'We're not done yet:' Carter Hendricksen, Ospreys ready for fresh start in ASUN tournament

Carter Hendricksen went out in style for his final home game at UNF Arena on Friday.

The next phase of his career at the University of North Florida now begins on Monday, 573 miles away in Virginia -- and it could be as short as one game.

The Ospreys' senior forward has no intentions of making it that quick a trip.

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Hendricksen scored 15 of his game-high 25 points in the first 6:15 of the second half and UNF went on to thump Bellarmine 79-67, its sixth victory in eight games in February and clinching the No. 7 seed in the ASUN tournament.

Neither team has to waste a lot of time with scouting reports. Under the ASUN format, Bellarmine (14-17, 9-9) is the eighth seed and the Knights will play the Ospreys (14-16, 9-9) in a first-round game at the Vines Center in Lynchburg, Va., at 7 p.m. The winner will then play second-seeded Liberty (24-17, 15-3) at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

No. 9 Queens (17-14) will play No. 10 Florida Gulf Coast (17-14) at Kennesaw on Monday, with the winner taking on the top-seeded Owls (23-8) on Tuesday. Those games are also at 7 p.m.

In other tournament games on Tuesday, all 7 p.m. starts, No. 6 North Alabama (18-13) plays at No. 3 Eastern Kentucky (19-12) and No. 5 Lipscomb (19-12) is at No. 4 Stetson (17-12).

Just a few minutes after capping a game in which he also pulled down nine rebounds, made four of six three-point attempts and added four assists and two steals, Hendricksen addressed the UNF crowd of 1,889 and after thanking them for their support over a five-year career, delivered a promise: "We're not done yet."

UNF coach Matthew Driscoll wasn't surprised in the least that Hendricksen didn't want to bask in the adoration of the home crowd too long before asking the key question.

"That's the one thing Carter, throughout his career, has always done a great job of understanding," Driscoll said. "What's next? ... We had great resolve throughout February and obviously we have a trek ahead of us."

The Ospreys may be relegated to what amounts to a play-in game but after starting the conference season with a 3-7 record, it's as much as they dare hope when January ended.

For now, UNF can be content with matching the top-two seeds in the conference, Liberty and No. 1 Kennesaw, for the best ASUN record in February and bounced back smartly from a loss to last-place Austin Peay last Saturday to beat third-seeded Eastern Kentucky on Wednesday without suspended forward Jonathan Aybar, then steadily pull away from the Knights with a 20-9 run after there were five ties and 15 lead changes.

Hendricksen hit three-pointers on three consecutive possession to highlight the run, which ended with UNF's biggest lead of the game, 67-57 on Jarius Hicklen's three-pointer with 7:47 left in the game.

The Ospreys weathered Bellarmine's physical style of play on defense and baffling motion offense. UNF shot 61.5 percent in the second half, including seven of 10 three-point attempts, and held the Knights to seven of 16 shooting after taking the lead for good (43.7 percent) after they shot 59.3 percent in the first half.

"Carter started hitting threes and once that happened, we started getting stops on defense," said Hicklen who had 14 points, six assists, five rebounds and connected on half of his eight attempts beyond the arc. "They play the whole 30 seconds of the shot clock and I think we got them out of their rhythm."

Aybar returned from his suspension to make seven of nine shots from the floor and score 14 points. Peter Suder led six Bellarmine players with eight or more points with 12, but the most rebounds any of them hauled in was four as UNF pounded the Knights 34-21 on the boards and had an overwhelming 19-2 edge on second-chance points.

Hendricksen, who now has ASUN tournaments games to add to a career in which he is among UNF's top-10 in 15 statistical categories -- including second in scoring, second in games played, fourth in rebounding and second in field goals -- called the pregame ceremony with his parents and girlfriend and the opportunity to give a post-game speech to the fans, "super-cool."

"It was awesome ... it was great," he said.

And there's more to come.

Dolphins season ends

Jacksonville University's problem most of the season -- an anemic offense -- was its undoing as a 56-52 loss to Eastern Kentucky at Swisher Gym ended the Dolphins' season on the outside looking in at the 10-team ASUN tournament.

JU (13-16, 6-12) made only 35.5 percent of its shots from the floor (22 of 62) and 20 percent from beyond the three-point arc (four of 20). Jordan Davis was the only player in double figures with 10 points.

Still, the Dolphins gave themselves a chance. After Tayshawn Comer of EKU (19-12, 12-6) made a three-pointer with 4:44 left to put the Colonels up 54-42, the Dolphins went on a 10-0 run, sparked by three-pointers by Davis and Kevion Nolan.

The latter shot, with 1:40 left, made if 54-52. But Comer scored after collecting an offensive rebound and Nolan and Nick O'Hearn missed three-point attempts in the final minute.

JU went 21-11 last year and made the ASUN championship game before losing to Bellarmine.

ASUN men's basketball tournament

Monday

No. 7 UNF (14-16) vs. No. 8 Bellarmine (14-17), Lynchburg, Va., 7 p.m.

No. 9 Queens (17-14) vs. No. 10 Florida Gulf Coast (17-14), Kennesaw, Ga., 7 p.m.

Tuesday

UNF-Bellarmine winner at No. 2 Liberty (24-7), 7 p.m.

Queens-FGCU winner at No. 1 Kennesaw (23-8), 7 p.m.

No. 5 Lipscomb (19-12) at No. 4 Stetson (17-12), 7 p.m.

No. 6 North Alabama (18-13) at No. 3 Eastern Kentucky (19-12), 7 p.m.

Thursday

Semifinals, sites at higher-seeded teams, times TBA

Sunday

Championship game, 3 p.m., site at highest-seeded team.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Carter Hendricksen shines in final home game, UNF now looks to ASUN tournament