CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Jacksonville University men's basketball weathered a late rally to win 60-56 at Austin Peay on Thursday night.
 
The Dolphins (13-13, 6-9) got two free throws from Kevion Nolan with 6.9 seconds remaining to seal the win, snapping a four-game losing streak.
 
The game started with a bang for JU, who erased an 2-0 deficit with a 22-0 run over the next 7:40. The Dolphins repeatedly forced one-and-done possessions and turnovers, sharing the ball to get open looks on the other end.
 
The Governors were able to claw back some late in the first half, using a handful of made three-pointers to cut it to 14 with 5:39 left in the opening frame and causing JU to take a timeout. After the lead dwindled to 12, the Dolphins ended a three-plus minute drought without a field goal with a layup by Omar Payne. And and-one layup trimmed the lead to 11 a few moments later, and JU led 33-22 at the break.
 
The second half was a defensive struggle throughout, with the two teams combing to score four points the first 4:22 of the period. Austin Peay made tough shots at the end of the shot clock repeatedly after that, while JU struggled with consistency on the offensive end, keeping the game close.
 
The lead grew to 17 for JU, 43-26, on a Jarius Cook three-pointer, but the Govs answered with another three of their own. After Jordan Davis hit a tough layup to make it 45-29 with just under 10 minutes remaining, APSU rattled off four-straight to cut it to 12.
 
With 8:02 to play, a three-pointer by the Govs brought them within 11, the closest score since the half. Mike Marsh had a layup and Nolan sank a three to keeps APSU at bay, but a layup and a pair of free throws with 3:48 left got them within single-digits for the first time in the half.
 
Another Cook layup and a pair of free throws by Gyasi Powell helped get the lead to double-figures again, but with 1:14 left, the Govs started the rally. A pair of three throws were followed by JU missing the front-end of a 1-and-1, and APSU responded with a quick three to trim the lead to 58-48. Another missed front-end and a foul, and a pair of free throws made it an eight-point game. Two straight turnovers led to a layup and a three and it was 58-56 with 15 seconds left. That's when Nolan took the inbound, drew a foul and calmly made both free throws to ice it.
 
UP NEXT
 
Jacksonville continues its Tennessee trip, facing off against Lipscomb at 8 p.m. on Saturday in Allen Arena.
 
COACH'S COMMENTS

 

NOTABLE NUMBERS
 

• JU's 22-0 run in the first half was the longest of the season, eclipsing the 18-0 run at Louisiana-Monroe back on December 20
• Kevion Nolan scored 18 points, his 50th career double-figure scoring game of his career
• Jarius Cook hit three three-pointers, matching his season-high for the fourth time