DURHAM, N.C. – While a strong first quarter gave the Jacksonville University men's lacrosse team the lead over No. 8 Duke, a fourth-quarter surge by the Blue Devils ultimately dropped the Dolphins, 18-8, Tuesday evening at Koskinen Stadium.

"Tonight was a great opportunity for us to go against an elite opponent to see where we stack up after five games. While the result was certainly disappointing, I don't think it was indicative of our effort or resiliency," noted head coach John Galloway following the game. "We asked too much of our defense, and ultimately a team that well-coached will take advantage. With that said, there were a number of things we can build on from tonight."

"Jacob Greiner was fantastic again for us and Troy Hettinger had arguably the best game on defense in his career," added Galloway. "I really love the passion this group plays with, and sometimes that doesn't result in immediate success. I do believe that if we stay on this path, the future is bright for these guys and I know we will get back to work tomorrow with our attention and determination on Mercer as we start conference play."

Junior Jeremy Winston had a hand in the Dolphins' first two goals of the game to put Jacksonville ahead of No. 8 Duke, 2-1, as he buried a feed from redshirt-senior Evan Tyler for a man-down goal at 9:45 then dished to freshman Jacob Greiner just over a minute later at 8:39. Jacksonville (3-3) showed resilience holding the lead for the next 8:30, but Duke's Nakeie Montgomery managed an equalizer with nine seconds left to make it 2-2 at the first break.

Jacksonville faced an uphill battle in the second quarter, as Duke pressed with back-to-back goals just 16 seconds apart to take a two-goal lead. However, Tyler found the back of the net at 4:21 to close the gap, 4-3. The hosts then used a four-goal run that bridged the second and third quarters, before a brilliant feed from Winston caught senior Andrew Davis with 11:25 on the clock to give the Dolphins a shot of momentum.

The teams traded goals thereafter to close out the period, as both Winston (6:55) and Greiner (1:26) posted their second goals of the day; however, the Dolphins still trailed by five heading into the final 15 minutes.

Battling back into it, Tyler connected with sophomore Brendan McKenna just 54 seconds into the fourth to cut the Dolphins' deficit to four, 11-7, and keep the pressure on Duke. The eighth-ranked Blue Devils then answered back with a decisive seven-goal run to put things out of reach at the final horn, 18-8.

Winston led the team with five points (2 goals, 3 assists), while both Greiner (3g) and Tyler (1g, 2a) finished with three points each in the effort. Redshirt-senior Hunter Sells (4 saves) and senior Adam Baker (1 save) split time in the crease and combined for five saves.

For Duke, JP Basile posted a game-high eight points (3g, 5a), while goalie Turner Uppgren (10 saves) received the win.

The Dolphins return home to D.B. Milne Field this Saturday, March 14 when they welcome Southern Conference opponent Mercer at 12 p.m.