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Gamecock Women Host Belmont In Regular Season Finale

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JACKSONVILLE - After sewing up its first Ohio Valley Conference Women's Basketball Tournament berth since 2011 after league games on Thursday, Jacksonville State looks to cap off a complete turnaround from a year ago, hosting OVC East Division leader Belmont on Saturday.  Tip off is set for 2 p.m.

Jax State, who enters the contest at 7-8 in the OVC, can improve its seeding for the eight-team tournament with a win over the Bruins. Belmont, who knocked off Eastern Kentucky in its last outing on Monday, can win the OVC East crown with a victory.  Depending on outcomes of other OVC games on Saturday, the Gamecocks can earn as high as the No. 5 seed in the tournament with a win and the No. 6 or No. 7 seed with a setback on the final day of the regular season.

JSU will honor a pair of seniors in the program prior to Saturday's contest. Senior guard LeCresha Horton will be playing her final home game at Pete Mathews Coliseum, while Jax State will recognize senior manager Chelsea Robinson for her contributions to the women's hoops program. Horton, who joined Pietri's squad as a walk on from the Gamecock Track & Field team, has seen action in 12 games this season and her best outing of the season with an eight-point, three-rebound contest in JSU's win over Tennessee State on Jan. 20. As a member of the JSU Track & Field program, the Athens, Ala.-native was a part of JSU's 4x400 meter relay quartet that claimed the OVC Indoor 4x400 meter relay championship in 2013.

The Gamecocks and Bruins will be meeting for the tenth time overall and the second of two meetings during the 2013-14 season. BU claimed the first meeting of the season in Nashville, 92-50 on Jan. 6. The Bruins own a 7-2 lead in the series and has won four consecutive games against JSU. Jax State's last win over BU came on Jan. 11, 2003 in Nashville at the Curb Event Center. Saturday's contest marks the second-straight year in which Belmont and JSU have closed out the regular season.

JSU, looking to snap a two-game losing streak and get a momentum boast heading in to postseason play, is led in scoring by junior guard Candace Morton.  Morton's scoring clip dipped slightly below the 17.0 mark for the first time this season after last Saturday's 16 point effort at Southeast Missouri.  The Lexington, Ky.-native has scored in double figures in 25 of the 28 games played this season.  Morton will look to bounce back after just nine points against the Bruins in the first meeting of the season.

Freshman guard Briana Benson, a viable candidate for league's All-Newcomer Team, enters the contest averaging 8.0 points per game, but her point contribution against OVC foes is raised to 10.5 points per league contest.  The Jonesboro, Ga.-native grabbed a season-high eight rebounds in her last outing at SEMO.  Sophomore Destany McLin and junior Miranda Cantrell round out the Gamecock scoring attack at 13.5 points per game and 10.4 points respectively.

Belmont will counter with junior Jordyn Luffman, who leads the squad in scoring at 14.4 points per game. Luffman also ranks second on the team in rebounds, pulling down 6.7 boards per contest. Against conference foes, Belmont leads the league in scoring defense. The Bruins allow OVC foes 63.2 points per game.
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