DELAND, Fla. – The Jacksonville University men's basketball team (14-17, 7-9 ASUN) found itself in a fight on Saturday afternoon with Stetson (15-16, 9-8 ASUN) and through all of the ups and downs, found a way to pull this one out in grand fashion, 53-52, to close the regular season with a win.
It was a team-effort inside the Edmunds Center. No one performance stood head and shoulders above the rest, but it was
DeAnthony McCallum who led the Dolphins in scoring (Hodges Mazda Player of the Game). He dropped 14, including a massive, game-tying triple with 3:03 to play.
David Bell scored 10 points, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked Rob Perry's game-winner attempt at the buzzer to secure the win for Jacksonville.
Destin Barnes and
Diante Wood each added 11 points. Wood scored the eventual game-winner on a driving lay-in with 1:20 to go.
For the first time this season, Jacksonville went back-to-back games with single-digit turnovers, handing out just nine on Saturday afternoon while forcing the Hatters into 14 that turned into 20 points on the other end. The Dolphins dominated the paint, outscoring Stetson, 22-14, and shot a better percentage from the floor, 35.8 – 35.1.
This game had a little bit of everything. Jacksonville knocked down a pair of triples to get things started and force Stetson into an early timeout. Stetson quickly answered with an 8-0 run of its own and the game was on. Jacksonville led by as many as eight, 29-21, following a Barnes jumper with 1:18 to go in the half. Stetson scored six-straight to close the half, but Jacksonville held a 29-26 advantage.
The Dolphins wasted no time establishing a rhythm coming out of the locker room. Barnes scored four of his 11 to get things started and McCallum canned a deep triple to push his team head by 10 with 16:34 to go. That was the largest lead either team held in the game.
Stetson answered that run with a 13-1 run that gave the home side the lead with 12:35 to go. The back-and-forth ensued. No side led by more than four the rest of the way. Jacksonville faced its largest deficit of four with 11:51 left but turned that into a four-point lead by the 9:14 mark when Bell put down his second dunk of the game.
The lead disappeared and turned into a one-point deficit when Rob Perry stepped back to can a transition triple with 7:05 left. Stetson moved ahead by three on the next possession, 50-47 with 6:31 to go and the defenses took over from there.
The next points came at the 3:03 mark when McCallum found space with help from an inside-out assist from Bell. The senior buried the game-tying triple then came up with the defensive rebound on the other end. Bell was fouled on the next trip and converted one of two tries to make it 51-50 with 2:11 left.
Stetson answered with two free throws to take the lead back, 52-51 with 1:42 to play in the game.
Mo Arnold, putting a bow on a banner week for the freshman standout, opened up space with a drive through the zone and dish to Wood who finished inside to put the Dolphins up by one, 53-52, with 1:20 to go.
Stops came for both sides on each of the next two possessions but it was the final possession that brought the fireworks. Out of a timeout with 11 seconds left, Stetson drew up a play for Perry who caught on the wing and went one-on-one with McCallum. He drove to his right and threw up a floater that Bell swatted away as time expired.
Despite the victory, Jacksonville is forced to settle for the No. 7 seed in the ASUN Championship Tournament after finishing in a tie for sixth with FGCU. The Eagles get the nod for the sixth seed on the strength of two wins over Jacksonville. The Dolphins will prepare for Round Three of the River City Rumble and visit North Florida on Tuesday (Mar. 3) in the ASUN Quarterfinal. That game is set for 7 p.m.
