CHICAGO – What would have been an improbable comeback came up just short for the Jacksonville State men's basketball team on Tuesday, night, when Chicago State held on for a 79-75 win over the Gamecocks.

Trailing by as many as 17 points late in the first half, the Gamecocks (0-3) put together a rally that saw them tie it twice in the final 10 minutes. The Cougars (2-1) always had an answer and then got a long-range 3-pointer from Quinton Pippen with 11 seconds left that sealed the win.

Junior Darion Rackley and senior Brian Williams each scored 23 points for JSU, who couldn't overcome the Cougars' blistering start. Rackley scored 16 of his in the second half, including his team's first 14 of the second half. The St. Louis, Mo., native entered the game having gone 0-for-10 from behind the arc so far in the season, but he went 4-for-8 from back there in the game for his fourth career 20-plus scoring night.

Williams had also struggled from the floor through JSU's first two games but answered with a 9-for-15 night from the floor. The Lawrenceville, Ga., native also made four 3-pointer in six attempts to run his career scoring total to 985 points, 15 shy of making him 22nd member of the school's 1,000-point club.

Senior Rico Sanders also scored in double figures with 10 points in the game, while fellow senior Nick Cook grabbed nine rebounds in the game. Williams also had six boards, while junior D.J. Felder had five boards and seven points.

The Cougars came out and delivered the first blow, making their first four attempts from behind the arc to build a 13-4 lead in the first four minutes of the game. They didn't cool off, either, building as much as a 17-point lead by the 5:00 mark of the first half.

Pippen and Matt Ross were the keys in that early run and both finished with big nights. Ross had 22 points, thanks in large part to a 4-for-5 night from 3-point land, and nine boards, while Pippen scored 20. Eddie Denard scored 11, while Jamere Dismukes and Clarke Rosenberg each added 10.

The Gamecocks got hot themselves late in the half, scoring seven in a row to spark a 17-8 run over the final five minutes to head into the locker room trailing just 46-38. Williams' 15 came on 6-for-9 shooting in the first half, while Sanders and Rackley each made a pair of treys to help out.

Rackley put the Gamecocks on his back to start the second half, scoring the first 14 points of the half for JSU to cap a stretch of scoring 20 of his team's 24 points to pull within five. Sanders then made a pair of free throws to pull the Gamecocks within three at 59-56 early in the half.

A three and a fast-break layup by Williams tied the game 65-65 with 9:16 to play, but Ross answered with a three and a layup to stretch the lead back to five at 70-65.

Williams then connected on another triple to cut it to two, then an off-ball foul on the Cougars sent Felder to the line, where he tied it at 70-70 with 6:37 remaining. The Cougars answered again with six in a row to stretch their lead to 76-70.

The Gamecocks had another counter, this time after a layup by Felder, true freshman Undra Mitchem from the left corner cut their deficit to 76-75 with just over two minutes to play.

The Gamecock defense forced CSU to the end of the shot clock, but Pippen's long trey put it out of reach.

The Gamecocks head back to Jacksonville, where they will open their home schedule on Saturday at 7 p.m. against Alabama State. Tickets are available online at www.jsugamecocksports.com or by calling the JSU Ticket Office at 256-782-8499.