DELAND, Fla. – The Jacksonville University men's basketball team (11-13, 5-9 ASUN) needed a bounce back game on Saturday afternoon as the ASUN Championship looms on the horizon and it delivered just that, in form of an 86-82 victory over Stetson (9-12, 6-8) on the road.

The Dolphins received a career-defining performance from Bryce Workman to poured in a game, season, career and ASUN season high 33 points on 10-14 shooting and 13-14 from the free throw line. He's the only player in the league this season to put up 30 or more points without a three-point field goal in the game. Workman also collected seven boards and handed out three assists with a block. He was +17.

Kevion Nolan tossed in 16 points to go with four boards, three steals and an assist while Dontarius James knocked down 3-4 from deep to bolster his 11 points. Tyreese Davis was the fourth Dolphin to reach double figures, chipping in 12 with three boards and four assists.


The Dolphins shot 51.9 percent from the floor including a blistering 64.0 percent in the first half to build a 16-point advantage at the break, 44-28. The scored was notched 3-3 when Jacksonville went on its first extended run of the game to build a lead. JU jumped ahead 12-3 then maintained an 11-point lead, on-and-off for several minutes through the middle of the first half.

Mo Arnold scored a bucket on the brake to push the Dolphins ahead by 13 and a James triple later gave JU it's largest lead of the first half, 29-12, with 8:53 to play. Stetson went on a mini run to cut the deficit to nine by the 2:16 mark but Jacksonville closed the half on a 7-0 run, capped by a Workman jumper, to move ahead by 16.

Jacksonville climbed ahead by as many as 18 points in the second half and led by 15, 57-42, with 13:44 to play when Stetson began to chip away. By the 11:14 mark the Dolphin lead was down to seven and later six but that was as close as the Hatters came in this one. Jacksonville jumped back ahead by double digits thanks to buckets on consecutive possessions by Workman, James and Nolan, respectively.

The lead floated between seven and 12 for much of the later half of the second frame. Rob Perry tossed in a couple meaningless triples in the closing moments between the Dolphins holding serve at the free throw line to create the final difference in this one. Jacksonville claimed the 93rd meeting with Stetson, 86-82.

Next up for JU will be the final regular season matchups of the season. Next weekend, the Dolphins will welcome FGCU to Swisher Gymnasium with every team in the league still very-much jockeying for position. The first tilt with the Eagles will take place on Friday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. with the regular season tipping on Sunday, Feb. 27 at 6 p.m. The Dolphins will celebrate seniors Corey Romich and Derrick Flowers prior to that second game.