team we want to be," said coach Fredrick Summers. Kanyanga was able to play on Saturday and had 11 rebounds and five blocks in an 88-78 victory over Paine. Nolan also appears recovered: he had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds
Women
Records: Jacksonville 5-2, North Florida 5-4, Flagler 5-3, Edward Waters 7-6.
Player of the week: Jacksonville graduate senior forward Asiah Jones helped the Dolphins dominate inside on both ends of the court in victories over Ave Maria and Florida A&M. Jones shot 14 of 21 from the floor and had 34 points, 16 rebounds, six assists, two blocked shots and two steals in the two games. She had her first double-double of the season against Ave Maria with 20 points and 11 rebounds, along with five assists.
Game of the week: UNF was tied with Auburn early in the fourth quarter but the Tigers went on a 12-0 run and won 72-65. It was the second game this season against a major conference team in which the Ospreys fell by eight or fewer points. The Bond sisters, Jazz and Jaida, combined for 25 points and 14 rebounds.
Stat line of the week: Senior forward Jazz Bond had 30 points, nine rebounds and eight blocked shots in the Osprey's 53-51 loss to Florida International. She shot 11 of 17 from the floor and 3 of 5 on 3-pointers.
This week’s schedule
Wednesday
Warner Christian at Jacksonville, 11 a.m.
North Florida at Georgia, 8 p.m.
Friday
Webber International at Jacksonville, 7 p.m.
Saturday
St. Thomas at Edward Waters, 6 p.m.
Sunday
Bethune-Cookman at North Florida, 2 p.m.
Notable: Jacksonville's defense has been absolutely stifling so far this season. During their current three-game winning streak, opponents have made only .260 of their shots, and .205 from beyond the 3-point arc. For the season, teams are shooting .356 overall, .283 from the 3-point line and averaging 20.8 turnovers per game against JU. The Dolphins have 7.8 steals and 4.0 blocked shots per game. ... In North Florida's 53-51 loss at Florida International, neither team took a time out or got into the bonus foul-shooting situation in the first half, which lasted only 36 minutes. ... The Ospreys will play Georgia for only the second time in school history on Wednesday. UNF lost the previous meeting 75-37 on Dec. 28, 2018.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: The week ahead in First Coast College basketball
