Nov. 29, 2011

Box Score

By Dan Ryan
B-CUAthletics.com

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – That first road victory of the season continued to elude Bethune-Cookman Tuesday as North Florida scored the final six points and defeated the Wildcats 61-56 at UNF Arena.

David Jenue and Parker Smith combined to hit UNF's final six free throws as the Ospreys (4-4) held the Wildcats (2-5) scoreless after Garrius Holloman's drive gave B-CU a 56-55 lead with 3:26 remaining.

Free throw shooting proved to be the difference. UNF was 21-31 from the line compared to B-CU's 9-21.

“Nine of 21 from the line on the road isn't going to win you ball games,” said B-CU Acting Head Coach Gravelle Craig, whose team has lost three of its four road games by a combined 12 points.

“We just have to find a way to pull these games out and finish.”

Holloman finished with a career-high 24 points and scored 18 of B-CU's 27 second-half points. He also had nine rebounds.

“That's what we expect from Garrius,” Craig said. “Not 24 points but a double-double or close every night.”

UNF led 39-31 with 16:54 remaining, but B-CU battled back to tie it at 44 on a Kevin Dukes basket with 11:24 remaining and took a 45-44 lead on a Holloman free throw with 10:54 left.

B-CU had an early 18-13 lead on a Paul Scotland jumper with 13:25 in the first half, but managed just six points until closing the half on a 6-1 run. Dukes finished with 11 for B-CU. Stanley Elliott had six points, eight rebounds, four steals and three blocks.

Anthony Breeze, making his return to the court after missing four games with a shoulder injury, had four points and eight rebounds. Scotland had five first-half points.

Smith led UNF with 15.

B-CU hosts Florida A&M in its Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener Saturday at 4 p.m. in historic Moore Gymnasium.