Box Score

LORMAN, Miss. – The Jacksonville State men's basketball team had four players score in double figures on a day where it escaped with a 56-52 road win at Alcorn State in non-conference play.

All but nine of JSU's 56 points came from a quartet that was led by senior Ronnie Boggs' 14 points. The Kansas City, Kan., native scored 10 in the second half for the Gamecocks (6-2). He also grabbed a game-high eight rebounds. JSU's hot start to the 2012-13 season ties the 2008-09 and 2002-03 teams for the best start in the program's 18-year Division I history. The Braves fall to 2-6 on the year.

Senior Tarvin Gaines scored the Gamecocks' first eight points and didn't score again until early in the second half but ended the game with 12 points. Junior Brian Williams added 11 points, seven in the first half, while sophomore Darion Rackley's two clutch free throws with 2.5 seconds left put the game on ice and gave him 10 points in the game.

The win helps JSU improve to 4-1 all-time against the Braves and 2-1 in Lorman. The series had been on hold since four meetings in two years between 2002 and 2003.

JSU overcame a cold shooting night that saw the Gamecocks make just 19-of-60 attempts, a .317 shooting percentage. The Braves shot it a little better, connecting on 38 percent of their 55 attempts. JSU won the game from the free throw line, where the Gamecocks were 14-for-20, while the homestanding Braves shot just 11 times and made only six.

ASU got 14 points from Anthony Evans, 13 of which came in the second half, and 10 from Tyrel Hunt. Josh Nicholas matched Boggs game-high eight boards to lead the Braves to a 32-30 advantage on the glass.

A back-and-forth battle took most of the first half, but the Gamecocks used a couple spurts to take a lead they could maintain into the half. Gaines scored the Gamecocks' first eight points and let his teammates handle the rest in the first half. Brian Williams closed the half with seven.

The half closed when the Braves' 10th turnover gave JSU the ball with 2.2 seconds on the clock. Mason Leggett inbounded the ball to Williams, who banked in a buzzer beater from way beyond the top of the key. The Gamecocks' third 3-pointer of the half gave them a 29-23 lead at the intermission.

The Braves controlled the early minutes of the second half, limiting the Gamecocks without a field goal until a Williams jumper fell with 13:05 on the clock and stopped a 12-2 run that allowed ASU to grab a 35-32 lead.

A pair of turnovers led to a Boggs dunk and then an old fashioned 3-point play by the senior that gave JSU a 39-35 lead with just under 11 minutes to play. The Braves battled to tie it at 41-41 as the clock hit 6:00 but, after a pair of exchanged baskets, Boggs knocked down a trey that gave JSU a 46-43 lead.

The Gamecocks forced another Brave turnover and turned it into a Boggs breakaway dunk that gave JSU a 48-43 lead in the final four minutes. After ASU's Josh Nicholas made just one of his two free throw attempts, an old fashioned 3-point play from Gaines gave JSU its largest lead of the night at 51-44.

Evans connected from 3-point range to cut it to four and then a jump ball, the second of the half but the first recorded in the official book in the half, incorrectly gave the Braves the ball and set up a Nieves jumper that JSU's lead to one at 51-50.

Nick Cook sank a jumper in the lane that gave the Gamecocks a four-point lead, but another Evans 3-pointer cut it back to one in the final minute. Cook grabbed a big offensive rebound and went to the line and made one free throw with 16 seconds left.

Evans tried a runner in the paint that would have tied, but it was too strong and Rackley corralled the rebounds. He went to the line and made both of his charity shots with 2.5 seconds left, giving the Gamecocks the win.

JSU will now take 10 days off for final exams and will return to action on Dec. 11 in a home game vs. Martin Methodist at Pete Mathews Coliseum. The game will tip at 7 p.m. and will be on Kid's Night at The Pete. JSU will give away several prizes, including bikes, kids' cars and much more. Admission is free for all children 18 and under to all JSU home games.