JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Never count out the Jacksonville University men's basketball team (12-19, 5-11 ASUN). The Dolphins trailed FGCU (14-17, 9-7 ASUN) by as many as 17 points in the second half and overcame that to lead the game in the closing moments but a quick burst at the end from FGCU handed JU the loss to close out the regular season, 77-74.

JD Notae was the catalyst on Friday night in front of a raucous Swisher Gymnasium crowd. The sophomore capped his regular season with a 29-point performance that nearly led his team all the way back from certain defeat. He also came up with five rebounds, five assists and three steals in a stat-stuffing effort.

Joining Notae in double-figures was the big man tandem of David Bell and Jalyn Hinton. Each scored 11 points and combined for five blocks. As a team the Dolphins shot 56 percent in the first half and 45.5 percent in the second to come away with a 50 percent shooting night (29-58) while knocking down nine triples.

The defense held FGCU to 46.7 percent shooting, just 37.0 percent in the second half to ignite the comeback effort. The deficit was 11 at the break for the Dolphins and at that stage of the game, Notae was the lone JU player scoring the ball with any consistency. He had 14 at the break.

FGCU came out of the locker room hot and by the 17:27 mark had built that 17-point advantage with an 8-2 run but a dunk on the other end by Hinton, as it often does, sparked the Dolphins on what turned into an incredible effort on both ends that nearly stole this game.

Jacksonville got into its press and started forcing turnovers and turning them into points on the other end. By the end of the game, the Dolphins would hold a 17-9 advantage on points off turnovers and 25-8 lead on points scored in transition. The offense found itself and was off and running.

By the 9:54 mark, JU had completed a 22-7 run to get within two following a Notae steal and lay-in. FGCU pushed its lead back to five but a 5-0 run in response from JU, capped by a Notae free throw knotted this game at 67 with 8:30 to play.

The game remained tied until FGCU canned a three ball with 4:38 left but just over a minute later, Notae blocked a shot on the defensive end, DeAnthony McCallum secured the rebound and kicked ahead to a sprinting Notae who finished at the rim. Bell then blocked a shot, McCallum corralled again and this time he found Notae wide open for three in transition to give the Dolphins their first lead since early in the first half.

The Eagles managed to close the game on a 7-2 run to pick up the victory but not without some drama. Notae did find a look at a three ball in the closing moments but it obviously did not find its mark.

The ASUN Conference Championship looms now. The Dolphins will travel to Lynchburg, Va. to square up with No. 2 seed Liberty. That quarterfinal matchup will tip at 7 p.m. with the winning team advancing to the semifinal on Thursday (Mar. 7). The bracket will be re-seeded after the first round with the highest remaining seed playing the lowest remaining seed while the remaining two teams square up on the other side. The ASUN Championship game will take place on Sunday (Mar. 10) at 3 PM EST on ESPN.