Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Capturing its fourth straight road victory, the Jacksonville University women's basketball team used a late run to steam past Lipscomb by a score of 75-63 on Saturday night. Briona Brown and Sherranda Reddick paced the Dolphins' offense with 25 and 23 points, respectively.
"I know what my teammates and coaches expect from me and I just wanted to go out and deliver," said Brown. "I have to make sure that I come out with the same intensity, energy and leadership every game to make sure we get a dub on the board. When you feel like something is moving out of reach, you have to go out and grab it. Sherranda really stepped up, Kayla and Kim grabbed great offensive boards and we just worked as a team."
For Brown, the point total marks a new career-high. Her previous personal best of 23 was set in 2012 at Vermont. Against the Bisons, she also added seven rebounds, four assists, a block and a steal.
Kayla Gordon contributed 12 points and six rebounds while Loliya Briggs posted five points, six rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals.
Brown ignited Saturday's contest in the same manner she concluded Thursday's – hot from beyond the arc. Back-to-back threes lifted the Dolphins to an early 6-2 lead before an 8-0 Lipscomb run gave the home team its first advantage with 16:06 on the clock. At the second media timeout, the Dolphins saw themselves down by three, 15-12, with Brown scoring 10 of the team's points.
Reddick tipped momentum back in JU's favor with a contested trey, her fifth straight point, and the Dolphins regained their lead at 19-18 (8:54).
The first half captured six ties and 11 lead changes, most of those occurring in the final eight minutes, and the Bisons entered the break with a slight 35-33 edge.
Lipscomb went on to take its largest lead of the game at 50-42 at the 11:05 mark but the Dolphins just wouldn't go away. Three consecutive threes, a pair from Reddick and one from Brown, earned the Fins their first edge of the half at 58-55 with 5:27 left in regulation.
Later, a 10-2 Jacksonville scoring run strengthened the teams lead to 10 with 1:35 left and the Dolphins cruised from there.
"I'm just really excited for the girls," said Head Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin. "We've been through so much this season and when you have a young team like we do, you just wait for the light to turn on. As a staff, we were hoping it would turn on in the month of February and it has."
Jacksonville returns to Swisher Gymnasium next Wednesday for its final home game of the regular season. Also billed as Senior Night, the Dolphins will thank and send off their lone senior, April Carson, as they take on Stetson at 7 p.m.
"No game is bigger than the one that's present," continued McCuin. "With Stetson coming in we just want to play defense. We're not the same team we were when we played them the first time. We're just going to continue to ride the defensive train and see what happens."