JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State men's basketball team made the most of its return home on Thursday night, jumping on Austin Peay and riding an early run to a 71-59 Ohio Valley Conference win.
 
After dropping all five games in a five-game road trip over the holidays, the Gamecocks (8-9, 1-2 OVC) returned to Pete Mathews Coliseum for the first time since Dec. 16 and took advantage of their home court. They scored the game's first eight points and led the Governors (5-10, 0-1 OVC) by at least five the rest of the way to win their fourth in a row over APSU and improve to 8-0 at home this season.
 
Senior D.J. Felder had 18 points and nine rebounds, while fellow senior Darion Rackley scored 26 points off of the bench to lead the Gamecocks to their best shooting night in five games.
 
Felder and senior Avery Moore keyed the early run, one that saw a pair of Moore jumpers follow a Jamal Hunter putback and then Felder rattle off 12 in a row for Jacksonville State to help the Gamecocks open an 11-point lead at 18-7 with 13:34 remaining in the half.
 
Rackley added 10 points from that point until the half, where the Gamecocks took a 41-28 lead into the locker room.
 
Rackley scored 16 in the second half, including a 3-pointer that stretched JSU's lead to 18 at 50-32 with 14:30 left in the game. Junior Dontay Jackson followed that with a layup to make it a 20-point game, JSU's largest lead of the night, with just under 14 minutes on the clock.
 
The Govs went on a 17-2 a run from that point to cut their deficit to five, but a Rackley dunk off an inbounds lob from Jackson stopped the bleeding with 5:48 to play and lifted the Gamecocks down the stretch.
 
Jackson dished a career-high seven assists, while true freshman Malcolm Drumwright had four in his second career start for the Gamecocks. Hunter had six rebounds, four blocks and a career-best four steals in the post.
 
Chris Horton led APSU with a double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds, the only Governor in double figures in either category.
 
The Gamecocks will be at home Sunday against preseason OVC favorite Murray State in a 5 p.m. game that will be nationally televised on the CBS Sports Network. The Gamecocks ask fans to wear red to "Red Out The Racers" and general admission tickets will cost just one dollar. Admission is free for JSU students and all fans ages 18 and under.