JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville men's basketball team overcame a 14-point deficit to take down the Queens Royals 79-77 for its first win in conference play in its first home game of the year.
Trailing 55-41, the Dolphins finished the game on a 38-23 run behind Robert McCray V's 28-point night to claim their first win in Atlantic Sun play this season. Gyasi Powell also recorded a career-high 19 points and Marcus Niblack had 11 rebounds, also a career high.
The first half versus the second half was a completely different Dolphin basketball team. Jacksonville turned the ball over 15 times in the opening half, compared to six in the second. The number 15 is a figure that hadn't been reached by the Dolphins in a game overall since they played the top-ranked team in the nation, Purdue. JU more than doubled its first-half point total of 26 points with 53 in the second half. Jacksonville also had 33 free throw attempts in the second half, compared to a minuscule seven in the first.
With JU trailing 55-41, frustrations arose from both teams in the second half as the Dolphins, who trailed by 14 points with just over 10 minutes to play, clawed themselves back into the game. Jacksonville used a 15-6 run from 11:36 in the second half until there were just over six minutes left to get themselves back to within four points. After Albury and McCray both soared after a loose ball near half, a lengthy review had the Swisher crowd become more anxious. Following the review, which ultimately led to nothing, Gyasi Powell sunk two free throws with 5:30 left, and suddenly, the Dolphins trailed by just two. The Royals' Albury missed two free throws on what could be deemed a questionable call, and McCray went down the other side to sink two free throws to tie the game for the first time since the early stages of the game.
JU's defense, which tightened up notably in the second half, forced a shot clock violation with 4:30 left. Niblack, who had been quiet for much of the game, hit a circus-style layup, and Jacksonville took the lead for the first time since there was 12:35 left in the first half when the score was 12-10. Jacksonville then stretched the lead to as much as 10 at 71-61 with just over 1:30 to play in the game. Queens would not go away quietly though, as BJ McLaurin heated up and hit back-to-back threes in addition to numerous buckets from Queens, and the Dolphin lead was just two. The teams battled back and forth the remainder of the way, with Powell stepping up to the free-throw line the majority of the time for JU, and him sinking most of his free throws. With Jacksonville up one, Powell stepped to the line with 11 seconds left. He sunk the first one, but the second rimmed out, and Queens drove down the court in an attempt to force overtime. Deyton Albury, who led Queens with 23 points, swung a reverse layup just off the rim. Teammate Kalib Matthews grabbed the board and swung the ball back up in a last-ditch effort to tie the game. The ball rattled off the rim and wide, and JU escaped with the two-point comeback victory.
WHAT THEY SAID
UP NEXT
The Dolphins return to action on Saturday, January 20 versus Kennesaw State. Tipoff is slated for 3 pm and the game can be streamed on ESPN+, or heard on 1010XL radio.
