Monday, February 7
JACKSONVILLE
8 p.m.
Jax State
76
vs
73 (OT)
TENNESSEE STATE
2/7/2011 11:58:54 PM | Men's Basketball
FINAL STATS
JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State men's basketball team used a little magic on Monday night to rally for a thrilling 76-73 overtime win over Tennessee State in Ohio Valley Conference play.
The Gamecocks (5-20, 3-11 OVC) trailed by eight points with 2:30 remaining in regulation but mounted a rally that was capped by a Brian Williams 3-pointer with 2.9 seconds on the clock that sent the game into overtime. In the extra period, they forced the Tigers (11-13, 8-6 OVC) to turn it over three times in a 6-0 run that gave JSU a five-point lead it wouldn't give up.
Seven Gamecocks scored seven or more points, three in double figures, in the win, led by junior Stephen Hall's 14. The Birmingham, Ala., native was 5-for-6 from the floor and 4-for-5 from the free throw line, while grabbing a team-best seven rebounds. He was joined in double digits by senior Jeremy Bynum, who scored 10 first-half points before a drought saw him go scoreless until three key free throws in overtime gave the Oxford, Ala., native 13 for the night.
Senior Nick Murphy struggled from the floor but ended the night with 11 points, nine of which came after half time. Junior Leventrice Gray pitched in a career-high nine points despite going just 1-for-1 from the floor. The Birmingham, Ala., native and transfer from Gadsden State Community College was 7-for-9 from the free throw line. He was one board shy of his career high with six in the win. Juniors B.J. Miller and DeAndre' Bynum added eight and seven, respectively.
Williams, a freshman from Lawrenceville, Ga., scored nine but had the three biggest of the night. Trailing 60-57 after a Kenny Moore free throw with nine second to play in the second half, Williams took Murphy's inbounds pass and went the length of the floor before knocking down a contested trey from the left wing with 2.9 ticks on the clock.
The Gamecocks fought to get to that point, having to overcome a 9:50 drought without a field goal in the first half that fueled a 24-6 TSU run that closed the half. The spurt turned what was a 19-8 JSU lead with 14 minutes on the clock into a 32-25 Tiger lead at the intermission.
JSU battled throughout the second half but trailed the whole way until Williams' shot capped an 11-3 run over the final 2:24 that sent the game into overtime. Gray started the rally with a pair of free throws and missed the back end of a pair that was rebounded and put back by freshman Brice Jenkins to cut the TSU lead to 57-54 with 1:44 remaining.
Hall then made one of his two free throws to draw within two, but the Tigers' Robert Covington answered with one to stretch that advantage back to three at 58-55 with 43 seconds to play. The two teams exchanged turnovers and then swapped a pair of free throws, setting up Williams' tying shot.
The Gamecocks scored first in overtime on a pair of Gray charity shots with 4:29 to play that gave them their first lead since the 5:50 mark of the first half. The Tigers battled back to go up 64-63 on a Patrick Miller jumper with 2:17 on the clock.
The Gamecocks mounted their final rally, getting a tying free throw from Sean Thurston and then forcing three-straight turnovers that led to five unanswered points. TSU got two points on each of its next three possessions and three on its final one, but JSU was able to connect of seven of its final eight free throw attempts to hang on for the win.
TSU got 18 points and nine boards from Moore, while Covington pitched in 17 points and eight rebounds.
The victory was the seventh in nine tries over the Tigers in Pete Mathews Coliseum and snapped a two-game losing streak. More importantly, it was JSU's third in the last five games and kept its hopes alive for a spot in next month's OVC Tournament in Nashville.
The Gamecocks take to the road on Thursday, when they battle UT Martin in Martin, Tenn., at 7:30 p.m. They will then travel to Murray, Ky., for a Saturday date with Murray State at 7:30 p.m. before coming home for their final home game of the season on Feb. 15 against Austin Peay.
JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State men's basketball team used a little magic on Monday night to rally for a thrilling 76-73 overtime win over Tennessee State in Ohio Valley Conference play.
The Gamecocks (5-20, 3-11 OVC) trailed by eight points with 2:30 remaining in regulation but mounted a rally that was capped by a Brian Williams 3-pointer with 2.9 seconds on the clock that sent the game into overtime. In the extra period, they forced the Tigers (11-13, 8-6 OVC) to turn it over three times in a 6-0 run that gave JSU a five-point lead it wouldn't give up.
Seven Gamecocks scored seven or more points, three in double figures, in the win, led by junior Stephen Hall's 14. The Birmingham, Ala., native was 5-for-6 from the floor and 4-for-5 from the free throw line, while grabbing a team-best seven rebounds. He was joined in double digits by senior Jeremy Bynum, who scored 10 first-half points before a drought saw him go scoreless until three key free throws in overtime gave the Oxford, Ala., native 13 for the night.
Senior Nick Murphy struggled from the floor but ended the night with 11 points, nine of which came after half time. Junior Leventrice Gray pitched in a career-high nine points despite going just 1-for-1 from the floor. The Birmingham, Ala., native and transfer from Gadsden State Community College was 7-for-9 from the free throw line. He was one board shy of his career high with six in the win. Juniors B.J. Miller and DeAndre' Bynum added eight and seven, respectively.
Williams, a freshman from Lawrenceville, Ga., scored nine but had the three biggest of the night. Trailing 60-57 after a Kenny Moore free throw with nine second to play in the second half, Williams took Murphy's inbounds pass and went the length of the floor before knocking down a contested trey from the left wing with 2.9 ticks on the clock.
The Gamecocks fought to get to that point, having to overcome a 9:50 drought without a field goal in the first half that fueled a 24-6 TSU run that closed the half. The spurt turned what was a 19-8 JSU lead with 14 minutes on the clock into a 32-25 Tiger lead at the intermission.
JSU battled throughout the second half but trailed the whole way until Williams' shot capped an 11-3 run over the final 2:24 that sent the game into overtime. Gray started the rally with a pair of free throws and missed the back end of a pair that was rebounded and put back by freshman Brice Jenkins to cut the TSU lead to 57-54 with 1:44 remaining.
Hall then made one of his two free throws to draw within two, but the Tigers' Robert Covington answered with one to stretch that advantage back to three at 58-55 with 43 seconds to play. The two teams exchanged turnovers and then swapped a pair of free throws, setting up Williams' tying shot.
The Gamecocks scored first in overtime on a pair of Gray charity shots with 4:29 to play that gave them their first lead since the 5:50 mark of the first half. The Tigers battled back to go up 64-63 on a Patrick Miller jumper with 2:17 on the clock.
The Gamecocks mounted their final rally, getting a tying free throw from Sean Thurston and then forcing three-straight turnovers that led to five unanswered points. TSU got two points on each of its next three possessions and three on its final one, but JSU was able to connect of seven of its final eight free throw attempts to hang on for the win.
TSU got 18 points and nine boards from Moore, while Covington pitched in 17 points and eight rebounds.
The victory was the seventh in nine tries over the Tigers in Pete Mathews Coliseum and snapped a two-game losing streak. More importantly, it was JSU's third in the last five games and kept its hopes alive for a spot in next month's OVC Tournament in Nashville.
The Gamecocks take to the road on Thursday, when they battle UT Martin in Martin, Tenn., at 7:30 p.m. They will then travel to Murray, Ky., for a Saturday date with Murray State at 7:30 p.m. before coming home for their final home game of the season on Feb. 15 against Austin Peay.
Sunday, February 08
Saturday, January 24
Sunday, January 18
Thursday, January 08
