Box Score

JACKSONVILLE – A pair of early runs gave the Jacksonville State basketball team the lead for good in a 62-54 exhibition win over William Carey on Tuesday at Pete Mathews Coliseum.
 
After an early spurt by the visiting Crusaders, the Gamecocks rattled off a 10-0 run to grab a first-half lead they wouldn't relinquish. They pushed that lead to as many as 10 in the second half, but a pesky William Carey team forced JSU to convert in the final minutes to seal the win.
 
Junior Jeremy Watson, in his first action as a Gamecock, notched a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds in the win. The Birmingham native that was redshirted last season after transferring from Shelton State was 4-for-6 from the floor while grabbing six boards on the offensive and defensive glass.
 
Watson led all players on the boards and was one of four Gamecocks in double figures in scoring. Senior Darion Rackley led that group with 16 points, while also swiping a game-high five steals. Fellow senior D.J. Felder added 12 points to go along with nine rebounds and four steals, while sophomore Undra Mitchem scored 11 in the win.
 
Junior college transfer Dontay Jackson dished a game-high seven assists, leading a JSU squad that had 17 assists on 24 field goals. He also swiped three steals on the defensive end.
 
The Crusaders got 13 points from Donta Pittman, while Detrick Davis led them on the boards with seven.
 
The Gamecocks seemed to control the game out of the gates, scoring the game's first nine points. The Crusaders answered with a run of their own, a 13-0 spurt that turned an 11-2 JSU lead into a 15-11 deficit.
 
Jax State responded immediately, scoring the next 10 points to grab the lead for good. Rackley started the run with a layup from a JaQuail Townser dish and also added a 3-pointer in the run that broke the game's final tie. The Gamecocks maintained that advantage to take a 30-25 lead into the half.
 
They were able to push that advantage to 38-28, their largest of the night, in the first five minutes of the half, only to watch the Crusaders storm back again.
 
They cut the deficit to two at 41-39, only to watch Mitchem's third 3-pointer of the night put JSU up 44-39 at the 10 minute mark of the second half.  JSU's lead would never get under four the rest of the way.
 
JSU will wrap up its exhibition schedule on Monday, when the Gamecocks host Columbus State at 7 p.m. at Pete Mathews Coliseum. Admission is free.