The men’s basketball team ended their season with a loss against the Jacksonville University Dolphins, 79-69, in the ASUN Conference tournament on March 3.

The Bears never found the lead during the game at Swisher Stadium in Florida.

“They hit threes and got to a little lead, and from that point on it was just kind of back and forth,” coach Anthony Boone said. 

The Dolphins started with a 4-point lead before UCA’s graduate student forward Jared Chatham responded with a 3-pointer. Chatham had been busy in the first three minutes of the game leading up to the 3-pointer, having made two offensive rebounds, one block and one foul. 

Chatham then assisted junior Eddy Kayouloud in a 3-pointer to keep up with the Dolphins.

The Dolphins ended the first half ahead by 11, at a score of 44-33. During the first half, the Bears saw the Dolphins pull ahead by 14 points at times. But the second half is where the Bears found smaller gaps and got close to claw at the Dolphins.

“We never really could get close enough. They could never really pull away from us. It was a little bit frustrating. At times it felt like we were down more than we were, just because we had to work so hard to cut it to 10, cut it to nine, or cut it to eight or seven when we did at times,” Boone said. 

The Bears cut the Dolphins to a 5-point lead a couple of times during the final few minutes of the game. Two good free throws from junior guard/forward Darious Hall and a good jumper from Kayouloud were the scoring moments that brought the Bears so close. Hall led UCA in scoring with 18 points, Kayouloud was close behind with 17 points.

From the 5-point lead, the Dolphins then pulled away with a free throw from redshirt sophomore forward Mike Marsh and four free throws from redshirt junior guard Kevion Nolan.

The Dolphins beat the Bears for a 15-0 record on their home court in Florida. Boone said, “Jacksonville is a very good basketball team, and we were attempting to do something that no one else had been able to do this season — win in their gym, where they have been very tough to play against.”

The Bears were coming from a win at home against Stetson University. It was a close win at 74-73.

“It’s a difficult task,” Boone said about his team having to turn around from a home game and play in Florida two days later. “I’ve got a great group. I’m very fortunate to have the guys I have, and they have handled everything well.”

The game was the last of Chatham’s career at UCA, ending the game at Jacksonville with 15 points.

Jacksonville University went on to beat the Jacksonville State Gamecocks in Alabama on Saturday, March 5. The Dolphins next played Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky, on Tuesday, March 8.