Andy Diaz scored 16 points and had three steals in North Florida's 62-57 win over Savannah State on Monday night.
Diaz paced North Florida throughout the second half, scoring 13 of his points before the break. After opening the half with a steal and fast-break bucket, Diaz made a layup to bring the Ospreys within two, 40-38, with 9:34 to play.
North Florida (1-1) held a 52-21 lead when Diaz recorded a steal and two dunks within a 40-second span to extend the lead to 56-51 with only 2:16 left to play. Diaz's block of Cedric Smith's layup and free throw with 7 seconds left sealed the Osprey victory.
Rashad Hassan scored 17 points and Arnold Louis grabbed 12 rebounds to lead Savannah State (0-2). The Tigers outrebounded North Florida 38-27 but allowed the Osprey's to shoot 70 percent (14 for 20) in the second half.
