FINAL STATS | PHOTO GALLERY
JACKSONVILLE – John Fraley and Austin Peay controlled the paint on Tuesday night in handing the Jacksonville State men's basketball team a 73-70 defeat and spoiling Senior Night at Pete Mathews Coliseum.
The Gamecocks (5-23, 3-14 Ohio Valley Conference) got a season-high 22 points and nine rebounds from senior
Nick Murphy in his Pete Mathews Coliseum finale, but it was the Governors (17-11, 11-5 OVC) and Fraley's 25 points and 12 boards that earned the win. APSU outrebounded JSU, 42-28, en route to a 18-3 advantage in second-chance points and its 16th win in 17 all-time meetings in the series.
Murphy, a native of Bronx, N.Y., was 9-for-15 from the floor to run his Division I record scoring total to 1,487, just eight points behind Keith McKellar for fourth on JSU's all-time list. His nine rebounds were one of JSU's bright spots in the paint, along with a Division I record seven blocks by senior
Sean Thurston. Also in his final home game for JSU, the Bloomington, Minn., native pushed his career total to 74 blocks and is just three shy of Rusty Brand in third place on that list.
The Gamecocks' other senior,
Jeremy Bynum scored 15 on the night by going 4-for-11 from the floor and 3-for-8 from behind the arc. Junior
Stephen Hall was the only other JSU player in double-figures with 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting.
Fraley used a career night to carry the Govs, who trailed the last nine minutes of the first half and the first six of the second half. One game removed from a career-best 21 points at Tennessee State on Saturday, Fraley went 9-for-10 from the floor and 7-for-11 from the charity stripe to best that mark by one point. His season-high 12 boards gave hiom his third double-double of the year.
Peay also got 14 apiece from Will Triggs and Tyshwan Edmondson, while Triggs added nine rebounds. The Govs also used a 40-18 advantage in points in the paint.
JSU put together a quick 10-0 run late in the first half that gave the Gamecocks a 36-26 lead, and they were able to carry that over into a 36-32 advantage at the half. They were able to stretch that advantage early in the second half, thanks to some of their hot shooting from behind the arc. JSU connected on 11 of its 21 attempts from outside on the night, including two in a stretch that saw them turn a two-point lead into a 44-35 advantage with 16:20 remaining in the game.
Peay scored the next nine to tie it two minutes later and reclaimed the lead for good on a Triggs free throw with 13:24 to play.
JSU will travel to Ypsilanti, Mich., this weekend for a non-conference game at Eastern Michigan. The matchup is part of the ESPNU BracketBusters event and will tip off at 3:30 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast live on the JSU Radio Network with
Mike Parris calling the action.