FINAL STATS

JACKSONVILLE – For the second-straight night, the smallest guy on the floor stepped up in a big way for the Jacksonville State men's basketball team, leading the Gamecocks to a 75-70 Ohio Valley Conference win over Eastern Kentucky.

Senior DeAndre Bray, the fourth-shortest player in Division I basketball at 5-foot-6, went 7-for-7 from behind the arc to lead all JSU scorers for the second consecutive game and just the second time in his 109-game career with the Gamecocks (11-11, 5-8 OVC). He ended the night just one trey shy of the school's Division I record, shining in a game that saw three JSU players record double-doubles.

Senior Jonathan Toles, sophomore Nick Murphy and freshmen Stephen Hall and Brandon Crawford each scored 11 to account for JSU's five players in double figures. Toles added a career-high 11 assists, while Murphy and Hall grabbed 11 and 10 boards, respectively, to become the first JSU trio to record a double-double in the same game since early in the 2006-07 season. The win was JSU's sixth over the Colonels (14-10, 7-6 OVC) in seven all-time meetings at Pete Mathews Coliseum and gave the Gamecocks back-to-back victories for the first time since early December.

JSU connected on a season-high 11 3-pointers in just 23 attempts (.478), thanks to Bray's big night. The Atlanta native set a school record and came up just shy of the OVC 3-point percentage record, which stands at 8-for-8. He had not hit more the two treys in a game this season until the last three outings, when he has made three, four and seven, respectively.

The Colonels were led by Josh Taylor's 21 points, thanks to a 4-for-7 effort from behind the arc. Mike Rose added 13, while Joshua Jones and Jorge Camacho each scored 11 to round out a group of four EKU players in double figures.

Both teams turned it over 11 times, but JSU took advantage and turned the Colonels' into a 19-8 advantage in points off turnovers. The Gamecocks also controlled the glass for the entire game before ending with a 37-28 advantage in the rebounds column.

Toles was 8-for-10 from the free throw line to pace a 14-for-20 (.700) team effort, while EKU outshot JSU from the floor by hitting 49 percent of its shots to the Gamecocks' 46 percent.

EKU built a five-point lead, its largest of the night, in the first five minutes, only to watch the Gamecocks go on a 16-4 run that put them up 22-15 at the halfway point of the opening half. They would lead by as many as eight before taking a 39-32 advantage into the locker room at the half. Bray had 12 points for JSU at intermission, while Taylor led the Colonels with 14.

The Colonels opened the second half with a10-2 run that put them back on top, 42-41 with 16:32 remaining, but the Gamecocks answered with a 19-3 spurt of their own that built a 60-45 with 7:35 on the clock.

EKU pulled to within four points at 68-64 in the final minute, but Jax State converted from the free throw line to seal the win.

The Gamecocks will close their three-game, five-day homestand on Monday at 7 p.m., when they play host to Tennessee State in a battle between a pair of teams battling for one of the final spots in the eight-team OVC Tournament field.