CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament: Jacksonville wins on the road at East Carolina

March 15, 2011

Jacksonville wins on the road at East Carolina

Box Score

Ayron Hardy and Travis Cohn were determined to not their careers at JU end without a little drama.

The two seniors combined to score 30 points, made numerous plays on both ends of the floor – with Hardy hitting a 3-pointer with 16 seconds left to force overtime and Cohn scoring a team-high 18 points as the Dolphins knocked off East Carolina, 71-66, in the first round of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.

Jacksonville (20-11) clinched its second straight 20-win season for the first time since 1974 and the Dolphins advanced in the postseason for the second straight year for the first time in program history.

“I’m really proud of our seniors, who both stepped up and made some big plays for us tonight,” said JU head coach Cliff Warren. “Our guys have fought so hard all season and they fought all night long tonight.”

After seeing Jontae Sherrod hit a step-back 3-pointer with 29 seconds left to give ECU (18-16) a 58-55 lead. On the ensuing possession, Cohn’s pass for Delwan Graham slipped through his hands and directly to Hardy, who coolly stepped behind the arc and drained the trey to force OT.

In overtime, the two teams swapped baskets before the Dolphins took control. The Dolphins scored five straight points to break a tie at 60, capping the spurt with a Tevin Galvin steal and dunk with 2:32 left.

The Pirates got the deficit to three, but JU’s defense stayed the story of the game, holding ECU to just 1-of-6 from the floor in the extra session as the Dolphins outscored the Pirates, 13-8, to pick up the win.

Four Dolphins finished in double figures, with Hardy scoring 12 points and pulling down a team-high eight rebounds. Keith McDougald and Tevin Galvin had 11 each off the bench for JU.

The Dolphins took a 27-26 lead at halftime after Erin Straughn hit a 3-pointer in the corner for ECU. JU led for more of the half and built an eight point lead with 2:20 left before the late surge by the Pirates.

Sherrod finished with a game-high 26 points, hitting four 3-pointers, including 18 in the second half and overtime. Darrius Morrow finished with his fourth straight double-double, scoring 16 points and 15 rebounds.

Jacksonville advances to the second round of the CIT and will await the results from tomorrow’s action before finding out its next opponent.