HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Jacksonville State men's basketball team couldn't overcome an early Marshall push on Friday night, when the Gamecocks fell 74-55 to the Thundering Herd in the season opener for both teams.
 
Senior Avery Moore connected on six of his nine 3-point attempts to lead all scorers with 18 points and junior JaQuail Townser scored 11 in his debut for the Gamecocks (0-1), but The Herd (1-0) grabbed the lead early and didn't look back in head coach Dan D'Antoni's debut.
 
A Townser 3-pointer started the game, but Marshall responded to score the next six points and never trailed again. A slow start from the floor for the Gamecocks watched the Herd slowly build a 14-point first-half lead that JSU couldn't overcome.
 
The Gamecocks shot 33 percent from the floor in the first half, while Marshall made over 48 percent of its first-half attempts to build the early lead. The Gamecocks found their groove midway through the second half, thanks in large part to Moore's hot hand, but they could erase the deficit.
 
Moore, a native of Tallahassee, Fla., missed his only shot inside the arc but made six from behind it to come within a point of his highest scoring output in a Gamecock uniform. He scored 12 of his game-high points in the second half.
 
The Thundering Herd used an up tempo attack to force 10 first-half turnovers by the Gamecocks, and got close to the basket on the offensive end to score 36 points in the paint. The Gamecocks won the battle on the glass, 35-34, and used nine offensive boards to score 17 second-chance points.
 
Townser, a native of Alton, Ill., making his Gamecock debut after transferring from Southwestern Illinois College, was 4-for-9 from the floor and added two boards and three assists for JSU. Sophomore Undra Mitchem scored nine, while senior Darion Rackley managed just six on a tough 1-for-6 shooting night.
 
Senior post players D.J. Felder and Jamal Hunter led JSU on the boards with eight and six rebounds, respectively, but both suffered from foul trouble that hindered their offensive production. Felder scored six on a 2-for-8 shooting night, while Hunter missed his only two shots of the game.
 
Marshall got 16 points and six rebounds a piece from Cheikh Sane and Ryan Taylor, with Sane going a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor in the win.
 
The Gamecocks will continue a three-game road trip to start the season on Monday, when they travel to No. 8 Louisville for a 6 p.m. CT game that will be broadcast on ESPN3. The game will also be carried on the Gamecock Sports Network and can be heard on the radio on WLJS 91.9 FM in Jacksonville, WVOK 97.9 FM in Oxford, online at www.jsugamecocksports.com or on a mobile device by searching for WLJS on the Tune In Radio App. They will wrap up the trip on Wednesday at Cleveland State, also a 6 p.m. CT tip.