Baptist Health System's Postgame Show, Bethune-Cookman

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. –It took Jacksonville University a while to get going, but once the Dolphins found their shooting touch they blew past Bethune-Cookman, 74-70, at Swisher Gym here Thursday.

The win was JU's seventh consecutive on campus.

Junior Marcel White, who scored 19 points and 10 rebounds, ignited the Dolphins late in the first half with six straight points to start breaking open a tight affair as JU (7-8) settled in on a 31-25 halftime lead.

The Dolphins began the second half with a barrage of 3-pointers, at one point making five in a row, and built a 19-point, 66-47, lead with 5:50 with to play on the wings of a 19-9 run.

BCU (4-10) whittled away as junior Jordan Potts scored all 26 of his points in the second-half including a trio of late long range 3-pointers to get to the final score. The Dolphins missed 10 consecutive free throws in the last 3:44 to help the BCU cause.

Senior Kori Babineaux led JU scorers with 20 points and sophomore Antwon Clayton added 12.

Bethune-Cookman's Ricky Johnson had 11 points and Quinton Forrest added 10.

"Give our guys credit,'' JU coach Tony Jasick said. "Not only for maintaining early, but for building that big lead.''

Jasick said his team needs to continue work on learning how to put teams away.

"The key is to grow and mature with the way we handle success,'' he said.

The Dolphins got off to a slow start and fell behind 6-0 before scoring with 16:25 to play in the first half when junior Darien Fernandez hit a 3-pointer.

The teams played on even terms the remainder of the half and JU got its first tie at 14 with 10:28 to go on a layup by White. BCU then reeled off five points before the Dolphins tied again at 19 with 6:33 remaining and got their first lead, 21-19, with 5:23 to go when forward J.R. Holder connected on a pair of free throws.

Later, White, who had 10 of his points in the first half, went on his early spree to propel JU to its largest lead of the half at 31-24.

The Dolphins travel to Western Michigan Saturday and return home Tuesday against Trinity Baptist at 7 p.m.