NEWARK, N.J. – The Jacksonville University men's basketball team (12-14, 5-6 ASUN) picked up the big road win it needed on Saturday afternoon at NJIT (7-16, 4-6 ASUN), 65-54, with another stellar defensive effort that puts it in the driver seat for a home game in the ASUN Tournament.

The Dolphins held NJIT to 35.1 percent shooting from the floor and just 20.0 percent from long range en route earning their fifth league victory, matching their total from the 2018-19 season, with five to play. Jacksonville sweeps the season series with NJIT for the first time since the 2016-17 season.

Four Dolphins found their way to double figures, led by Destin Barnes who canned a game-high 17 points on 6-14 shooting to go with seven points, an assist and a block. David Bell bounced back to collect the 12th double-double of his season, scoring 14 points and pulling in 11 boards. He also added an assist and three blocks. Aamahne Santos (Hodges Mazda Player of the Game) scored 13 points, grabbed three rebounds and had two steals while checking one of the best scoring guards in the league in Zach Cooks. Cooks managed just 15 points and had six turnovers. Kevin Norman came off the bench to pitch in 11 points.

Jacksonville led by as many as 17 and trailed by as many as five in a game that featured eight lead changes and two ties. The Dolphins built their big lead with an 8-0 run capped by a Santos triple that forced NJIT in a timeout with 7:45 to play. The Dolphin lead hovered north of double digits until the 5:20 mark when Cooks canned one of his two triples to make it an eight-point game.

NJIT got within six with 4:36 to go but that was as close as it would get in this one. Jacksonville pushed the lead back to 12 with a quick run capped by the lone Barnes three ball of the evening. The Dolphins managed to coast and knock down free throws from then on to secure the victory.

Next up for Jacksonville will be round two of the River City Rumble on Thursday, Nov. 13. That game will tip at 7 p.m. on the UNF campus.