JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville State sophomore Tyler Phelion returned to action after missing the last four games to post her second career double-double to lead the Gamecocks to a 50-35 win over Savannah State on Tuesday night at Pete Mathews Coliseum
.
Phelion, who has not played since the Jackson State contest back on November 21, finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.  The Mobile, Alabama-post player gave the Jax State post a lift with 19 minutes of action in her return.  Phelion finished the contest 6-of-9 from the free throw line and connected on a pair of field goals.  She also was credited with a pair of assists.  Phelion was active on the offensive boards with seven of her 11 on the offensive end of the floor.  The Gamecocks out-rebounded the Lady Tigers 46-31 and scored 15 second chance points.  The plus-15 advantage on the boards was the best of the season for JSU and just the third time that it has out-rebounded the opposition. 

After scoring a season-best 74 points on Sunday against Tuskegee, JSU had its offensive struggles in spurts throughout the game, including a four-point second quarter.  The Gamecocks jumped out to a 16-7 lead after the first quarter but they were limited to just one field in the second quarter.  SSU also could not get the offensive production going as it tallied just six points in the frame.  JSU took a 20-13 lead into intermission.  

The Lady Tigers trimmed the lead down to 25-22 at the 4:44 mark of the third period after opening the second half with a 9-5 scoring run.  Jax State pushed the lead out to eight points after a three pointer by Gretchen Morrison and a layup by Phelion.  JSU would take that same margin in to the final quarter.

JSU took its first double digit lead at 37-27 with 7:22 left in the contest after a bucket by freshman Rayven Pearson.  SSU would get back within seven points with just under five minutes left before JSU extended the lead back out to double figures for good with 2:42 left on the clock.  JSU took its largest lead of the game at 47-32 with 1:31 left to play on a pair of Kelly Naughton free throws.  Phelion, needing one point to reach double-double status for the second time in her career, sank a free throw line with 31 seconds left. 

Senior Courtney Strain came off the bench to aid the Gamecocks with 10 points and five rebounds.  Morrison, who was named the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week earlier in the day after collecting 31 points and hitting a school-record 10 three pointers against Tuskegee, drilled three treys for nine points.  In the last two games, the South Lake Texas native has hit 13-of-27 (48 percent) from three-point range.

All eight available Gamecocks scored in the contest as junior Briana Benson added eight points, Naughton and Pearson finished with four points.  Destiny James, hampered by foul trouble throughout the game, added a pair of points from the free throw line late in the game.
SSU was led by Shanikwa Buie's 10 points.

Jax State wraps up its pre-Christmas docket with a road trip that begins in Thibodeaux, Louisiana and concludes in Macon, Georgia.  The Gamecocks will take on Nicholls State on Friday, December 18 and then face the Bears of Mercer on Monday, December 21.