Jaylen Smith Leads North Florida to Victory Over South Carolina

Osprey’s senior guard scores 25 points, finishes with 5 rebounds and 3 assists

1st Win for New Osprey Coach Matt Driscoll

In the first Division I game under new head coach Matt Driscoll, the North Florida Ospreys upset the University of South Carolina Gamecocks 74-71 Tuesday night in Gainesville, Florida.

Senior guard Jaylen Smith led the Ospreys with 25 points, including 4 of 9 shooting from 3-point range. Four different Ospreys also scored in double figures, with forward Carter Hendricksen scoring 13, and guards Jose Placer and Dorian James each chipping in 11 points. South Carolina guard Meechie Johnson led the Gamecocks with 21 points.

The Ospreys trailed most of the game, by as many as 13, after shooting just 31% from the field in the first half. However, the Ospreys defense forced 17 South Carolina turnovers and held the Gamecocks to 4 of 19 shooting from 3-point range.

North Florida took the lead for good with 8:20 remaining in the game on a 3-pointer by Smith, who then hit another 3-pointer to give UNF a 66-62 lead with 5 minutes remaining.

South Carolina cut the lead to one, 70-69, on a dunk by Johnson with 1:43 remaining, but the Ospreys hit 4 of 6 free throws down the stretch to seal the win.

The win is a big one for the Ospreys, who are looking to improve on last year’s 12-20 record. It’s also a big win for Driscoll, who is in his first season as head coach after spending the previous nine seasons as an assistant at the University of Florida.