JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville University men's basketball found itself in a 4-0 hole to Eastern Kentucky less than a minute into the game. After collecting itself, the team ripped off a 12-0 run and never trailed again en route to an 81-68 win on Wednesday night.
 
The Dolphins (15-8, 7-4) had five players score in double-figures for the first time in conference play and are still undefeated at home this season, a perfect 11-0.
 
The Colonels quick-strike offense and pressing defense benefited them early, but JU got its first points after Kevion Nolan broke the press and went straight to the hoop for a foul, sinking the first two of the team's 17 made free throws on the night.
 
The initial run to make it 12-4 featured six points by Mike Marsh. After they started double-teaming him, Bryce Workman got involved, giving JU a nine-point lead after hitting a layup on a feed from Jordan Davis.
 
Workman had eight points on a layup to push the advantage to 10, 23-13, with 12:17 to play in the half, but EKU cut it down to two by the 10-minute mark, and after it grew to six again twice, back down to three, 29-26, with 6:26 remaining in the opening half.
 
From there Jordan Davis hit a pair of free throws, Tyreese Davis added a two-point jumper and Rod Brown scored two straight fast-break buckets to give the Dolphins a 37-26 lead and force EKU to call timeout with 3:49 to play in the half.
 
After taking a 45-32 lead into the half, JU built the lead out to as many as 16 in the opening minutes of the second, when Jordan Davis entered double-figures with a driving layup.
 
The two teams traded baskets until a 7-0 run for the Colonels cut the lead to 56-50, the closest EKU had been in the second, with 12:07 remaining. JU responded immediately, ripping off a 9-0 run to build the lead back to 15, 65-50. Gyasi Powell made two free throws, Nolan sank a step-back three and Workman and Powell each made layups for the game-sealing four-minute run, as the lead never dipped to single-digits again.
 
UP NEXT
 
Jacksonville stays at home and hosts ASUN East Division leading Liberty on Saturday night at 6 p.m.
 
COACH'S COMMENTS

 

NUMBERS YOU SHOULD KNOW
 

• Jacksonville improved to 11-0 at home, continuing its best home start since winning its first 12 at Swisher Gym in the 2015-16 season
• The Dolphins made all 17 free throw attempts tonight, the first time since Dec. 2, 2015, that JU was perfect from the stripe with at least 15 attempts. It was the second-most made free throws without missing one in program history, trailing only a 20-20 performance vs. UAB on Feb. 18, 1989, and just the third time ever JU has made all of its free throws when attempting 15 or more
• Bryce Workman led the way with 25 points, a season-high and matching Kevion Nolan's FGCU performance as season-highs for a JU player in a game. It was his third-straight double-figure scoring game, 10th of the season and first 20-plus point performance this year
• Tyreese Davis had 10 points and 10 rebounds, his first double-double of the year and fourth of his career
• JU had five players in double-digits for the first time since Dec. 29, 2021, with Kevion Nolan (15), Mike Marsh (12) and Jordan Davis (11) joining Workman (25) and Tyreese Davis (10) tonight