MONTGOMERY – Junior Jeremy Watson scored 28 points and tied Jacksonville State's Division I record for rebounds in a game with 18, but the Gamecocks had their winning streak snapped in an 80-55 loss at Alabama State on Saturday.
 
Watson became the fifth JSU player to record 18 rebounds in a game and the first since Nick Murphy did it for the second time on Dec. 9, 2009, but it wasn't enough for his Gamecocks (5-4). The Hornets (3-3) shot over 50 percent from the floor and had five players in double figures to put an end to JSU's five-game winning streak.
 
A Birmingham native, Watson went 10-for-16 from the floor and 8-for-13 from the free throw line to account for his 28 points, 13 more than his previous high. His 18 boards were split with nine on the offensive glass and nine on defense, giving him six-straight games with at least eight rebounds. In that six-game run that has seen his team go 5-1, the 6-foot-7 forward is averaging 14.7 points and 11.5 rebounds per game.
 
The rest of the Gamecocks roster struggled from the field, shooting just under 31 percent as a team and an 8-for-43 clip excluding Watson's big night. Senior Jamal Hunter and freshman Deitrich Cole each recorded five rebounds in the loss.
 
ASU got 16 points from Maurice Strong and 13 from DeMarcus Robinson, while Brandon Graham, Jamel Waters and Bobby Brown each added 11 points. Brown, Waters and Luther Page each had eight of the Hornets' 47 rebounds.
 
ASU scored first and then answered a D.J. Felder jumper with six-straight points to take the lead for good. The Hornets led 41-25 at the half.
 
JSU will now take a week off for final exams before returning to the floor on Sunday, Dec. 14 against Dartmouth at Pete Mathews Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. CT.