JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Jacksonville women's basketball (13-13, 6-7 ASUN) hosted the North Florida Ospreys (11-13, 6-7 ASUN) in part two of the River City Rumble. Jacksonville shut down the Ospreys' offense in the first half and was able to coast the rest of the way to a 75-63 win. It was the Dolphins' 14th consecutive victory over the crosstown rival. 

Jacksonville held UNF to just two makes in the first 10 minutes. The Ospreys had an especially difficult time hitting shots from beyond the arc, where they went 0-for-7 in the first quarter. Meanwhile, the Dolphins hung 16 on the board and hit two from deep while also forcing seven Osprey turnovers. 

The Ospreys' scoring woes continued into the second. Again, they sank just two shots for five points and left a zero in the 3-point percentage column. The Dolphins had their own troubles shooting in the second, but still managed to score 17 on 5-of-18 from the floor. Another pair of triples helped push their halftime lead to 24. UNF's nine points were the fewest the Dolphins have allowed to any opponent in a single half this season.

UNF had their shooting figured out by the third quarter and hit 52.9 percent of their attempts. They also outscored JU 22-19. Jacksonville kept pace by knocking down three more from deep. As the teams entered the final quarter it was Jacksonville holding onto a 52-31 lead.

UNF began to threaten in the fourth quarter as the comeback attempt was on. The Ospreys dropped 32 points, the most JU has allowed in a single quarter this season. An 11 point scoring run with 1:54 left put the game in jeopardy and the Ospreys cut the deficit to 10 in the final minute, but Jacksonville remained unfazed. The 'Phins shot 50 percent and hit three more 3-pointers to seal the 75-63 final.

The Dolphins were led by senior Rolanda Hayes, who scored 18 and grabbed seven rebounds. Hayes was followed by Jasmyn Brown's 11 points and eight rebounds. Mariah Batz was joined by Kiara Meeks with nine points, and provided six assists as well. As a unit, the Dolphins recorded 49 rebounds and sank 10 shots from beyond the arc. With the win, the Dolphins clinched a spot in the ASUN Championship.

"They did a good job flying around and defending in the first half. I was proud of them for that. Fourth and third quarter we've got to do a better job because we were fouling and giving up some stuff that we shouldn't have given up," said head coach Darnell Haney.

"Right now, this is preparation for the tournament regardless of the standings. We have to continue to prepare, prepare, prepare. And once we're done preparing, we've got to make sure we execute when those games come up."

Next, Jacksonville hosts NJIT at Swisher Gymnasium on Saturday, Feb. 23. Jacksonville defeated the Highlanders 61-56 on the road in January. Saturday's game is scheduled for 1 PM and will be broadcast on ESPN+.