North Florida at Jacksonville basketball: Three keys to Game 1 of River City Rumble series

Posted by author January 31, 2025 Basketball

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Ospreys travel to Swisher Gym to take on the Dolphins, seeking to change their trajectory in the ASUN

UNF (11-11, 4-5) plays at JU (13-7, 7-2) on Saturday at 6 p.m., at Swisher Gym
The game is sold out. It will be televised on ESPN+
The two teams are 3-3 in their last six meetings and JU holds a 22-21 lead in the rivalry

Jacksonville University and the University of North Florida will enter Saturday’s Game 1 of the River City Rumble on different trajectories.

The Dolphins were riding a seven-game winning streak on Wednesday at home against Florida Gulf Coast, and were 3:14 away from making it eight in a row when they had a nine-point lead — after leading by 24 points earlier in the game.

However, the Eagles outscored JU 14-1 over the rest of the game and won 83-79.

The Ospreys also were on the verge of blowing a double-digit lead. UNF led Stetson 80-67 with 5:04 left at UNF Arena and the Hatters went on a closing 19-5 run to send the game into overtime. But senior forward Nate Lliteras split the Stetson zone for a layup with two seconds left and the Ospreys survived 101-100, the third overtime game against the Hatters in the last seven meetings.

A rivalry game, however, can block out memories, good and bad. The Dolphins and Ospreys will play for the 44th time at sold-out Swisher Gym (6 p.m., ESPN+).

JU (13-7, 7-2 in the ASUN) has a 22-21 edge and the teams have split 3-3 in the last three seasons since Jordan Mincy came to the Dolphins for the 2021-22 season

However, UNF (11-11, 4-5) is 20-11 vs. JU under coach Matthew Driscoll since he arrived for the 2009-10 season and Driscoll has a 9-7 record against the Dolphins at Swisher Gym.

Senior forward Zimi Nwokeji led JU with 21 points against Gulf Coast, on 8 of 11 shooting. Junior guard Robert McCray V had 15 points and seven assists and Jackson High graduate Stephone Payne III, a junior forward, had 12 points and eight rebounds.

However, Mincy said FGCU made it its mission to take McCray out of the game, especially when making their second-half comeback. McCray made only 2 of 6 shots in the second half and scored five points.

“Robert wasn’t dominant,” Mincy said. “I credit Gulf Coast, they were extremely physical with him. They did a great job taking him out of schemes. I know he was trying to play off our guys, but he has to be more aggressive, especially down the stretch, to make plays for us.”

The Dolphins also had no answer on defense for Dallion Johnson of FGCU, who had 20 points and made 5 of 7 from beyond the 3-point arc. Keeshawn Kellman added 19 points.

UNF sophomore guard Jasai Miles led six players in double figures with 18 points and added seven rebounds. Freshman forward Josh Harris had 16 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots and Lliteras had 16 points. Sophomore guard Jaylen Smith had 14 points, eight assists and six rebounds.

With those games in the books, here are three keys to River City Rumble I:

UNF offense vs. JU defense

It has usually been the case in this rivalry since Driscoll came to UNF and established the 3-point shot as the focal point of his offense but it’s been especially true in the last three years since Jordan Mincy came to JU: if the Dolphins can guard the perimeter and disrupt the Ospreys’ 3-point shooting, they win the game.

In the three JU victories under Mincy, the Dolphins have held UNF to 30.9 percent shooting overall and 15.0 percent from beyond the 3-point arc, and the Ospreys have averaged 46.7 points. In the three Ospreys victories, they averaged 50.0 percent from the floor, 36.2 percent on 3-point shots and scored 74.3 points per game.

Both teams are 2-1 when winning the turnover battle.

JU hasn’t always been dominant at home vs. UNF

Swisher Gym is small but when it’s filled to capacity with around 1,500 JU students and fans, it gets as loud as any snakepit gym.

However, the Ospreys have a pretty decent record at JU under Driscoll.

Driscoll lost the first three times he ventured into Swisher Gym, then won six in a row and eight of 10.

However, Mincy is 2-1 at home against the Ospreys, so he’s had a decent start in protecting his barn.

Can JU put the FGCU game behind? Can UNF sustain momentum?

One burning issue will be whether the Dolphins can shake the memory of Wednesday’s loss to Florida Gulf Coast that snapped a seven-game winning streak, dropped them into a first-place tie in the ASUN and left them only a half-game ahead of third-place Lipscomb.

JU’s defense, which had been suffocating during its winning streak, broke down in the second half as the Eagles made 64.3 percent of their shots (18 of 28), plus 75 percent from beyond the arc (6 of 8). The Dolphins made only half of their free-throw attempts (8 of 16) and lost despite winning the turnover battle (seven, to 15 for FGCU), outscoring FGCU off turnovers (24-14) and on second-chance points (21-10).

UNF has something to prove also. The Ospreys have won back-to-back conference games only once this season and twice appeared to have turned the corner after an 0-3 start.

North Florida beat Bellarmine 98-93 and Central Arkansas 92-80, but then fell at home to North Alabama 92-80.

After rebounding to beat Queens on the road 90-81 (scoring the last 12 points), the Ospreys were blasted 92-72 at West Georgia, only the second ASUN victory for the Wolves, in their first season in the conference.

Second half of ASUN season begins

If the Dolphins win, they will maintain at least a share of first in the ASUN with eight games to play. The bad news is that only three of them are at home.

That’s why the loss to FGCU was an especially heavy body blow to the Dolphins, and why it’s even more imperative to beat the Ospreys at home.

“It’s such a competitive league,” he said of the ASUN. “It doesn’t matter if you’re at home or on the road. You have to take care of home, that’s why this game was so valuable to us.”

If the Ospreys win they would be .500 in the league with eight games left, half at home and half against teams they had already beaten this season.

“JU is a critical game … so many factors for alumni, for the people in the community, River City Rumble, all that,” Driscoll said. “But now we start the second half of the [ASUN] season. Tonight [vs. Stetson] was the end of the first nine games. Now we’ve got nine left and the sand’s running out.”