Clay County Times

Jacksonville University recently issued the following announcement.

Jacksonville University men's basketball battled UCF to the brink, falling 63-54 on Tuesday night at Addition Financial Arena.

The Dolphins (2-1) led for almost eight more minutes in the game, but the Knights used a strong final few minutes to separate and put away the upstart JU squad.

"I was proud of our guys' effort, they gave it all they got," said Head Coach Jordan Mincy. "I'm disappointed, but not sad with the loss. We have to get better.

"Now we have eight days to iron out some of those mistakes."

The game started with a shot-clock beating three-pointer by George Pridgett, which was a harbinger of a good shooting night to come for JU. After Jordan Davis hit a three to make it 6-0, UCF rallied to take a 7-6 lead at the first media timeout. This was one of 10 first half lead changes as the teams battled back and forth throughout.

The bench played a large part in the night's success. Trailing 15-12 just over halfway through the first half, Gyasi Powell checked in and swished his first career three-pointer as a Dolphin to tie it. A few minutes later, Tommy Bruner converted a UCF turnover into a fast-break layup to push the JU lead to four, 19-15. Rod Brown hit a jumper in the paint, Powell canned another three and Brown followed a few minutes later with a put-back layup to give the Dolphins a 26-17 advantage with 4:24 left in the first.

UCF closed the first half on a 12-2 run to take a one-point, 29-28 lead, into the break.

The Knights continued its hot run to start the second, scoring the seven of the first nine points of the half to build the lead to five two sperate times. Davis hit consecutive layups and Osayi Osifo turned a Bryce Workman steal into two to tie it at 38 with 13:45 left.

The lead changed hands a few times over the next several minutes until Davis hit another three to put JU up three, then fed Bruner on a fast break for a layup in transition. UCF tied it at 46 with 7:48 to play, but Bruner sank another big three to put JU in front again moments later.

After the Knights tied it at 51, Bruner connected on his third three of the night to put JU in front one final time, 54-51. After a layup by UCF brought it to one, a multiple-chance possession for UCF ended with a three to put them ahead for good. UCF closed the game on a 12-0 run.

Original source can be found here.