JACKSONVILLE, FLA -- The Jacksonville Dolphins went wire to wire against Austin Peay, earning the team's first ASUN win of the season, 68-44.

Last season, the Dolphins held Austin Peay to 19 points in the first half and just 43 for the game, which was the last time JU held a team under 50 until Saturday.

The Dolphins (7-7, 1-1) had two double-digit scorers in the contest led by Robert McCray V's 15 points followed by 12 from Zach Bell.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Jacksonville got off to a hot start in the first half on both ends of the court. Defensively, the Dolphins held Austin Peay to its lowest halftime point total (19) so far this season. On offense, JU shot 40.7% from the field sparked on by a 3-4 showing by Bell.

Bell led all scorers at the break with eight points. The guard also added four rebounds, a steal and a block. Bell's block was one of seven blocks in the first half, joining Zimi Nwokeji, Jakari Spence, Chris Arias and three blocks from freshman Enrico Borio.

On both ends of the floor Jacksonville was able to dominate the boards, ending the game with a 47-36 rebounding margin. In the first half, JU led the rebounding battle 25-18. Nwokeji ripped down five boards himself followed by four rebounds each from Bell and Kendall Munson in the opending frame. 

Austin Peay was limited to just seven makes in the first 20 minutes after taking 32 shots. Jacksonville turned the Governors over eight times during that span, generating nine points. 

In the second half, it was still all JU as the Dolphins outscored the visitors 41-25 over the final 20 minutes of play.

Bell and McCray both finished with six rebounds but Nwokeji outpaced all players with nine boards. Nwokeji's nine rebounds tied a career-high set earlier this season against Virginia Tech.

Defensively, Borio was a stud and finished with a career-best four blocks. As a team, JU finished with 11 blocks. Fellow freshman Chris Arias ended his night with a pair of blocks. Offensively Borio was also a prominent force as the Brazilian national ended went a perfect 3-3 from the field and with seven points. He added three rebounds, all on the defensive side.

Freshman Kent Jackson buried both his 3-point attempts on the day, going a perfect 2-2 from the field. Tito Deng ended the game with a 3-point connection on his only shot of the contest.

COACH'S COMMENTS

"They do a great job of moving their pieces and getting their guys all over the floor," head coach Jordan Mincy said. "They do a great job also of spacing you out. We tried to let our biggest focus be on not letting them get to the free throw line and showing our hands and being active. Our guys capitalized on that game plan and did an awesome job. I was extremely proud. It was a whole team effort."

Game Notes

• The Dolphins shot well from three point range, knocking down five of 11 long range attempts.
• The Dolphins held the Governors to only 27.5 percent shooting from the field.
• Jacksonville's bench made an impact by scoring 22 points.
• Jacksonville cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 11 offensive boards in the game.
• Austin Peay connected on just 2-5 free throws for the game.

 
NEXT UP

The Dolphins will next hit the road for a pair of games, first starting against Bellarmine (3-12, 0-2). JU and the Knights will tip off on Thursday, Jan. 9 at 6:30 p.m. EST. Jacksonville will follow that game with a trip to Eastern Kentucky on Saturday, Jan. 11. Tip against the Colonels is set for 4 p.m. EST.