Skyhawks Down JSU Women In New Year's Eve Matinee - Jacksonville State University Athletics

Monday, December 31

Martin, TN

2 p.m.

Jax State

0-14 (0-2OVC)

UT Martin

6-9 (1-0OVC)

Team	1	2	F
Jacksonville State	27	36	63
UT Martin	52	41	93

12/31/2012 3:57:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

MARTIN, Tenn. – The Jacksonville State women's basketball team dropped its first Ohio Valley Conference road test as UT Martin claimed a 93-63 win in a New Year's Eve afternoon contest at the Elam Center on the UTM campus.

JSU (0-14, 0-2)) held its own with the Skyhawks (6-9, 1-0 OVC), who opened their defense of a third consecutive OVC Championship, but could not withstand a UTM scoring run after JSU trimmed the deficit to 23-17 with 8:34 left in the half. UTM finished the half on a 29-10 run to push its lead out to a 25-point, 52-27 lead at intermission. The Skyhawks, with one of the prolific scoring offenses in the OVC, connected on 20-of-42 from the field for 47 percent and drained eight three pointers in the first half. UTM would finish 15-of-32 in three-point shooting. UTM entered the contest averaging eight treys per game, equaled that mark in the first 20 minutes. The tandem of guard Jasmine Newsome and post player Rickiesha Bryant combined for 27 points in the first half to pace the Orange and Navy. Newsome finished with 24 points, while Bryant posted 14 points and 13 rebounds.

Sophomore Briana Morrow led the Gamecocks in scoring with a season-best 17 points, she reached double figures by halftime and tallied her sixth double figure scoring game of the season and the 20th of her career at Jax State. The Nashville, Tenn.-native produced her third double-double of the season and eighth of her career with ten rebounds. Morrow pulled down eight offensive boards in the contest. She also had three steals in the loss.

The Skyhawks continued their hot-shooting with a 41-point second half output and hit 44 percent from the field. UTM finished the game shooting 46 percent from the field and equaled that mark from behind the three-point arc. UTM guard Jasmine Newsome, who was limited to eight first-half points, caught fire in the second half with 16 points in the final 20 points. Newsome and Butler, the top-two scorers in the conference, combined for 49 points. Butler connected on 4-of-5 from behind the three-point arc. UTM's Katie Schubert also reached double figures with 11 points off the bench.

All 11 Gamecocks saw action early on in the contest with senior Amanda McCarthy pitching in eight points and six rebounds in the setback. Candace Morton, Miranda Cantrell and Destany McLin each had seven points. For the fourth time in a row and ninth time this season, Jax State had the advantage on the boards, 45-43.

The Gamecocks return to Pete Mathews Coliseum for a two-game homestand against Tennessee State on Saturday, Jan. 5 and welcomes OVC newcomer-Belmont on Monday, Jan. 7. The TSU contest is slated for 2 p.m., while the BU-Jax State game has been moved to a 3 p.m. start on the JSU campus.