MIAMI, Fla. - Five Dolphins scored in double-figures and three recorded new season highs despite an 88-81 loss against Florida International Friday night in the Ocean Bank Convocation Center.
Julene Royale seized an opportunity and scored 10 points, going 3-4 from beyond the arc. Jalisa Dunlap achieved a new season high with 14 points and three steals, while Isamery Telleria earned a season-best of 11 points. Saniyah Craig secured her second double-double of the year with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Edyn Battle, consistent in her performances, contributed 21 points and five rebounds.
The game started with a back-and-forth exchange and a flurry of scoring. In the initial 10 minutes, there were four lead changes. Telleria initiated the action early for the Dolphins, making a tough layup within the first 10 seconds. Jacksonville's top scorers, Battle and Craig, each added six points in the quarter, putting the green and white down just four, 21-17, going into the second.
Despite the initial impression that Florida International would carry momentum into the next quarter, the Dolphins swiftly rallied. Royale, Craig, and Battle opened the quarter with a run, giving JU 10 unanswered points and their third lead of the night, 37-34, with 6:36 left in the second. Although FIU responded midway through the quarter, junior guard Dunlap continued to carry the Dolphins. Dunlap scored on all three levels, adding 10 more points in the last five minutes of the second quarter. Defensively, freshman Sana'a Garrett made a significant impact, picking up two critical steals to sustain the Dolphin surge. With 35 seconds left in the half, JU held a three-point lead over the Panthers.
The game remained closely contested, and it was tied at 40-40 on a layup by FIU forward Courtney Turner with 8:41 left in the third. Despite the back-and-forth scoring, the Panthers built a lead, putting JU in a 65-59 hole. After Florida International took the lead, the Dolphins managed to get within four points twice in the fourth quarter. Ultimately, despite a final push by Craig and Garrett, FIU finished the game with a five-point lead, 85-80, with 13 seconds remaining.
UP NEXT
The Dolphins come back home to take on local rival Edward Waters on Monday, December 4 at 6:30 p.m. at Swisher Gymnasium.
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