North Florida 78, St. Francis Brooklyn 65 : Three Thoughts

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The last time reigning Atlantic Sun champions North Florida saw a team from the NEC, it was on a neutral court, just as it was Saturday at Hartford’s Chase Family Arena.

Of course, there were quite a few more people in attendance back in March when Robert Morris upended North Florida in an NCAA Tournament play-in game. It could have been St. Francis Brooklyn with a break here or there in the NEC finals, remember.

But a season later, North Florida – with most of its core group returning – appears ready to make a return NCAA run, while the Terriers – like most of the NEC – are still trying to find their way, as the Ospreys scored a whopping 1.63 points per possession in the first half to build a huge lead and coasted to a 78-65 win in front of about 100 diehards on a neutral floor.

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Robert Morris Takes Down High-Flying North Florida

DAYTON, Ohio – How do you come back from a 13-point second half deficit against a red-hot shooting team? Well, first you extend your defense and hope to cool them off, but how about going an entire half without committing a single turnover?

Robert Morris, who entered the NCAA Tournament just 239th nationally in turnover rate (20.1%), had zero, zip, nada turnovers in the second half as they stormed from behind to beat a North Florida team many thought had no business being in a play-in game, 81-77 at UD Arena.

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Robert Morris Faces Tall Dayton Order In North Florida

DAYTON, Ohio – Five years can seem like yesterday or it can be an eternity, depending on your perspective.

For a college athletics program, five years brings a complete roster turnover, and so not a single Robert Morris player that takes the court Wednesday night in Dayton for the program’s first NCAA Tournament game for 2010 was on the floor when the Colonials (19-14) nearly upset Villanova as a No. 15 seed, losing in overtime, in what would have been the biggest win in NEC history.

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