Gamecocks Fall In Season Opener at Alabama - Jacksonville State University Athletics

Sunday, November 11

Tuscaloosa, AL

2 p.m.

Jax State

0-1

Alabama

1-0

Team	1	2	F
Jacksonville State	16	27	43
Alabama	34	46	80

11/11/2012 4:29:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Jacksonville State women's basketball team dropped its season opener to Alabama, 80-43, on Sunday afternoon in Foster Auditorium on the UA campus.

A sluggish start by the Gamecocks proved to be the difference in the contest as the Crimson Tide built a 20-point, 27-7 lead by the midway point of the opening half. UA took advantage of JSU 17 first half turnovers and turned them into points on the offensive end of the floor. JSU sophomore Candace Morton scored six of her final nine points total in the first half. The Lexington, Ky.-guard shared team-high scoring honors with senior Amanda McCarthy. McCarthy knocked down nine free throws, including eight in the final 20 minutes. Sophomore Marikate Gardler came off the bench to spark the Gamecocks with four rebounds and a basket in the first half and added two more points in the second half.

The slow start to the half continued after intermission as Jax State did not hit its first basket until the 15:35 mark of the half on a Brian Morrow shot. The Gamecocks only connected on 5-of-20 from the field in the second half, but posted 16 points from the free throw line

JSU held a plus-eight edge in the rebounding category after 20 minutes and went on to pull down 48 rebounds, while UA finished with 47. The Crimson Tide forced 38 JSU turnovers and tallied 33 points on the offensive end of the floor. UA also had the advantage in the paint by out-scoring JSU 33-12.

UA used a balanced attack in its season debut by playing 14 of the 15 players on the roster in the first half alone. UA had two players in double figures in the scoring column, led by Shafontaye Myers' 19 points off the bench. Meghan Perkins finished with 15 points.
Jax State played ten players with seven etching their names in the scoring column. Morrow, the Gamecocks' leading scorer a season ago, tallied eight points and a team-high nine rebounds. In her first action in a JSU uniform, freshman Peyton Hisel drew the start in the post and turned in seven points before fouling out of the contest. Freshmen Sydney Brown and Dareyelle Avant added three points each. Avant knocked down Jax State's lone three-pointer of the contest late in the game.

Jax State continues its season-opening road trip on Wednesday, Nov. 14 in Atlanta, Ga. against Georgia State. Tip off is set for 6 p.m. CST and can be heard on the Gamecock Sports Network with Mike Parris describing all the action.