Box Score

EL PASO, Texas – The Jacksonville State men's basketball team stormed back from its Christmas break on Wednesday night by rolling past Arkansas-Pine Bluff 78-55 and into Thursday's championship game of the Bank of the West Don Haskins Invitational.

The Gamecocks (5-8) used an early 11-1 spurt to take an early lead and then coasted past the Lions (1-10) and into a matchup with Colorado State, who upended host UTEP earlier on Wednesday. The Lions and Miners will square off in Thursday's consolation game at 6:30 p.m. CT.

Four Gamecocks scored in double figures, led by sophomore Brian Williams' 15 points. The guard from Lawrenceville, Ga., scored 10 first-half points and five quick ones in the second half before resting the final several minutes of the games.

Freshman Darion Rackley scored a career-high 14 points, thanks in large part to a career-best four steals that set up points in transition. The St. Louis, Mo., native was 4-for-8 from the floor and 6-for-9 from the free throw line to account for his scoring.

Also in double figures was junior Tarvin Gaines, who scored 13 points in a return after missing the last two games with a concussion. The West Memphis, Ark., native came off of the bench to grab nine boards and pace JSU to a 49-37 advantage on the glass. Senior Stephen Hall pitched in 12 points in 21 minutes off of the bench.

The Lions got 18 from their leading scorer Savalace Townsend, but most of those came from the line and late, as JSU keyed in and held him to a 5-for-17 shooting night from the floor. JSU forced 19 Lion turnovers and committed just 10, turning that stat into a 23-7 advantage in points off turnovers.

The Lions scored the game's first four points, but the Gamecocks answered quickly with an 11-1 run that gave them the lead for good. They stretched it to as many as 13 and held UABP to just one field goal for a stretch of 11:30 at one point to build a 33-21 lead at the half.

Williams led all players with 10 points, while Hall's four boards led JSU to an eight-rebound advantage in the first half.

The two teams exchanged blows out of the gates in the second half before the Gamecocks used a 12-0 run that took just two minutes and gave them a 54-33 lead with 11:54 to play. They would continue to stretch it and led by as many as 31 at 72-41 with six minutes to play, tying for the second-largest lead in the James Green era at JSU.

The Gamecocks will play the Rams for the tournament title on Thursday. Airtime on the Gamecock Sports Network will be 8 p.m.