The week ahead in college basketball: JU, UNF men's and women's teams set for River City Rumble

Garry Smits, Florida Times-Union

February 20, 2022 at 11:01 AM·6 min read

Jacksonville University's Jordan Davis (11) drives against the University of North Florida's Jarius Hicklen (10) during their game at UNF Arena on Jan. 15. JU won 54-51.

Recapping the past week and a look ahead to this week for First Coast NCAA college basketball teams. The week will be highlighted by the second edition of the 2022 River City Rumble between Jacksonville and North Florida, and the brackets for the men's and women's ASUN and Peach Belt tournaments will be finalized.

Men

Records

Flagler 20-5 (13-3 Peach Belt)

Jacksonville 18-8 (10-4 ASUN)

Edward Waters 15-13

North Florida 10-18 (6-8 ASUN)

Player of the week: Edward Waters senior guard/forward Elias Hardin went for 28, 19 and 29 points in the Tigers' final three games of the season, and played all 40 minutes in each game.

Game of the week: UNF rallied from a 10-point deficit late in the first half at home against Liberty to beat the Flames 72-69. Sophomore guard Jarius Hicklen scored a season-high 31 points, 22 in the second half.

Stat line of the week: Flagler senior guard Jaizec Lottie had 30 points, six rebounds and five assists, and made 14 of 14 free throws in the Saints' 78-65 loss to Augusta University.

This week’s schedule

Wednesday

North Florida at Jacksonville, 7 p.m.

Georgia College at Flagler, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday

Jacksonville at Florida Gulf Coast, 1 p.m.

North Florida at Stetson, 1 p.m.

Flagler at Lander, 3:30 p.m.

Noting JU: Junior forward Bryce Workman has made .630 of his shots in the last six games averaging 14.5 points and 7.6 rebounds during that span. ... Saturday's 59-56 victory over Kennesaw means the Dolphins won't get swept by any ASUN opponent it played twice during the regular season. JU was swept by Liberty, North Alabama and Bellarmine last season. ... The Dolphins' 54-51 victory at UNF on Jan. 15 was the fourth game in a row between the two that was decided by three points or less, and the 11th in the last 12 by a single-digit margin. Tyreese Davis hit the deciding basket on a 3-pointer to improve JU's record against UNF to 20-18, and 10-9 on the road. ... JU's 69-66 victory over Florida Gulf Coast on Jan. 8 came on a 3-pointer at the buzzer by Kevion Nolan, his third in the final 1:03 and his seventh of the game. The Dolphins are 12-16 against the Eagles overall.

Noting UNF: The Ospreys' 70-64 victory over Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday was their fifth in six games and third in a row without leading scorers Jose Placer and Carter Hendricksen, who remain out with injuries. ... The Ospreys have won three of their last four River City Rumble games at Swisher Gym and are 8-10 overall at JU. ... UNF leads Stetson 21-15 but has lost the last two. The Ospreys fell at home on Jan. 8, 68-66, on Chase Johnston's 3-pointer at the buzzer in overtime. ... Hendricksen was one of four ASUN basketball players named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team. Hendricksen was the ASUN scholar-athlete of the year last season.

Noting Flagler: Lottie had 62 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists in the two games last week. ... The Saints beat both upcoming opponents in late January, topping Georgia College 82-66 and Lander 81-70. Flagler has won five in a row against Georgia College and the last two against Lander after a 15-game losing streak was broken last season. ... The Saints reached 20 victories for the first time since 2007-08 with their 74-57 victory over Clayton State.

Noting EWU: The Tigers' 76-72 loss at Clark Atlanta snapped an eight-game winning streak. ... Bryant Nolan posted season highs of 16 points and eight rebounds against Clark.

Women

Records

Edward Waters 16-11

Jacksonville 15-10 (8-6 ASUN)

North Florida 11-15 (4-10 ASUN)

Flagler 11-15 (5-11 Peach Belt)

Player of the week: JU point guard Taylor Hawks led the Dolphins to two victories in three games (one a makeup game at Kennesaw) with 44 points, 12 rebounds, 19 assists and six steals.

Game of the week: Jacksonville had to play Kennesaw twice in one week and it wasn't easy either time. However, the road game on Feb. 14 saw the Dolphins rally from a 15-point halftime deficit to win 56-51. JU outscored the Owls 36-16 in the second half and 20-7 in the fourth quarter. The Dolphins shot 55 percent in the final period and held KSU to 2 of 12 (.167) from the floor. Hawks and Khalela Hayes combined for 13 points in the period.

