JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Dolphins cemented last season's historic Atlantic Sun Championship with the presentation of their championship rings and the unveiling of newly minted "2026" on the championship banners in the rafters of Swisher Gymnasium.
But JU also celebrated the future, putting another foot forward towards its next ASUN crown with a 81-40 win over Warner.
The Dolphins were led by a trio of double-digit scorers. Sophomore
Aniah Smith led the pack with 14 points, while freshmen
Samirah Mamoudou (13 points) and
Coco Rudolph (11 points) followed in tow.
More than their balanced scorers, Jacksonville was tenacious defensively, tallying 25 steals. Smith led the way with five swipes of her own, while five different Dolphins recorded at least three takeaways.
JU jumped out to an early lead, taking an 8-2 lead after a fast-break layup from sophomore
Tatum Brown. Mamoudou was hot early, tying for a team-best six points on a perfect 3-for-3 shooting from the field.
Smith led the charge in the second, scoring a pair of buckets to spearhead the team. JU outscored the Royals by 13 in the second, propelling them to a 45-21 lead at halftime.
Mamoudou scored a pair, but the Dolphins slowed down on offense out of the break. The defense was good as ever, holding Warner to 5-for-12 shooting and forcing seven turnovers to keep a 26-point advantage into the final period.
Jacksonville ended with its most dominant quarter yet, holding the Royals to just five points. Freshman
McKenzie Lewis caught fire, scoring six of her nine points in the fourth.
Game Notes
- This is Smith's second career game with at least five steals and eighth with at least three steals.
- Smith is the only player to score in double figures in all four games this season.
- The Dolphins have made at least 21 free throws in three of four games this season.
- Jacksonville is undefeated in home openers under head coach Special Jennings (4-0).
Head Coach Special Jennings
On Championship Ceremony
"It was great to be able to receive our rings in front of the very people that are always here to cheer us on. Thank you to everyone that came out to support us today, it was fun. I was excited to see the new group of young ladies embrace the young ladies that were here last year and see that. It's also great because it's inspiration and motivation for us to go and do it again."
On Saturday's Performance
"Offensively, the ball was going in the basket finally. THe last two games, we struggled to finish around the basket. We've missed shots that normally we make, and today it was good to see the ball go in the basket."
Up Next
The Dolphins will have six days off before another home game, this time against local foes the Trinity College of Jacksonville Eagles Friday night at 6:30 PM.
