JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Dolphins (9-14, 4-6 ASUN) men's basketball team travels to Charlotte, North Carolina, to take on Queens University at Curry Arena on Thursday.
This marks the second meeting this season between the Dolphins and the Royals. In the previous matchup this season, the Royals defeated the Dolphins 77-51 at Swisher Gymnasium, the first time Queens won at Jacksonville in series history. It also represented the biggest margin of victory in the series to date. In the first four games of the series, the average margin of victory was only seven points.
Last Week
Jacksonville wrapped up its longest home stand of the season last week, splitting games against Lipscomb and FGCU after a win over EKU and loss to Bellarmine.
Last Thursday, Jacksonville earned a 70-65 win over top seeded Lipscomb in a game the Dolphins led from start to finish, though not without challenges. After building a 20-point lead early in the second half, the Dolphins weathered a relentless 18-0 run by the Bisons. Lipscomb trimmed the deficit to single digits four more times, but Jacksonville never surrendered the lead.
Donovan Rivers led Jacksonville with his second straight 17-point game, matching his career high in scoring he set five days earlier against Eastern Kentucky. He also grabbed a game-high nine rebounds versus Lipscomb, marking the second time in conference play he has finished one rebound shy of a double-double.
On Saturday, the Dolphins struggled offensively against FGCU, managing only 49 points, their lowest total since December 2022 against Notre Dame and their fewest in ASUN play since a January 2022 match with Liberty.
Freshmen Hayden Wood and Evan Sterck led the Dolphins against the Eagles combining for 19 points, nearly 40% of the team's scoring, and 10 rebounds.
Jacksonville shot just 1-for-17 (5.9%) from three-point range on Saturday. The last time the Dolphins shot that low from deep was the 2018 season opener against FAMU, when they also went 1-for-17.
Royals By The Numbers
Queens leads the conference in total offense this season, averaging 83.4 points per game. They rank second in the ASUN in field goal percentage (47.2%) and fifth in three-point percentage (35.2%). In their 10 conference games, the Royals have increased their shooting rates to 47.7% from the field and 35.5% from beyond the arc.
Queens ranks third in both total rebounds and combined opponent rebounds in conference play. They lead the ASUN in rebounding margin at +3.6, just ahead of Jacksonville's +3.4 margin.
With one of the most balanced scoring attacks of any ASUN team, the Royals currently have six players scoring double figures in conference play. The six players with 10 or more points are Jordan Watford (13.7), Yoav Berman (13.0), Avantae Parker (12.8), Carson Schwieger (12.5), Chris Ashby (11.1) and Nasir Mann (10.4).
The Royals started ASUN play undefeated, going 7-0 and sitting atop the league standings. Since then, they have succumbed to a three-game losing streak against West Georgia, Central Arkansas and Bellarmine, including two of their lowest-scoring games of conference play in the last three games.
Queens is 8-1 at home this season, and currently averages 93.8 points on their home court. The fewest points the Royals have been held to this season at home during conference play is 81, and Jacksonville has not allowed a single 80-point game to any ASUN team.
More About Us
The Dolphins own the ASUN's top scoring defense, holding conference opponents to just 68.3 points per game. Jacksonville also ranks sixth in opponent field goal percentage, limiting teams to 45.9%.
Allen Udemadu has provided a spark for the Dolphins in recent weeks. After scoring just 25 points in his first 13 games, the senior from Nigeria has tallied 39 points over his last five games, an average of 7.8 per contest, including back-to-back season highs of 12 points against North Alabama and Bellarmine.
Despite significant offseason roster changes, Jacksonville remains one of the nation's deepest teams. The Dolphins rank 21st nationally in bench points per game and lead the ASUN with 31.7 bench points per contest.
Jacksonville ranks among the league leaders in blocked shots, averaging 3.4 per game. Jason Thirdkill Jr. has been instrumental, ranking seventh in the ASUN at just under one block per game. His defensive presence has made it tough for opponents to score inside, and he stands top-20 in the conference in total rebounds.
Jaylen Jordon is coming off one of his best performances as a Dolphin, scoring 2-of-4 from the field against FGCU and extending his scoring streak to five games. He played a season-high 23 minutes and led Jacksonville with eight rebounds, tying for the game high. Jordon has provided coach Jordan Mincy with valuable depth in the frontcourt.
