CONWAY, S.C. — The Jacksonville Dolphins were once again led by dynamic freshmen stars, but it wasn't enough Wednesday night as JU fell 89-78 to the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers in the final leg of a season opening three-game road trip.
The Dolphins (1-2) were led by a dynamic duo of freshmen, guard
Coco Rudolph and
J'Niya Weaver. Rudolph led the team with 24 points, shooting a blistering 5-8 from three-point range. Weaver was right behind her in the score column, recording a season-high 22 points while shooting 4-5 from long range.
Sophomore
Aniah Smith continued her strong start to the season, as well. She finished with 15 points and a team-high four assists.
The Chanticleers built a sizable advantage early in the game, taking a 31-12 lead after the first quarter. After that slow start, the Dolphins woke up in a major way in the second quarter. JU hit three triples in the second and shot 6-7 from the free throw line as the offense started to find a rhythm. More importantly was the defensive improvement, as the Dolphins held CCU to 17 points on 5-13 shooting.
Jacksonville's momentum became an avalanche in the third quarter. Smith and Weaver scored seven points each, while JU held the hosts to just 14 points. With the 10-point swing in the third quarter, the Dolphins pulled the game within single figures, 62-55.
Despite pulling all the way back to cut the deficit to seven, Jacksonville couldn't close the final gap in the fourth quarter. Rudolph and Weaver combined for 21 points in the fourth quarter alone, but the Chanticleer offense found new life to close out the game. Coastal shot 75% from the field in the fourth en route to an 11-point victory.
Game Notes
- Through three games, Weaver is averaging a team-best 17.7 PPG.
- Three of JU's five freshmen have now scored 20 points in a game this season: Weaver, Rudolph and Samirah Mamoudou.
- Rudolph's 24 points are the most by a JU player in a game this season.
- Jacksonville forced 12 CCU turnovers, scoring 13 points off turnovers.
Up Next
The Dolphins return to the friendly confines of Swisher Gymnasium for the first time this season as they host Warner this Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 PM, and the Dolphins will celebrate their 2025-26 ASUN Tournament Championship with a ring ceremony and banner unveiling before the game at 1:30 PM.
