KENNESAW, Ga. – The Jacksonville men's basketball team fell in yet another nailbiter, 66-61 to Kennesaw State on Wednesday night.

Three Dolphins (13-13, 4-8 ASUN) scored in double figures, but a 38.9% free-throw percentage proved to be the difference as Jacksonville fell in Kennesaw.

For Kennesaw State, two players led the  charge in Terrell Burden and Demon Robinson. Burden had 28 points, and shot a blistering 10-13 from the free throw line. He also added four assists, four rebounds and didn't turn the ball over once. Robinson only had eight points, but he played 36 minutes and grabbed 16 rebounds, four of which were offensive boards.
 
Jacksonville went through an offensive rut in the first half, but the defense kept the game within arm's reach. From the 12:38 mark until the 3:57, Kennesaw State hit seven of the eight field goals that were made and added five made free throws to JU's single one. The Owls led by 12 and appeared to be separating themselves as they searched for their first win in the last seven games.
 
After a timeout, Jacksonville came out scorching hot on both sides of the floor. Zach Bell got things started with a triple, and the Dolphins' Stephon Payne III then forced a turnover on the other end of the court. Robert McCray V then found an open lane and went soaring for a one-handed slam. Suddenly, the game was a six-point difference at 27-21, KSU. A Jarius Cook defensive rebound led to a McCray triple, and another Owls turnover led to another huge dunk from McCray. Kennesaw State called a timeout to cap the Dolphins' 10-0 run in under two minutes. The Owls utilized their timeout well and ended the half on a 6-0 run to lead at the half, 32-26.
 
The Dolphins opened up the second half with some of that found momentum late in the first half, but the Owls never let JU pull ahead. In what was a relatively lightly called foul first half, it seemed to be a polar opposite for much of the second half. Sophomore guard Robert McCray, the team's leading scorer who had 12 points with 12 minutes to play in the game, got into foul trouble with plenty of time left in the half. Up steps Bell. Bell embraced the opportunity when his team needed a spark, as Payne and Pruitt also had four fouls. In the second half alone, Bell finished with 14 points, one block, and three steals, all team highs.
 
Down the stretch, it was complete end-to-end basketball. No team could separate by more than three points for more than 15 minutes. Kennesaw State used a 5-0 run from the 3:20 mark until there were roughly 27 seconds left in the game to take a 62-59 lead. The Dolphins called a timeout and got a solid look, but the bucket was unable to fall. KSU then drove down the other end of the court and dunked the ball to extend its lead to five. Gyasi Powell then drove the length of the court the other way and hit a layup, but a foul on the inbound saw the Owls step up to the free-throw line and re-extend the lead to five. A last-ditch heave from the Dolphins to try and bring the game within one shot fell wide, and the Owls were able to win on their home court.

"Tonight was super physical I felt like our guys responded well," said head coach Jordan Mincy. "I wish we would've capitalized on some of those physical plays at the free throw line, but we didn't."
 
 
UP NEXT

The Dolphins return to action in Charlotte, North Carolina for their last road game of the regular season on Friday, February 16, against Queens Charlotte. The game is set for a 7 pm tipoff, and can be streamed on ESPN+ or heard on the radio on 1010XL.
 
ADDITIONAL NOTES

• Jacksonville shot 7-18 from the charity stripe, compared to Kennesaw State's 20-25.
• Bell tied his season high in steals and blocks.