Jacksonville, Fla. - Round two of the River City Rumble witnessed Jacksonville University (8-17, 4-8) knock out North Florida (8-18, 2-10) in a 73-60 victory. Edyn Battle, Jalisa Dunlap, and Sana'a Garrett combined for 47 points to march The Dolphins past their rivals.  

Jacksonville's team stats outshone North Florida's in almost every category, leading the Ospreys in three-point percentage, field goal percentage, and team rebounds. Battle scored 14 points in the third quarter while Sana'a Garrett, shooting 4-for-5 from downtown (2-for-3 in the third), ultimately deciding the game for the home team.  

After the opening tip-off, a shot clock violation forced by the Dolphins on the first possession helped JU gain momentum. However, after the Dolphins' first stop, second and third chance opportunities helped North Florida take a 5-0 lead at 6:53. Freshman Jada Jones broke the run with three quick points moments later. Jones continued her solo scoring surge to rewrite the score to 7-5 at the first media timeout. After the break, a three-pointer helped JU take their first 8-7 lead with a kickout from Jones to Sana'a Garrett. Ending the period, the game was tied at 10-10.  

To start the second, UNF found a way to go on a 5-0 run until the Dolphins responded, courtesy of Zaria Blake's six straight points, rewriting the score to 17-16 in favor of UNF with 5:56 remaining. The game transitioned into a shootout from the three-point line as the two offenses exchanged buckets from beyond the arc, giving a score of 24-19 in favor of UNF at 3:14. A freshly subbed Julene Royale, shooting 42.9 percent from three in conference play, hit a deep ball to put JU down 26-22 with a minute before the half. Battle then took responsibility for adding two more points before UNF scored again to finish the half 28-24  

The third period saw an explosive 14-point quarter from Battle, Garrett shooting 2-for-2 from downtown, and a 27-13 run for the Dolphins that allowed them to control the quarter. A 7-0 run for the Dolphins regained the lead just three minutes into the third, 31-28. Back-and-forth scoring persisted as two big threes from Garrett and Jalisa Dunlap boosted the Dolphins. JU established an 18-to-6 run in the first six minutes of play to score 40-34 with JU in the lead. Before the horn sounded, the Dolphins added 11 additional points, the majority from Battle, as she erupted to 18 points for the game. Going into the final 10 minutes, the green and white sat comfortably with a 51-41 advantage.  

The Dolphins didn't let up in the fourth quarter, with a quick 11 points from an electric Craig, Jones, and Blake inside, helping create space for a hot Sana'a Garrett to sink her fourth three of the game, reaching 4-for-5 beyond the arc. At the 3:31 mark, the Dolphins had gained a 67-54 lead. To secure the win, an all-around team effort finished out the night. 

COACHES COMMENTS 

UP NEXT 

The Dolphins return to Swisher Gymnasium to take on Kennesaw state Thursday, February 22. The game is set to begin at 6:30 and will be broadcast live on ESPN+. 

NOTEBALE NUMBERS 

• Edyn Battle finished with 22 points, three rebounds, and four assists. Battle shot 100-percent, 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. 

• Sana'a Garrett finished with 14 points, five rebounds and three assists. The 14 points is a new season high for the freshman. Garrett shot 80-percent from three-point range and 62-percent from the field. 

• Jalisa Dunlap added 11 points, four rebounds and two assist while shooting 60-percent from three and 50-percent from the field 

• Jada Jones scored nine points and seven rebounds 

• Zaria Blake finished with eight points, six rebounds and two assist