Stat line of the week: Edward Waters senior guard Teiyahna Hutchinson had 17 points, six rebounds, eight assists, five steals and shot 7 of 11 from the floor in the Tigers' 69-66 victory over Allen.

This week’s schedule

Wednesday

Georgia College at Flagler, 5:30 p.m.

Thursday

North Florida at Jacksonville, 7 p.m.

Saturday

Flagler at Lander, 1:30 p.m.

Jacksonville at Florida Gulf Coast, 4 p.m.

North Florida at Stetson, 4 p.m.

Da'Nasia Shaw of Jacksonville University (3) tries to get a shot off over Summah Evans (23) and Rhetta Moore (13) of the University of North Florida during their Jan. 8 game at UNF Arena. JU won 52-50.

Noting JU: The Dolphins clinched the fourth seed and will get at least one home game in the ASUN tournament by beating Kennesaw for the second time this week on Saturday, 62-53. Hawks had 27 points, eight rebounds and 14 assists in the two games against the Owls. ... Junior forward Shynia Jackson had 31 points and 19 rebounds in JU's three games last week. ... The Dolphins broke a three-game losing streak against UNF with a 52-50 victory on Jan. 8 at UNF Arena, on two free throws by Hawks with 10 seconds left. ... JU has won nine of the last 10 games against UNF at Swisher Gym. ... The Dolphins are on a 12-game losing streak against Florida Gulf Coast and are 3-31 against the Eagles.

Noting UNF: Rhetta Moore rebounded from an 0-for-7 shooting night in a 56-38 loss to Liberty earlier in the week to record her second double-double of the season in Saturday's 63-52 loss to Florida Gulf Coast. Moore had 11 points and 13 rebounds. ... UNF lost any chance of hosting an ASUN tournament game with the two losses last week. ... The Ospreys have won their last two games at Swisher Gym but overall are 4-13 at JU. ... UNF lost 73-62 to Stetson at home on Jan. 8 but leading scorer and rebounder Jazz Bond played only 11 minutes in the first half due to an injury. ... UNF is 13-21 against the Hatters overall.

Noting Flagler: Saturday's 71-66 loss at Augusta was the Saints' seventh in the last eight games. Four of the losses have been by five points or less. ... Tori Pearce had 23 points and 12 rebounds for her 15th double-double of the season, and fifth in a row. She's averaging 16.8 points and 12.0 rebounds in her last five games. ... Jaizana Mathis had 47 points and 15 rebounds in last week's games, shooting 15 of 27. ... Flagler is trying to snap a six-game losing streak against Lander.

Noting EWU: The Tigers finished the regular season with three victories in a row after breaking a three-game losing streak. La'Quanza Glover had double-doubles in all three games to give her 18 for the season.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: The week ahead in college basketball: It's Rumble time again for JU, UNF

