JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Behind a career scoring night from sophomore guard
Hayden Wood, the Jacksonville Dolphins defeated the University of Missouri-Kansas City, 79-61, in the first ever meeting between the two programs.
Jacksonville improved to 2-1 and 2-0 inside Swisher Gymnasium following the win.
Wood was the story of the game with a career-high 26 points, surpassing his previous career high of 25 hit twice in ASUN play during his freshman campaign. At the halftime break, Wood had 20 points all to himself. As for the visitors, they had just 20 as a team.
The Preseason All-ASUN honoree went 6-12 in the opening frame, matching the entire shooting output from UMKC. He had a trio of made 3-pointers compared to just one make from deep for the Roos. He scored Jacksonville's first eight straight points behind a pair of 3-point makes.
By game's end, Wood led all scorers on his own mother's birthday. He finished 7-15 from the field and 9-9 from the charity stripe in a game that featured 69 total free throws. The sophomore from Arkansas also added a team-high six rebounds, just one shy of his career best.
Regarding free throws, Jacksonville had another solid showing at the line, going 22-32 at the stripe. JU has missed just 15 free throws all season and is shooting a combined 72.7% from the line.
Adding to the big offensive night, guard
Jamie Phillips Jr. scored 18 points with 14 coming in the second half. In all three games this season, Phillips and Wood have hit double-digits in scoring.
Guards
Evan Sterck and
Caleb Williams added eight points and six points respectively. Big man
Nehemiah Turner scored 10 of his own for his second double-digit game as a Dolphin. Turner played a season-high 18:09 shooting 50% from the field.
Down low, Jacksonville won the rebounding battle 34-28. Behind Wood's six boards,
James Morrow added five. Phillips and Sterck each added four. Morrow scored just two points from two shots at the line but finished as the game's highest graded player in +/- with a +22 finish. His five rebounds were his best in three-games as a Dolphin.
Forward
Jaden Newell scored his first points as a 'Phin, finishing with three points to go along with three rebounds for the former Georgia transfer.
Jacksonville went into the halftime break up 36-20, holding UMKC to its lowest halftime scoring output of the season. That lead ballooned to a game-high 24 with under 11 minutes to go in the second half. Jacksonville led for all but 18 seconds of the game.
The Jacksonville defense stepped up in a big way on home court by holding UMKC to its tied for worst scoring output of the season. UMKC finished with its season lows in field goal makes, 3-point makes and rebounds. Twenty-seven of UMKC's points came from the free throw line which accounted for 44% of the team's total scoring output.
Four of JU's freshman class appeared against the Roos.
Lyndell Buckingham Jr. led the way with 9:47 played. He scored three points to go along with three rebounds. Center
Sam Mbingazo started his third consecutive game and grabbed a rebound in almost nine full minutes played.
Jacksonville had a season-low six turnovers against the Roos, the team's second straight game with under 10 turnovers.
The Dolphins next turn their attention to Athens, Ga. as the team prepares to take on the Bulldogs. Jacksonville and UGA square off on Monday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. on SEC Network. The Bulldogs are off to a 3-0 start, recently defeating FGCU by eight points on Monday night.
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