JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The University of North Florida (21-10, 10-4) scored four points in the final 10 seconds of the game, escaping with an 81-80 win over Jacksonville University (16-15, 8-6 A-Sun) Thursday in the Historic Swisher Gym.

"Give credit to UNF," said Head Coach Tony Jasick. "They really took advantage of some opportunities that were created through the game, especially in the second half, which changed the game. At times I was frustrated by the lack of urgency and effort."

The loss drops JU into the three seed, which will give them home field advantage in the first round of the Atlantic Sun conference tournament. The Dolphins will host Lipscomb University on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET.

"We've just got to keep playing hard," said J.R. Holder. "No matter if it takes us all the way, it's how we play that matters. We really want to lock in on defense and continue to play aggressively on offense in every game."

North Florida kicked off the second half with an 18-11 run, jumping out to its biggest lead of the game, 67-49, with just over 10 minutes left in the game. But the Dolphins began to fight back after the second media timeout, putting together a 9-6 run until the 7:05 mark. Then JU had one of the best defensive stretches of the season for the next four minutes, allowing zero points to UNF while scoring 12. With just 15 seconds left, North Florida led by two points, 79-77. But the Ospreys were able to inbound the ball, and Trent Mackey made two free throws to put the game out of reach. Marcel White made a three as the buzzer sounded.

Kori Babineaux impressed in his final regular season game, scoring 24 points on 11-22 shooting. The senior from Folsom, Calif., had seven rebounds, three assists, and a steal in 40 minutes. J.R. Holder had 23 points, four boards, three steals, and two assists. Josh Adeyeye had 14 points, three rebounds, and one assist in his senior finale, and Marcel White had eight points and six rebounds. Darien Fernandez had five points and five rebounds, Antwon Clayton had four points and five rebounds, and Demontrez Austin had two points.

"Those guys who were out there on the floor in the final minutes really deserve a lot of credit," continued Jasick. "I appreciate their effort in that comeback tonight."

The Dolphins got out to a good start in the first half, keeping pace with the Ospreys' league-leading offense for the first 11 minutes of the period. With nine minutes left in the half, Holder tied the game at 21-21 and then stole the ball on the next possession. The Dolphins had a chance to take the lead, but got an unfriendly roll on a Holder layup. UNF rebounded and hit a transition three, fueling a 28-17 run. At the half, UNF led 49-38.

Tip-Ins

• Marcellous Bell, Kori Babineaux, and Josh Adeyeye were recognized before the game for their contributions to the team and the university. Each will graduate in May. Bell has already earned his bachelor's degree in business, and will graduate with his MBA in three months. Babineaux will graduate with a Bachelor's in social sciences, and Adeyeye will graduate with a Bachelor's in political science.

• Babineaux has now scored 1,055 points in his two years at JU. He is 27th on the all-time scoring list, passing Barry Brown (1992-94) and Wayne Kruer (1965-68) this evening.

• The Dolphins are now 0-12 when trailing at the half.