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JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State men's basketball team built an early lead and never looked back on Monday night, when the Gamecocks earned a 77-61 exhibition win over West Georgia at Pete Mathews Coliseum.

Newcomers Jay-R Strowbridge and Trenton Marshall combined for 35 points to lead four JSU players in double figures in the win. Strowbridge, a Huntsville, Ala., native and transfer from Nebraska, led all scorers with 19 points on a 6-for-9 shooting night that saw him go 3-for-5 from behind the arc. He also dished four assists, while grabbing three rebounds and three steals in his first action in a JSU uniform.

Marshall, a 6-foot-5 Garyville, La., native that joins the Gamecocks from Jones Junior College in Mississippi, scored 16 in his first game in a JSU uniform. He was 7-of-18 from the floor to go along with seven boards.

Forward Amadou Mbodji added 10 points in just 18 minutes of action that was limited by early foul trouble, but the 6-foot-10 senior also pulled in six boards, four offensive, and blocked three shots. Sophomore Stephen Hall came off of the bench to pitch in 10 points and nine boards for second-year head coach James Green.

The Gamecocks scored the game's first nine points and never trailed, holding off a few UWG charges that led to two ties in the first half. JSU connected on 11 of its 12 attempts from the charity stripe and outrebounded the Wolves, 49-41.

Mbodji was 4-for-6 from the floor in his limited action, while Hall made five of his nine attempts from the field to help a JSU offense that shot 45 percent to West Georgia's 34 percent night from the field.

West Georgia was led by John Pringle and Vojin Svilar, who scored 13 apiece, and Justin Cummings and Gavin Field, who added 11 and 10 points, respectively. Pringle led the Wolves' effort on the glass, pulling down seven rebounds.

The Gamecocks will open the 2009-10 regular season on Saturday, when they host West Alabama at 4:30 p.m. at Pete Mathews Coliseum. The game will be broadcast on the JSU Radio Network with Mike Parris calling the action.