Central Michigan Holds Off Gamecocks For 66-61 Win - Jacksonville State University Athletics

Saturday, November 30

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

6 p.m.

Jax State

3-6

Central Michigan

5-3

Team	1	2	F
Jacksonville State	25	36	61
Central Michigan	29	37	66

11/30/2013 9:36:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

MT. PLEASANT, Mich. – A pair of Gamecocks scored in double figures on Saturday night, but it was Chris Fowler and Central Michigan who held on for a 66-61 win over the Jacksonville State men's basketball team.

Senior Rico Sanders and junior Darion Rackley each scored 10 for the Gamecocks (3-6), but they couldn't overcome a second-half surge by the Chippewas (5-3). CMU got 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting from Fowler to hang on.

After a back-and-forth first half that saw the Chippewas take a 29-25 lead into the locker room, they came out in the second half and went on a run. Starting with an Austin Stewart 3-pointer on their first possession of the half, they went on a 9-2 run that opened up a 38-27 lead with 16:46 remaining.

The Gamecocks trail by as many as 13 in the game and by 11 as late as the final six minutes before making a late comeback attempt. A Giovanni Smith triple started an 8-0 JSU run that cut its deficit to 56-53 on a pair of Jamal Hunter free throws with 3:59 to play.

Blake Hibbetts offered CMU's answer with a 3-pointer that stopped the bleeding on the next possession. JSU got within three twice more but watched CMU convert on its last seven free throw attempts to hang on.

Sanders matched his career high in the scoring column by going 4-for-7 from the floor and 2-for-4 from behind the arc. Junior Grant White scored nine, while freshman Undra Mitchem pitched in eight.

CMU got 11 from Braylon Rayson and 10 more from John Simons, who went 4-for-5 from the floor.

JSU will take a week off for final exams before returning to the court on Dec. 8 at Florida State in Tallahassee. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. CT.