JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville State matched its season-high in points and needed all of them in a 78-73 overtime win over Murray State on Saturday afternoon in Ohio Valley Conference women's basketball action at Pete Mathews Coliseum.

The win snapped a two-game losing streak with the five-point win over the Racers and improved Jax State's season's mark to 11-5 overall and 2-2 in league play.  The road loss was MSU's third consecutive to open the conference schedule at 0-3.  JSU turned back the Racers for the first time in the all-time series between the two programs in games played on its home floor.  MSU was 9-0 against JSU in Jacksonville.  The Gamecocks also set another first in the process as it's the first time the Red and White have claimed back-to-back wins over the Racers.  Last season's win at the CFSB Center snapped a 13-game winning streak by the Racers.

After suffering a tough 57-54 defensive struggle on Thursday to Austin Peay, the Gamecocks came out of the gates with more energy and offensive production.  MSU jumped out to its largest lead of 10 points in the first three minutes of the contest at 12-2 before JSU mounted a comeback to take the lead the rest of the first half.  The Gamecocks put together a 13-2 run over a four-minute span to take their first lead of the game at 15-14 with 13:20 left in the opening half.  After the fourth tie of the game at 22-all at the 8:29 mark, JSU finished the half on a 21-8 run over the final 8:29 and pushed a lead out to double figures at 37-25 with 4:07 left in the half after a Briana Benson three-point basket.  Benson sparked the run off the bench with 10 of her 15 points in the opening half.  The Jonesboro, Georgia-sophomore drilled a pair of three pointers in the first 20 minutes.  The Jax State defense locked down on the Racers defensively as they finished the half 1-of-16 from the field.  JSU took a 43-30 lead in to the halftime break.  The 43-point output is the most in a half for Rick Pietri's squad.

In the first half alone, JSU knocked down 47 percent from the field and limited the Racers to 27 percent from the field.  Last season on the Racers' home floor, the Gamecocks held a 13-point advantage and had to stave off a second-half rally by MSU – JSU had to repeat that performance and outlast the Racers in an extra session on Saturday.

The Gamecocks pushed its halftime margin out to its biggest lead of 20 points at the 16:28 mark after a Destany McLin bucket gave JSU a 52-32 lead.  From that point, the Racers' offense started to heat up as the Gamecock lead started to dwindle down to one point at 54-53 with 9:43 left on the clock after a 21-2 scoring spurt.  JSU never trailed in regulation, but had to nurse its lead the rest of the way.  The lead was pushed back out to double figures at 67-56 with 6:31 left on the clock.

The Racers would mount another comeback as they would score the final 11 points to extend the game in to overtime.  Both teams had chances to win in the final minute of the game.
MSU would take its first lead since the 13:51 mark of the opening half with a three-point basket by Ke'Shunan James.  James finished with a game-high 28 points on 8-19 shooting, including 6-of-11 from beyond the three-point line.  She nearly had a double-double with nine rebounds.

JSU went to the verteran guard Candace Morton throughout the extra period as she drilled answered James' trey with her lone three pointer of the contest to give JSU a 74-73 lead – a lead it would not relinquish the rest of the way.  McLin and Benson scored the final four points as McLin connected on her 12^th point with a field goal.  Benson iced the contest with a pair of free throws in the waning seconds. 

McLin registered her fourth double-double of the season with her 12 points and 10 rebounds.  The Athens, Alabama-native grabbed her 10^th board at a critical time in overtime.  Morton tallied her second 20-plus point contest of the season with 21 points.  The Lexington, Kentucky-senior guard matched her season high in assists with five.  Freshman Tyler Phelion made her first start of her young career against a lengthy Racer squad.  The Mobile, Alabama-post player pulled down 10 total rebounds and had four points in 26 minutes.  It was her second-straight game to grab double figure rebounds after hauling in 12 against Austin Peay on Thursday.  Junior Destiny James added seven points and five assists in 34 minutes of floor action, while freshman Gretchen Morrison drilled a trio of three pointers in the second half to give JSU a boost offensively.

Keiona Kirby, MSU's leading scorer, posted 19 points, while Netanya Jackson added 12 points in the setback.

The Gamecocks wrap up the three-game homestand on Wednesday, January 14 with a 5:30 p.m. match up with Southeast Missouri.  The game will be the first of a doubleheader with the JSU men.