JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Head Coach Special Jennings and the Jacksonville women's basketball squad, with a chip on their shoulder, dominated the Bellarmine Knights (87-69). This marks the largest point spread for JU in conference so far, the most three-pointers made in a conference game (eight), and the highest number of assists (10). 

Edyn Battle set the tone early, scoring 13 points in the first quarter, providing a solid foundation for the Dolphins who never trailed. Battle continued, achieving a new career high of 31 points, while the trio of Battle, Isamery Telleria, and Jalisa Dunlap combined for 65 Phin buckets, securing a victory for JU. 

A slow start to the opening quarter was turned around by back-to-back long trey's from Battle at 7:44 and Sana'a Garrett seconds later. The Dolphins maintained their lead for the rest of the period. Zaria Blake, a significant contributor to the quarter, crashed the offensive glass multiple times early, creating second-chance opportunities that led to more conversions for the Dolphins. At 3:50, another barrage of three-pointers from Battle and Dominican Republic native Isamery Telleria saw the Dolphins extend their lead to 17-8. Battle struck again, with a defender in her face, knocking down her third three-pointer, going 3-for-3 for the quarter. With just 45 seconds remaining, the Dolphins held a 22-15 lead, with Battle leading all scorers before the first horn.

Saniyah Craig initiated the second quarter for JU, while Battle continued her momentum, adding three more points to the Dolphins' offense. After two successful free throws by Jules Royale, the green and white expanded their lead to 29-19 with 6:00 remaining. Returner Jalisa Dunlap, after her monster second half against eastern Kentucky, took the notion of converting a good old fashion three-point play to give JU a 33-21 advantage at 3:25 Just when the crowd thought the Dolphins were finished scoring for the half, a quick six-point swing was ignited by a three-pointer from Telleria followed by a trio of free throws by Telleria as well. As the horn sounded, the home team enjoyed a 41-25 lead as they headed to the locker room. 

The Dunlap Show headed the third quarter as she provided a seven-point swing rewriting a 48-28 lead for the Phins with 7:46 remaining (Dunlap would go on to score 13 in the second half). Back-and-forth scoring began to unfold, essentially becoming the theme of the third quarter. Dunlap, Telleria, and Jada Jones all made positive contributions, maintaining a 60-43 Dolphin lead with just under two minutes to play. 

The Dolphins convincingly maintained their control over the Knights, adding 25 more points in the fourth quarter to their total score. Battle, Dunlap, and Telleria all surpassed their career highs. Not a single player in the group shot below 50 percent for the game, securing a commanding Dolphin victory! 

COACH'S COMMENTS 

"Super proud of the ladies," said Coach Jennings. "The energy and execution were the best it's been all season. We had multiple ladies in double figures and great support from our bench today. Great team win!" 

NEXT UP 

The Dolphins go on the road to face Central Arkansas Thursday, February 1. The game is set to start at 6:00 p.m.  

NOTEABLE NUMBERS 

• Edyn Battle scored 31 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Battle shot 53-percent from the field and 12-for-15 from the stripe 

• Isamery Telleria finished with 18, 5-for-5 from the free-throw line and 60-percent from the three 

• Jalisa Dunlap scored 16 points and shot 6-for-10 from the field 

• Dolphins shot 48-percent from the field and 74-percent from the free-throw line 

• JU recorded a conference high of 45-percent from the three-point line 

• Dolphins outrebounded the Knights 39-26 

• JU bench outscored Bellarmine 27-13