DELAND, Fla. - The Jacksonville women's basketball team (10-18, 6-9 ASUN) fell to Stetson (16-13, 11-4 ASUN) in a down to the wire showdown that concluded 55-51.

The Dolphins' defense held the Hatters to just nine points in the third quarter, putting an upset within grasp as the game progressed into the fourth quarter. Despite the Dolphins pursuing the comeback late, which included a Jalisa Dunlap three pointer with 28 seconds left to bring the JU deficit down to one at 52-51, the Hatters sunk their free throw attempts late to escape with the win.

A slow start to the opening quarter eventually came to a halt with back-and-forth scoring. Although the Dolphins broke the scoring drought first, the Hatters rallied back to put eight points on the board with 2:39 left, resulting in a score of 8-5. Edyn Battle and Saniyah Craig were responsible for the Dolphins' five points. The remainder of the quarter saw both teams' neck and neck, with the score tied at 10 with just 25 seconds left. Stetson gained a two-point advantage before the first quarter ended, leading 12-10.

The Dolphins took charge at the beginning of the second quarter, scoring back-to-back baskets to seize their second lead of the night at 14-12, thanks to Kyshonna Brown and Battle. Stetson countered to reclaim a 21-17 lead with 2:35 remaining. However, Dolphins guard Julene Royale nailed a three-pointer to bring the green and white to within one point. The rest of the quarter favored the Hatters as they maintained a 27-21 lead. 

JU's defense controlled the third quarter brilliantly, limiting Stetson to six points in the first seven minutes. The Dolphins maintained their composure after halftime, with their defense continuing to stifle Stetson. Chipping away at the lead the Hatters built, Sana'a Garrett, Jada Jones, and Craig shared the ball and added eight points to the Dolphin tally, which tied the game 29-29 with 6:27 to play. Before the media timeout, JU regained the lead, 30-29, on a free-throw by the freshman Jones. 

Early in the fourth quarter, two more lead changes occurred, resulting in JU holding a 40-39 lead after a drive and layup by Garrett a minute into the quarter. Both teams continued to demonstrate its desperation for the win, scoring nearly evenly for the next seven minutes. Stetson added 13 points and the Dolphins added 10 to their counts respectively, bringing the score to 52-48 in favor of the Hatters. With 37 seconds left to play, Head Coach Special Jennings called a timeout that successfully led to a made three-pointer by Dunlap, which brought the Dolphins within one point, 52-51. After a pair of made free throws, Jacksonville had a chance to tie the game, but the coveted three-point shot fell just short. The Dolphins, with just 10 seconds to play, forced another turnover. Subsequently, Jacksonville turned the ball back over with just two seconds remaining. After a foul and free throw for Stetson, the clock struck zeroes, and JU's comeback attempt fell just short.

UP NEXT

The Dolphins will stay on the road to face the current ASUN No.1 seed in Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday, March 2. The game is set to begin at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+. 

ADDITIONAL NOTES 

• Edyn Battle, shooting 7-9 from the free-throw line, finished with 19 points, six rebounds, and three assists. 

• Jalisa Dunlap scored 11 points and grabbed two rebounds. 

• The Dolphins continued to shoot over 30 percent from beyond the arc. 

• Forwards Jada Jones and Saniyah Craig both collected seven rebounds apiece.