Game Highlights (VIDEO)


NEWARK, NJ--A day after Winter Storm Jonas dropped over two feet of snow on Newark, the Atlantic Sun Conference-leading North Florida men dropped a figurative avalanche inside the Fleisher Athletic Center, firing in 20 3-point baskets in a 94-80 win vs. NJIT Sunday afternoon.

The 20 3-pointers by UNF in the game postponed a day by blizzard conditions in New Jersey on Saturday were the most in a Division I game this season. The Ospreys, who lead the nation in 3-point baskets per game (12.3 pg), had scored 19 at LSU earlier this season (six other teams had made 19 threes in a game, as well). Further, the 20 3-pointers made were a new North Florida record, as well as the most NJIT has ever allowed in a game (the old record was 16, done twice, most recently nearly six years ago by North Dakota in February 2010).

North Florida (17-6, 6-0 Atlantic Sun) is loaded with star players and, on Sunday, many of those stars were in top form, as the defending conference champions extended their current winning streak to seven games.

Junior point guard Dallas Moore was all but unstoppable, with a game-high 29 points and a game-high 8 assists, plus 6 rebounds. He shot 4-for-8 on 3-pointers.

Beau Beech, a 6-foot-9 senior wing player who was A-Sun coaches' Preseason Player of the Year, shot 6-for-11 from downtown and finished with 20 points for the Ospreys.

Senior guard Trent Mackey added four 3-pointers and finished with 12 points. Indeed, all seven men who played for the visitors made at least one 3-pointer in the game, as UNF made 20 of 44 (45.5 percent) from distance. Junior Aaron Bodager (three 3-pointers) and senior Demarcus Daniels each scored 11 points coming off the bench for North Florida, which has won seven straight.

NJIT (11-10, 2-3 Atlantic Sun) took the loss after having won its previous two A-Sun games. The Highlanders had balanced scoring, outrebounded the taller visitors (37-31), and made 50 percent (33-66) of their shots from the field while committing a manageable 13 turnovers in a fast-paced game, In the end, however, they couldn't keep up with North Florida's offense. Fueld by the 20 3-pointers, the Ospreys poured in 94 points, topping gthe 87 scored by superpower Kentucky against NJIT in the season opener and the 83 scored by three other Highlander foes, including Providence, now ranked #10 in both national polls.

NJIT's four double-figure scorers on Sunday were paced by 16 apiece from senior Ky Howard and freshman Mohamed Bendary, who made 8 of his 10 shots. For Bendary, the improving 6-foot-9 center, the 16 points were a career-best, smashing his previous high total of 6 points vs. Stony Brook on December 28.

Junior Terrence Smith, who alternates with Bendary in the low post, scored 13 points and Tim Coleman notched 13 points, as well.

NJIT's top scorer for the season, Damon Lynn, came short of double-figure points, finishing with 8, but he handed out a team-leading 7 assists and committed just a single turnover in 40 minutes of action.

Coleman had 8 rebounds to top the Highlanders' 37-31 advantage on the boards, while Beech had 7 rebounds to lead UNF.

Even though it set a record, North Florida's 3-point shooting was consistent with its team strength and the barrage shaped both halves. The Ospreys lead the nation with 12.3 3-point field goals per game and they had connected on at least 10 3-pointers in 18 of their first 22 games, including 19 at LSU last month.

On Sunday, North Florida drilled 12 3-pointers in the opening half to key a 50-36 advantage at the break. Those 12 treys in one half were just four shy of the most threes allowed in a game by NJIT in the first 20 games for the Highlanders.

In the second half, NJIT made nearly 60 percent of its shots from the field (59.4 percent on 19-for-32) and shot 6-for-7 at the foul line. But that high level of execution wasn't enough for the Highlanders to make significant inroads, since the visitors made 8 more 3-pointers and each team scored 44 second-half points.

It didn't take long for North Florida to unleash its 3-point arsenal. Each team had a turnover on its opening possession and the Highlanders missed their first shot, before Moore made a 3-pointer 1:03 into the game. NJIT took a brief lead when Smith hit a pair of baskets, but UNF answered the second one with a 3-pointer by Mackey that gave the Ospreys a 6-4 edge they never relinquished.

The score stayed fairly close, with UNF on top 25-20 lead after Coleman's layup pulled the Highlanders to within five points with 9:18 left in the half. However, Moore and Nick Malonga made back-to-back 3-pointers, with the Malonga basket giving the visitors their first double-digit lead, 31-20, with 7:50 on the first-half clock.

The visitors led 50-36 after a half, paced by 15 points from Moore, 11 from Beech, and 9 from Mackey. Coleman had 9 points to top NJIT, followed by 8 points for Smith.

Leading by 14 at halftime, North Florida outscored the Highlanders 8-1 in the opening 2:07 of the second half, led by Beech and Moore. Beech hit a 3-pointer on the first possession and Moore made a three on the second possession after Howard had made a free throw for NJIT. Then Beech stole the ball near the top of the key on defense and Moore, the cat-quick point guard, converted a layup on the other end, putting UNF up 58-37 and prompting NJIT coach Jim Engles to call timeout.

The Ospreys took their biggest lead of the night a few moments later, pulling ahead 67-43 after yet another Beech 3-point basket with 14:40 remaining.

NJIT chipped into the lead after that, but the closest the Highlanders got was 11 (91-80), after Bendary's layup with 1:19 left.

The Highlanders will complete their current 3-game home stand on Wednesday when they host first-time opponent Lipscomb in a 7 pm A-Sun contest in the Fleisher Athletic Center.