Senior guard Priscilla Williams took over as the Jacksonville women's basketball team defeated the Stetson Hatters 68-60 Thursday night. JU clinched its first conference win of the season and remained undefeated at Swisher Gymnasium.

The Dolphins (7-8, 1-2 ASUN) were led by Williams and a strong defensive performance. She grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds and had a career-high four blocks. Jacksonville's defense held Stetson under 36% from the field.

"This is what she's capable of doing, now we're just finding the consistency piece," head coach Special Jennings said about Williams. "She's a stat-sheet stuffer."

The Hatter held control of the opening minutes, racing to an 8-0 run. Stetson looked in complete control of the game at the end of the first quarter break. The visitors went into the timeout leading 15-4.

But Jacksonville, back at home for the first time in over a month, found its feet on Swisher's familiar hardwood. The Dolphins raced back into the game early in the second, with freshman Comari Mitchell capping a 15-4 run with a two-pointer to tie the game.

JU continued to dominate momentum in the second quarter. The Dolphins crushed the Hatter 27-5 in the second period to blow the game wide open and take a double-digit lead at the half.

Stetson wouldn't go down quietly, however. The Hatters battled early in the third and pulled the game within two scores halfway through the period. But Jacksonville never wavered.

Behind the clutch play of Williams and a spirited team effort, the Dolphins never surrendered the lead in the second half.

With Stetson trying to come back in the final moments, the Hatters put Jacksonville on the free-throw line to close out the game. Williams and Mitchell showed their cool in the clutch, hitting six free throws in the final minutes to close out the win.

Game Notes

• Jacksonville moves to 5-0 at Swisher Gymnasium this season, including wins over in-state opponents Florida A&M and Stetson.
• The Dolphins dominated on the glass, leading 36-25. Jacksonville had seven more offensive rebounds.
• The bench unit, led by Mitchell, outscored the Hatters bench 30-18.
• Jacksonville got out and ran, scoring 14 points in transition.

Head Coach Special Jennings
"We had a great week of practice. Tonight, I thought that we stuck together. We started off slow, but I'm proud of how they came together. When you're in a losing streak, it's like that dark cloud over you. 

We've had injuries, we don't have our full roster right now, but I'm  so proud of our efforts tonight. We shared the ball, we got out and ran, we were aggressive and we made plays."

Up Next
The Dolphins will face preseason ASUN favorites Florida Gulf Coast in a marquee Saturday showcase. Tip-off at Swisher Gymnasium is scheduled for 2:00 PM.