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JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville State rebounded from a slow start in an attempt to knock off Austin Peay, but the Gamecocks' bid fell short in a 56-53 setback on Thursday at Pete Mathews Coliseum in Ohio Valley Conference action.

After trailing by as many as 16 points in the opening half and a 13-point deficit at halftime, a rejuvenated JSU squad stormed out of the second half gates the contest en route to an exciting finish. Trailing 40-30 at the 14:20 mark, Jax State went on an 11-2 scoring run to get within a point at 42-41 on a Danielle Benby jumper with 9:40 left in the contest. The effort on the offensive end began with the Gamecock defense as it forced the Lady Govs into 16 second half turnovers. After APSU survived the first Gamecock scoring surge, it pushed the lead back out to nine points on two occasions, including a 54-45 advantage with 2:43 left on the game clock. JSU had a chance to match APSU with just 20 seconds left, but Beneby knocked down the front end of a two free throw opportunity. After Jax State forced the 24th Lady Gov turnover of the contest, the Gamecocks had multiple chances in the lane to take the lead as time was winding down. APSU's Whitney Hanley drained a pair of free throws to secure APSU's escape from Jacksonville with a win.

The lethargic start to the contest dug JSU in the hole in which it had to climb out of in the second half. APSU turned in a 23-8 scoring run over the final 12:35 of the opening half to build its double digit lead. JSU went over six minutes without a basket which aided the run. Jax State, which trailed 31-18 at intermission, hit just 7-of-27 shots from the field, while APSU connected on 46 percent from the field and took advantage of 12 JSU miscues in the half.

JSU hindered itself at the free throw line as it finished 11-of-23 from the charity stripe. The Red and White drew a blank from beyond the 3-point arc as it went 0-for-9 in the affair.

Beneby and Brittany Manning single-handily guided JSU back into the contest as both shared game-high scoring honors with 18 points each. Both finished with 13 points in the second half. Beneby, from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., also registered her third double-double of season with 12 rebounds, seven coming in the final half. Sophomore Danielle Vaughn nearly posted a double-double with a 10-point, nine-rebound outing. Junior Brittany Wiley, who returned to the floor after missing the last two games, finished with five points.

Hanley and Jasmine Rayner finished with 14 points each to lead the Lady Govs.

The Gamecocks look to end the home season on a high note as they return to the floor on Saturday, Feb. 19 against Tennessee State. Prior to the 2 p.m. tip off, JSU will honor its two departing seniors – Beneby and Candice Carmine along with senior manager Drew Hall. The game will also be televised by the Wazoo Network.