NBC News
What we know about the victims of the New Orleans truck attack
A former wide receiver at Princeton University, a doting father of two and a recent high school graduate were identified by family members as three of the people killed in the truck attack Wednesday in New Orleans.
AFP
Tesla Cybertruck explodes outside Trump hotel in Las Vegas, killing one
A Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside a hotel belonging to US President-elect Donald Trump in Las Vegas, killing at least one person and wounding seven, police said Wednesday.However, he added: "It's a Tesla truck, and we know Elon Musk is working with President-elect Trump, and it's the Trump tower."
Associated Press
Impeached South Korean president issues defiant message as authorities mull his detention
Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol issued a defiant statement to his conservative supporters gathered outside his residence in the capital of Seoul, vowing to “fight to the end” against what he called “anti-state forces,” as law enforcement prepared to detain him over last month’s martial law decree. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials has a week to execute its detainment warrant against Yoon, issued by a Seoul court on Tuesday. The warrant came after Yoon defied several requests to appear for questioning and blocked searches of his office, hindering an investigation into whether his short-lived power grab on Dec. 3 amounted to rebellion.
Associated Press
Stock market today: Asian shares mostly decline amid investor worries, and Tokyo stays closed
Asian shares mostly slipped Thursday, as the region's main stock market in Tokyo stayed closed for the New Year's holidays. Investors remained cautious amid worries about what President Donald Trump might mean for policy changes, while the political uncertainty in South Korea added to a wait-and-see mood. Wall Street trading was closed on Wednesday for the New Year’s Day holiday.
CBS News
Man slams truck into crowd in New Orleans, killing at least 15
Officials identified the man who intentionally drove a pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street as revelers were celebrating the new year. The driver was killed by police.
AFP
Asia stocks begin year on cautious note
Asian stocks began 2025 mostly in the red on Thursday after worries about US interest rates, tariffs and China's economy gave Wall Street the holiday blues for a fourth straight session.But ahead of the New Year's Day holiday, US stocks sank Tuesday, although European equities advanced.
CBS News
Bourbon Street attacker identified after deadly rampage. Here's what to know.
A man "hellbent" on creating carnage drove around barricades and hurtled down Bourbon Street in New Orleans' French Quarter, police said.
AFP
FBI probes 'terrorist' links in New Orleans truck-ramming that killed 15
A US army veteran with an Islamic State flag and "hellbent" on carnage steered a pickup truck into a crowd of New Year revelers in New Orleans on Wednesday, killing at least 15 people and wounding dozens, officials said.An FBI spokesman told AFP that 15 people had been killed, citing the New Orleans coroner's office.
AFP
2024 was China's hottest year on record: weather agency
Last year was China's warmest on record, its weather agency said, as the world experiences a surge in extreme weather fuelled by climate change.The United Nations said in a year-end message on Monday that 2024 was set to be the warmest year ever recorded worldwide.
Associated Press
Japanese emperor and his family greet flag-waving crowd at the palace for New Year's
Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and his family greeted throngs of New Year’s well-wishers from a balcony window at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Thursday. “I feel for those who are still greatly suffering,” Naruhito said, referring to the quake in western Japan that struck a year ago, as well as flooding and other natural disasters throughout the nation. Last year, his appearance was canceled at the last minute because of a devastating quake in the Noto Peninsula that killed hundreds of people.
CBS News
Details emerge about the victims of deadly New Orleans attack
At least 15 people were killed after a driver slammed into a crowd celebrating New Year's on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.
NBC News
College football's Sugar Bowl postponed in wake of New Orleans truck ramming attack
Officials have postponed Wednesday night’s Sugar Bowl, a major sporting event in New Orleans, after a man plowed his truck into a crowd of New Year’s revelers in what is being investigated as a terrorist attack.
CNN
Fireworks, gas tanks and camping fuel used in Tesla Cybertruck explosion outside Las Vegas Trump Hotel
The Tesla Cybertruck explosion and fire at the entrance of the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas Wednesday morning is being investigated as a possible terrorist act, according to a law enforcement official who has been briefed on the investigation.
AFP
South Korea police raid Muan airport over Jeju Air crash that killed 179
South Korean police said they raided Muan airport and the Jeju Air office Thursday morning over the crash involving one of the carrier's Boeing 737-800s that killed 179 people. "In relation to the plane accident that occurred on December 29, a search and seizure operation is being conducted from 9 am (0000 GMT) on January 2 at three locations," including Muan airport, the Jeju Air office in Seoul, plus a regional aviation office, police said in a statement sent to AFP. "The police plan to swiftl
NBC News
Biden vows to keep public informed about investigation into 'despicable' New Orleans attack
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden called the terrorist attack in New Orleans that killed 15 people and injured dozens more "despicable" in an address to the nation Wednesday.
USA TODAY
New Orleans security barriers were being replaced prior to deadly attack, officials say
Bollards began to malfunction shortly after the system was installed due to being clogged by Mardi Gras beads, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said.
Reuters
South Korea police search Jeju Air, airport operator over fatal plane crash
SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korean police said on Thursday they had raided Jeju Air and the operator of Muan International Airport as part of their investigation into Sunday's crash that killed 179 people in the worst aviation disaster on the country's soil. Jeju Air 7C2216, which departed the Thai capital of Bangkok for Muan in southwestern South Korea, belly-landed and overshot the regional airport's runway, exploding into flames after hitting an embankment. Two crew members, who were sitting in the tail end of the Boeing 737-800, were pulled alive by rescuers but injured.
CBS News
Witnesses describe horrifying scene after deadly New Orleans attack
Witnesses told CBS News that a white pickup truck crashed into people at high speed, leaving a path of carnage and distraught onlookers.
AFP
South Korea's Yoon resists arrest over martial law bid
Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was resisting arrest for a third day on Thursday after vowing to "fight" authorities seeking to question him over his failed martial law bid.South Korean officials have previously failed to execute arrest warrants for lawmakers -- in 2000 and 2004 -- due to party members and supporters blocking police for the seven-day period the warrant was valid.
AFP
Palestinian Authority suspends Al Jazeera broadcasts
The Palestinian Authority on Wednesday ordered the suspension of broadcasts by Qatar-based Al Jazeera across the Palestinian territories, accusing the network of airing "inciting content", official media reported."This decision comes in response to Al Jazeera's insistence on broadcasting inciting content and reports characterised by misinformation, incitement, sedition and interference in Palestinian internal affairs," it added.

Men

Women

Latest Stories