JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Interstat) — Kenyon Goodin scored 24 points and Bellarmine executed with precision down the stretch to secure a 77-70 road victory over Jacksonville in an ASUN Conference men’s basketball game on Thursday night at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena.

In a contest defined by offensive efficiency rather than defensive stops, the visiting Knights shot 53.8% from the field and a blistering 52.9% from three-point range to overcome a Jacksonville team that was perfect from the free-throw line. The win snapped a two-game skid for Bellarmine and improved its record to 7-12 overall. Jacksonville fell to 7-13.

The most important part of the game arrived in the final four minutes, with Bellarmine clinging to a narrow lead. After Jacksonville’s Hayden Wood, who led the Dolphins with 21 points, hit a three-pointer to cut the Knights’ advantage to 61-58 with 4:21 remaining, Bellarmine responded with a decisive 7-0 run. Goodin, a 6-foot-3 guard from Shelbyville, Kentucky, calmly sank two free throws. On the ensuing possession, Sam Donald of Bellarmine connected on a crucial three-pointer off an assist from Jack Karasinski. Karasinski then followed with a putback layup, pushing the lead to 68-58 with 2:26 left and effectively sealing the outcome.

Jacksonville, which had entered the game as a 3.5-point favorite according to sportsbooks, could not mount a final rally. The Dolphins missed critical three-point attempts in the closing minutes, and Bellarmine’s steady ball-handling and free-throw shooting, going 12 for 14 from the line, prevented any comeback.

The game was a study in contrasting efficiencies. Bellarmine scored 77 points on just 63 possessions, an elite offensive rating of 122.9, fueled by their hot shooting and a mere nine turnovers. Jacksonville was efficient in its own right, posting a 114.6 offensive rating and making all 17 of its free-throw attempts, but could not keep pace with the Knights’ shot-making, finishing 7 of 21 from beyond the arc.

Goodin’s game-high 24 points came on 7-of-12 shooting, including 4 of 7 from three-point range. He added five rebounds in 35 minutes. He was supported by a balanced Knights attack. Karasinski, a 6-7 forward from Grand Rapids, Michigan, scored 14 points and dished out four assists. Brian Waddell of Carmel, Indiana, added 13 points, and Tyler Doyle from Lexington, Kentucky, chipped in 10 points and a game-high seven assists.

For Jacksonville, Wood’s 21 points included five three-pointers. Jason Thirdkill, a 6-7 forward from Detroit, provided 17 points, and Allen Udemadu, a 6-10 center from Lagos, Nigeria, contributed 12 points off the bench. The Dolphins’ Evan Sterck of St. Louis tallied seven points and four assists.

The first half was a tightly contested affair, featuring 10 lead changes. Bellarmine used an early 9-0 run to build a small cushion, but Jacksonville answered with a 10-2 spurt of its own, highlighted by three-pointers from Wood and Evan Sterck. The Knights took a slim 38-37 lead into halftime after a back-and-forth period where neither team led by more than six points.

Bellarmine opened the second half with purpose, scoring the first four points to extend its lead. Jacksonville stayed within striking distance, largely through the interior play of Udemadu and the perimeter shooting of Wood, but could never reclaim the lead. The Knights’ consistent offensive execution, particularly their 9-of-17 shooting from deep, provided a constant answer to every Dolphins push.

The victory was a significant one for Bellarmine, which had lost five of its last six games entering the night. According to Interstat’s ELO system, Jacksonville had been projected with an 83.6% probability to win. The combined score of 147 points went over the sportsbook over/under line of 140.5.

An announced crowd of 762 attended the game at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena.

Bellarmine continues its Florida road trip at North Florida on Saturday. Jacksonville will host Eastern Kentucky on Saturday.