RICHMOND, Ky. – The Jacksonville men's basketball team shot lights out in its first-round victory of the Atlantic Sun Conference over Kennesaw State, 92-86.

The Dolphins shot a blistering 62% from three and 50% overall from the floor in what was the team's highest point total in ASUN play this season. The three-point percentage is the best the Dolphins have had this year, surpassing their previous best of 57% against Louisiana-Monroe back in December. The team's 13 makes from beyond the arc also tied its most this season.

Entering tonight, Robert McCray V, Marcus Niblack and Bryce Workman had only played in the same game eight times due to injury in some way, shape or form. The trio paved the way for the Dolphins' first win away from home in 2024 with a whopping combined 68 points. They also hit nine of their 11 tries from deep.

For Workman, he finished the night with 17 points and 15 rebounds for his eighth career double-double, and his fourth of the season. His 15 rebounds mark a new career high, and his 17 points is the third most he's had in a single game during his injury-plagued sixth year. McCray's 31 points is the second time this season he's surpassed the 30-point total, and it marks the second most points he's scored in a game in his career. Niblack hadn't shot more than three times from three-point land yet this season, until tonight. Doubling down on his range, he hit a new career-high of three from deep and finished with his third highest point total of the year with 20 points. Niblack also had a team-high four assists and stole the ball a game-high three times.

In the first half, neither side could get into a rhythm offensively as both sides combined for just 25 points in the first eight minutes, but Jacksonville had the lead 15-10. After a triple from McCray, the Owls went on a 9-0 run to take their second lead of the night, 19-18, with nine minutes to play. The Dolphins response was from the free throw line, as Workman and Niblack hit four straight. Workman then was left open at the top of the arch and sunk a triple to give JU a 25-19 lead with 7:20 in the half. 30 seconds later, the Tampa native was left open again, and he splashed it, which forced a KSU timeout and Jacksonville saw itself with a 28-19 edge with 6:58 to go in the opening half. After two more made free throws from Jarius Cook, KSU ended the half on a 14-5 run, which put the Owls within two points at the sound of the buzzer, 35-33.

Entering the second half, the reigning ASUN champion Owls got a three-pointer from Simeon Cottle, and KSU had the 36-35 lead. After a dunk from Demond Robinson and a layup from Donovan Rivers, Cottle again hit a three-pointer, extending the KSU advantage up to four at 41-37. The Owls got their lead up to five, 45-40 with 16 minutes to play, but from then on, the Dolphins offense was alive and well. In the next 10 minutes, the script was flipped, and JU went on a 35-25 run. With just over six minutes to play, JU had a five-point advantage at 75-70, and they were determined to keep the game at least a two-possession difference.

Enter Robert McCray V. From the 6:16 mark where JU had a five-point advantage, until the end of the game, the redshirt sophomore recorded 15 of the Dolphins 18 points, and the only points he didn't score, he assisted on a triple to Gyasi Powell. In that stretch, McCray only missed one try, and on that try, he grabbed his own rebound and hit the second-chance layup with just six seconds to play.
For the Dolphins, it was their first win away from Swisher Gymnasium in 2024, and their first win of the season against Kennesaw State, and it came in a big way. Jacksonville's 92 points is the most it scored in a game since the home opener against Johnson on November 6.

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UP NEXT

The Dolphins play again tomorrow in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Sun men's basketball tournament against the No.1 seed, and regular season champions, Eastern Kentucky. Tipoff is slated for a 7 pm start, and the game can be streamed on ESPN+ or heard on the radio on 1010XL.