University of North Florida
#17 Kansas State (Fox Sports KC)
K-State Outruns UNF, 100-76
12/31/2010 4:38:12 PM | Men's Basketball
Final Boxscore
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- The University of North Florida men's basketball team was unable to overcome a blistering start by No. 17 Kansas State in a tough 100-76 loss Friday afternoon at Bramlage Coliseum.
UNF, playing its final non-conference game of the year, slipped to 4-9 following their sixth consecutive defeat and third to a nationally-ranked opponent in their last four outings. Kansas State improved to 11-3 with the home victory.
The Ospreys shot 49 percent from the field but it paled in comparison to K-State's smoldering 57.4 percent performance. The Wildcats were able to overcome 17 turnovers with a 42-15 advantage in rebounding.
For the second consecutive game, Parker Smith led the Ospreys on offense topping the 20-point mark finishing with a season-best 25 points including a 7-for-12 performance from the beyond the three point arc. Smith has now made 12 treys in the last two games.
Jimmy Williams scored 12 of his 15 points in the second half for UNF while Jerron Granberry chipped in 12. Will Wilson handed out six assists and scored a season best six points providing UNF a spark off the bench.
Five Kansas State players reached double digits led by a pair of 20-point scorers in Jamar Samuels and Wally Judge with 26 and 22, respectively. Samuels went 11-of-15 from the floor and made his first six shots of the game.
The Wildcats roared out of the gates scoring the first five points as part of an 11-3 opening run. K-State hit its first four shots and made 9-of-11 from the field including four of five trey tries in building a 24-10 lead through the first five minutes.
Smith then sparked a surge for the Ospreys by scoring seven straight points. A 6-0 spurt midway through the period allowed UNF to close the deficit to eight, 33-25, with 9:40 left in the first half. KSU pushed the lead back to double figures but back-to-back triples from Smith cut the margin to just seven with a little over six minutes to play.
Kansas State closed the half on a 12-4 run and regained the momentum with a 57-41 halftime lead. The 41 points marked the second highest first half production for the Ospreys, but the 57 for KSU marked the most allowed in a half by UNF this season.
K-State extended their lead to 20 points early in the second half and maintained a comfortable advantage for much of the remainder of the game. UNF shot 57 percent from the floor in the closing half but were unable to make a dent in the deficit as the Wildcats also continued to run their offense effectively.
The final score for KSU marked the first time a North Florida opponent has reached triple digits since No. 24 Florida tallied 102 points during the 2007-08 season.
“Kansas State really had a great start to the game,” said UNF head coach Matthew Driscoll. “I was proud of the way our guys settled down after the opening push by K-State. We pushed back and fought hard all day but couldn't sustain the fight for the entire game. We have to continue to grow and improve. We are definitely road-tested and I'm ready to start league play, even though it will not be any easier.”
With non-conference action complete, UNF now turns its attention to Atlantic Sun Conference play with a trio of road contests beginning Jan. 5 at Campbell.
