Box Score

Final Stats

JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State women's basketball team dropped its Ohio Valley Conference opener to Eastern Kentucky in overtime, 80-76, on Tuesday night at Pete Mathews Coliseum.

JSU falls to 3-10 overall and suffered its first defeat on the home floor this season.  EKU improved to 5-6 on the season and with the game kicking off the conference season, the Lady Colonels sit atop the league standings with the first win of the year.  The overtime match up was the first for JSU since last year at Morehead State – an 81-80 win.

Free throws were key for both squads in the game as EKU sealed the win at the charity stripe by scoring the last seven points in the extra session from the free throw line.  EKU's Raechele Gray sent the contest into overtime by hitting the back end of a two-shot opportunity with 2.7 seconds left in regulation. 

EKU finished 20-of-24 from the free throw line, while JSU connected on 13-of-17 from the line.

In a tightly contested contest from the opening tip, it featured ten lead changes and seven ties. JSU took its largest lead of the affair with 2:52 left in regulation at 64-60 after a Destiny Lane jumper.  After an EKU trey and a layup by Gray that gave the Maroon and White a 65-64 lead with 25 seconds left, Jax State freshman Candace Morton was sent to the free throw line for a pair with 12 tics left on the clock.  The Lexington, Ky.-native knocked both down to give the Game Gamecocks a 66-65 lead before Gray's free throw at the end of regulation.

In overtime, JSU matched its largest lead of the contest at 70-66 as it scored the first four points of the extra period.  Gray, who finished with 18 points, knocked down a three-pointer and Marie Carpenter connected on a pair of free throws to give EKU the lead at 72-70 and eventually sealed the game at the charity stripe.

JSU started slowly from the get-go as the Lady Colonels jumped out to its largest lead of the game at 16-8 at the 12:23 mark of the opening half.  The Gamecocks started to get stops on the defensive end of the floor and turned those stops into points as they went on a 17-8 scoring run over the next six minutes and overcome the eight-point deficit to take a 25-24 lead with 6:03 left.  JSU pushed the lead out to three points and would take a 32-31 lead into the halftime break.  It was just the third time this season the Red and White held the lead at intermission.

EKU had a quick start to the second half to regain the lead and take a seven-point, 52-45 lead at the 12:26 mark of the half.  JSU posted a run of its own to even the game at 52-52 at the midway point of the second period.  From that point on, it was a back and forth contest.

Jax State had three players register double figures in the scoring column.  Morton and freshman Briana Morrow finished with 19 points each.  The 19 points for Morton is a season-best as her previous best was a 13-point outing at Kennesaw State.  She was 6-of-16 from the field and 7-of-8 from the free throw line in 39 minutes of action.  Morrow, who was named the league's Freshman of the Week earlier on Tuesday, hit 9-of-16 from the field and led JSU in rebounds with eight.  The Nashville, Tenn.-native has now scored in double digits in seven of the last eight games.  Morrow was also credited with a trio of assists.  Lane finished with her second double-double of the season and fourth of her career with 11 points and 10 rebounds.  Brittany Manning added eight points, while Danielle Vaughn and Miranda Cantrell pitched in six points.

EKU's Carpenter and Alex Jones tallied 15 points each, while Jade Barber registered 13 points.

The Gamecocks will break for the Christmas holiday and will return to campus on Dec. 26 to prepare for their final non-conference contest of the year on Dec. 28 against Georgia State.  Tip off is set for 7 p.m. at Pete Mathews Coliseum.  Tickets will be available at the door for $1.