Previous meetings: ETSU won both games 64-63 and 65-50.
Winner gets: Belmont, 6 p.m., Friday.
Scouting report: Confidence will be high for both teams as they enter the tournament on three-game winning streaks. But North Florida may have a little bit more confidence. The Ospreys got rolling with a double-overtime win over Kennesaw State, then they knocked off contending Mercer before dumping city rival Jacksonville and winning that series for the first time.
North Florida played well enough in the first meeting to take a 15-point first-half lead, and ETSU countered in the second half to get the win, surviving a final-second shot by Travis Wallace. Both teams struggled at the line, and both had offensive balance. North Florida?s bench showed up, outscoring ETSU?s 19-0.
The Ospreys came up dry for about five minutes in the second half of the second loss. They were leading 35-33 until they hit a drought and trailed by 17 at one point. North Florida had 19 turnovers in that game and little scoring punch with long-range shooter Parker Smith managing 17 points, 10 more than any teammate.
And the Ospreys had a 14-2 edge on the bench.
ETSU will focus a bit on Smith while continuing to hold an inside edge. If North Florida gets more balance and takes care of the ball substantially better, this game will resemble the first. If not, then it will resemble the second.
The Bucs have the pieces to make a run, and the Ospreys will have to retain the late-season offense and step it up on defense.
Winner gets: Belmont, 6 p.m., Friday.
Scouting report: Confidence will be high for both teams as they enter the tournament on three-game winning streaks. But North Florida may have a little bit more confidence. The Ospreys got rolling with a double-overtime win over Kennesaw State, then they knocked off contending Mercer before dumping city rival Jacksonville and winning that series for the first time.
North Florida played well enough in the first meeting to take a 15-point first-half lead, and ETSU countered in the second half to get the win, surviving a final-second shot by Travis Wallace. Both teams struggled at the line, and both had offensive balance. North Florida?s bench showed up, outscoring ETSU?s 19-0.
The Ospreys came up dry for about five minutes in the second half of the second loss. They were leading 35-33 until they hit a drought and trailed by 17 at one point. North Florida had 19 turnovers in that game and little scoring punch with long-range shooter Parker Smith managing 17 points, 10 more than any teammate.
And the Ospreys had a 14-2 edge on the bench.
ETSU will focus a bit on Smith while continuing to hold an inside edge. If North Florida gets more balance and takes care of the ball substantially better, this game will resemble the first. If not, then it will resemble the second.
The Bucs have the pieces to make a run, and the Ospreys will have to retain the late-season offense and step it up on defense.
