TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – In the teams' first meeting since 2013, three players reached double figures to help lift the Jacksonville University women's basketball team over Florida A&M, 88-54, Tuesday evening at Al Lawson Center. The win also marks the first Dolphin victory over the Rattlers since the teams' initial meeting back in 2006.

"We came out with energy and enthusiasm playing against a team that we knew was going to be scrappy," commented Haney following the win against his alma mater. "It was a great effort from everybody involved. It was fun to get the win tonight. It was good to have our team go out and give everything they had tonight and win. It was for our program; they wanted to win because they care about each other, they care about the program, and they care about the University."

Highlighted by a pair of 20+-point performances from sophomore Destiny Marshall (24 points, 7 rebounds) and redshirt-senior Shakayla Nevitt (22 points), the Dolphins also saw a breakout game from redshirt-freshman Erin Wilson. Wilson posted 10 of her 12 points in the first half and finished the day with seven rebounds to earn Hodges Mazda Player of the Game.
 

Noting the team's resiliency and perseverance, Haney added, "Destiny … continued to get the rebound and fight and was relentless about doing that. Some nights your shots aren't going to fall, but she perseveres though that stuff and finds ways to help us win ball games. Shakayla Nevitt is steady eddy, she keeps us poised. If I have to put her in any position on the floor, she can do it and is willing to do that. … Erin Wilson came in ready to roll. She had high energy, rebounded the ball, and was just everywhere."

Jacksonville opened the game on a 7-2 run with contributions from Nevitt (9:35), Marshall (5:24), and senior Kiara Meeks (5:17). While the Rattlers pressed back, JU held a 15-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Sparking a 24-point quarter, the Dolphins shot 50 percent from the three-point line with triples from senior Mariah Batz (5:11 and 1:57) and Wilson (2:44). Holding the hosts to just 12 points, JU doubled up Florida A&M to hold a 39-19 lead at halftime. Marshall (11 points) and Wilson (10 points) combined for 21 of the Dolphins' 39 points at the break.

Continuing to push the pace of the game, the Dolphins ran past the Rattlers in the third quarter with separate runs of seven and nine points for a 64-37 lead heading into the final 10 minutes. For good measure, Nevitt knocked in 14 of her 22 points in the quarter.

Jacksonville led by as many as 38, thanks to a seven-point dash in the fourth to hold a 83-45 advantage with 2:21 to play, and cruised to the win.

Haney also spoke praise to the contributions of two more seniors - Alexis Burns and Mariah Batz. "Alexis Burns took about five charges tonight. She is the heart and soul to what we do because she's so tough and does the little things that aren't on the stat sheets that help us win ball games. Mariah Batz, another steady eddy, she does the things that you aren't on the score sheets. She's another threat for us offensively and gets rebounds defensively. It was just a great effort from everybody. We did what we do – rebound, run, share the basketball. Being able to do that was fun and it was fun to get the win tonight."

Burns finished the day with five points, four rebounds, three steals, and two assists, while Batz notched nine points – all from beyond the arc – to go along with three rebounds, one steal, and one assist.

For Florida A&M, both Jasmine Ballew (15 points) and Alaina Rice (11 points) put up double figures, while both Rice and Kayla Massop brought down seven rebounds each.

The Dolphins return to action on Friday, December 20 when they head to their Alabama counterpart Jacksonville State. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.