JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Interstat) — Two ASUN Conference men’s basketball teams seeking momentum will meet Thursday when the Jacksonville Dolphins host the Bellarmine Knights at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena.

Both squads enter with nearly identical records, as Bellarmine sits at 6-12 overall and Jacksonville at 7-12. The matchup represents a critical opportunity for either team to gain traction in the league standings during a tightly packed midseason stretch.

The Knights are looking to halt a two-game skid, most recently falling 89-69 at Eastern Kentucky on Saturday. Bellarmine has shown resilience, however, including an overtime victory over Central Arkansas on Jan. 8. A key to their hopes will be forward Brian Waddell, who has been a consistent offensive force. Waddell is averaging 16.2 points per game over his last six contests, including a 31-minute, 15-point effort in the loss to Eastern Kentucky and a 20-point performance against North Alabama on Jan. 10.

Jacksonville arrives with confidence after a dominant 90-68 road win at North Alabama last Saturday. The Dolphins’ offense was fueled by a career-high 25 points from guard Hayden Wood. Wood’s recent surge has been notable; he has averaged 17.5 points over his last two games after a quieter stretch in early January. His scoring punch will be vital for a Dolphins team that has struggled with consistency, sandwiching the win over North Alabama between a narrow loss to Central Arkansas and a lopsided defeat to Queens (N.C.).

Defensive execution will likely be a deciding factor. Bellarmine has allowed an average of 84.3 points in its last three losses, while Jacksonville’s two most recent wins have come when holding opponents under 70 points.

The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. EST tip-off on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. For Bellarmine, it is the start of a two-game Florida road swing before returning home to face West Georgia. Jacksonville continues a brief homestand, preparing to host Eastern Kentucky on Saturday.