Elevate your local knowledge

Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!

Select Region

Estrella’s 23 points, 10 boards leads No. 20 Tennessee over North Florida 99-66

Byline: Al Lesar

Estrella's 23 points, 10 boards leads No. 20 Tennessee over North Florida 99-66 | iNFOnews.ca
Tennessee forward J.P. Estrella, left, shoots the ball over North Florida forward Dalton Gayman (21) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — J.P. Estrella scored a career-high 23 points along with 10 rebounds off the bench to lead No. 20 Tennessee to a 99-66 victory over North Florida on Wednesday night.

Ja’Kobi Gillespie had 21 points and 7 assists for the Volunteers (3-0). Nate Ament had 19 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists. Cade Phillips had nine rebounds.

Kent Jackson led the Ospreys (0-2) with 16 points. Devin Hines and Kamrin Oriol each scored 11.

North Florida went the final 6:13 of the first half without scoring. Tennessee’s defensive stand turned a two-point lead into a 47-30 advantage at the break. Estrella led the way with 15 points. The Ospreys shot just 34% (12 of 35) from the field, but had seven offensive rebounds and nine second-chance points before the break.

After the first week of the season, Ament was named the first Southeastern Conference freshman of the week. He averaged 20.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in wins over Mercer and Northern Kentucky.

Tennessee was without starting guard Bishop Boswell due to a right foot injury sustained against Northern Kentucky. His status is day-to-day.

First-year head coach Bobby Kennen’s Ospreys have had a brutal start to their season. They lost by 40 to defending national champion and third-ranked Florida, then followed that up with a trip to Knoxville. In December, North Florida will have road games against No. 19 Gonzaga and the Miami Hurricanes.

UP NEXT

North Florida: The Ospreys host New College of Florida on Saturday.

Tennessee: The Vols play Rice at home on Monday.

_____ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

Estrella's 23 points, 10 boards leads No. 20 Tennessee over North Florida 99-66 | iNFOnews.ca
Tennessee forward Nate Ament (10) dribbles the ball past North Florida forward BJ Plummer (1) and guard Kamrin Oriol (11) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Estrella's 23 points, 10 boards leads No. 20 Tennessee over North Florida 99-66 | iNFOnews.ca
Tennessee guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie (0) dribbles the ball past North Florida guard Mason Lee (2) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Estrella's 23 points, 10 boards leads No. 20 Tennessee over North Florida 99-66 | iNFOnews.ca
Tennessee center Felix Okpara (34)- blocks a shot by North Florida forward Nestor Dyachok (24) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

The Associated Press

Al Lesar

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.

Related Articles