Jacksonville University’s men’s basketball team lost to Stetson University 67-62 in DeLand, Florida, on Wednesday night. The defeat marks the Dolphins’ fourth consecutive loss and drops their season record to 9-17 overall and 4-9 in conference play.
The game was the first of two meetings between Jacksonville and Stetson scheduled within a 15-day span. Four Jacksonville players scored in double figures. Jaylen Jones and Hayden Wood each tallied 14 points. Wood, a freshman, has now reached double-digit scoring in nine ASUN conference games this season. Jones also led the team with eight rebounds, setting a new personal best at Jacksonville and coming close to his first career double-double.
Donovan Rivers contributed 11 points, while Chris Arias added another 11 off the bench. Despite an early lead after the opening possession, Jacksonville trailed or was tied for most of the first half and entered halftime down by seven points at 33-26.
Stetson’s advantage grew to as much as 15 points during the first half. However, Jacksonville regained momentum in the second half, taking a brief lead when freshman guard Evan Sterck scored to put them ahead 47-46 with under nine minutes remaining. Wood later hit a three-pointer to give Jacksonville a 50-47 edge.
Late three-point shooting from Stetson ultimately decided the contest, handing Jacksonville its first loss to Stetson since the semifinals of the 2024 ASUN Tournament.
Jacksonville out-rebounded Stetson by grabbing 41 boards compared to Stetson’s 34 but struggled from beyond the arc, making only four of their twenty-two attempts. The team also committed 25 fouls—marking four straight games with more than twenty fouls—and has made more than five three-pointers just once over that stretch.
In rebounding efforts inside, Jason Thirdkill Jr. collected seven boards and Rivers had six. Chris Lockett Jr., despite being held scoreless in his 22 minutes on court, contributed six rebounds.
Jacksonville shot 36 percent from the field while Stetson shot at a higher rate of 46 percent. Both teams finished with nine turnovers; for Jacksonville, it was their lowest turnover total since recording seven against Lipscomb earlier this season.
The Dolphins will next face their local rival University of North Florida (UNF) on Saturday inside Swisher Gymnasium for what is known as the River City Rumble. Last year UNF won both matchups against Jacksonville; this time UNF enters Saturday’s game on a two-game losing streak. Tipoff is scheduled for February 14 at 4 p.m. EST.
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