JACKSON, Miss. – Jackson State connected on 48 percent from the field in the second half and put together a 23-point third quarter to hand the Jacksonville State women's basketball team a 71-65 setback on Saturday afternoon at the Lee E. Williams Athletic Activities Center.

The Gamecocks were looking to build off their first win of the season last Thursday at home against Kennesaw State, but dropped their third consecutive road contest of the season to fall to 1-3 on the season.  The Lady Tigers of Jackson State collected their second home win of the season and improved to 2-1.

In a tale of two halves, Jax State controlled the game in the first half with a fast start by posting a 20-point effort in the first 10 minutes.  The Gamecocks raced out to a 10-point, 12-2 lead near the midway point of the opening quarter after a free throw by Courtney Strain.  The Tigers cut the lead in half with just over two minutes left in the quarter before the visiting JSU pushed the lead back out to 10 points at 20-10 after a Rayven Pearson free throw. 

The Gamecocks extended the margin out to a game-high 12 points at the 6:34 mark of the second quarter before Jackson State began to chip away at the deficit.  Trailing 26-14, the Tigers finished the first half with a 19-9 scoring run to draw within two at 35-33 at the halftime break.

Jax State had its struggles at the free throw line on the afternoon as it hit just 11-of-21 charity shots in the first half alone and finished the contest 18-of-33.
 
The Tigers carried that momentum gained from the final six minutes of the opening half in to the third quarter and erased the halftime deficit with 7:54 left in the third quarter after a pair of free throws by Kierra Adams to take the first lead of the game at 38-37.  It was a lead that the Tigers would not relinquish the rest of the way.  JSU put together a 48 percent (13-of-27) shooting performance in the second half and turned in a 23-point effort in the third quarter.  The Tigers connected on eight of their 13 field goals in the third quarter and 7-of-10 from the free throw line to extend the lead out to as many as 11 points at 54-43 with 3:04 left in the period.  Jax State was 5-of-10 from the field in the quarter and cut the lead to 56-52 after three quarters after an 8-2 run to close out the quarter.

The Tiger bench sparked their fourth quarter scoring as it scored 12 of the club's 15 points.  JSU's Chelsea Causey recorded eight of her 12 points in the final stanza to lift the Tigers to the win.  Causey was 4-of-6 from the field and pulled down four rebounds in the period.  After a three-point basket by Gretchen Morrison with 3:01 to get the Gamecocks within three at 64-61, Causey answered with a bucket on the other end.  Jax State trailed 67-65 with 12 seconds left in the contest before dropping the six-point contest.

Morrison, who established a career high in points with 13 against Memphis in the season opener, turned in a new career mark in the scoring column with 14 points in 35 minutes of action.  The South Lake, Texas sophomore was 4-of-10 from the field and drained three from beyond the three-point arc.

For the third consecutive game, junior Briana Benson reached double figures in scoring with 13 points.  Benson matched Morrison with three treys in the contest.  Jax State finished 7-of-27 from three point range.  Sophomore Tyler Phelion added 10 points in 20 minutes of action.  Strain led the Gamecocks with seven rebounds along with eight points.  Pearson chipped in eight points and five boards.

The Gamecocks return home on Tuesday, November 24, hosting in-state rival Samford at 5:30 p.m.  The Thanksgiving week contest will precede the JSU men's basketball game against Alabama A&M at 8 p.m.  Admission is free for JSU students and all fans ages 18 and under.