Thursday, December 31
JACKSONVILLE
1 p.m.
Jax State
vs
SIU Edwardsville
12/30/2015 4:39:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Live Stats | Live Audio | Live Video
JACKSONVILLE - After wrapping up the non-conference slate 10 days ago, the Jacksonville State women's basketball team begins the second season as it hosts Ohio Valley Conference preseason favorite SIU Edwardsville for a New Year's Eve matinee to open the 16-game OVC slate.
Tip off is set for 1 p.m. and will precede the JSU-SIUE men's contest at 3:30 p.m. JSU students and all fans ages 18 and under receive free admission for all JSU home games.
Thursday's contest marks the second consecutive season that JSU and SIUE have squared off in the OVC lid lifter as the two squads opened conference play against each other last New Year's Day in Edwardsville. The Gamecocks begin conference play at 5-7 on the season, while the Cougars enter the contest at 5-8 overall.
JSU and SIUE will be meeting for the seventh time on Thursday and the third time inside Pete Mathews Coliseum. The series is tied at 3-3 with the Gamecocks winning the last three in the series. Jax State pushed its winning streak over SIUE to three games last season with a 72-69 win in the Vadalabene Center in Edwardsville, Illinois. The Gamecocks will look to claim their second consecutive win over SIUE in Jacksonville after claiming a 71-69 decision over the Cougars on Jan. 13, 2014. The last two JSU-SIUE contests have been three point decisions.
A key component for JSU this season has been its defensive effort. Entering conference play, the Gamecocks lead the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring defense as they allow just 56.5 points per game and rank second in the league in field goal percentage defense at 37.8 percent. The defensive effort extends to beyond the three-point arc as Jax State is the top OVC squad in defending the three pointer. JSU is limiting its opposition to just 24.1 percent from beyond the arc.Â
The JSU defense will be tested as SIUE features the league's preseason player of the year and conference's second-leading scorer in Shronda Butts. Butts averages 19.1 points per game and ranks second in the league in scoring. As a team, SIUE averages 67.8 points per game, which ranks fifth in the OVC as the page turns to conference play.
The guard duo of sophomore Gretchen Morrison and Brianna Benson have led the Gamecocks in scoring this season. Most of the scoring from the tandem has been from long range. Morrison leads the team with an 11.2 scoring average, while Benson's scoring mark is at 10. 2. Morrison and Benson have combined to knock down 57 three pointers through the first 12 games. As a team, JSU averages 6.7 treys per game and has connected on 28.6 percent from the field. Although she missed five games in the non-conference season, sophomore Tyler Phelion leads Jax State in rebounds with a 6.9 average.
Jax State closes out the first weekend of conference action on Saturday, January 2 vs. Eastern Illinois. Tip off is set for 2 p.m. at Pete Mathews Coliseum.
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JACKSONVILLE - After wrapping up the non-conference slate 10 days ago, the Jacksonville State women's basketball team begins the second season as it hosts Ohio Valley Conference preseason favorite SIU Edwardsville for a New Year's Eve matinee to open the 16-game OVC slate.
Tip off is set for 1 p.m. and will precede the JSU-SIUE men's contest at 3:30 p.m. JSU students and all fans ages 18 and under receive free admission for all JSU home games.
Thursday's contest marks the second consecutive season that JSU and SIUE have squared off in the OVC lid lifter as the two squads opened conference play against each other last New Year's Day in Edwardsville. The Gamecocks begin conference play at 5-7 on the season, while the Cougars enter the contest at 5-8 overall.
JSU and SIUE will be meeting for the seventh time on Thursday and the third time inside Pete Mathews Coliseum. The series is tied at 3-3 with the Gamecocks winning the last three in the series. Jax State pushed its winning streak over SIUE to three games last season with a 72-69 win in the Vadalabene Center in Edwardsville, Illinois. The Gamecocks will look to claim their second consecutive win over SIUE in Jacksonville after claiming a 71-69 decision over the Cougars on Jan. 13, 2014. The last two JSU-SIUE contests have been three point decisions.
A key component for JSU this season has been its defensive effort. Entering conference play, the Gamecocks lead the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring defense as they allow just 56.5 points per game and rank second in the league in field goal percentage defense at 37.8 percent. The defensive effort extends to beyond the three-point arc as Jax State is the top OVC squad in defending the three pointer. JSU is limiting its opposition to just 24.1 percent from beyond the arc.Â
The JSU defense will be tested as SIUE features the league's preseason player of the year and conference's second-leading scorer in Shronda Butts. Butts averages 19.1 points per game and ranks second in the league in scoring. As a team, SIUE averages 67.8 points per game, which ranks fifth in the OVC as the page turns to conference play.
The guard duo of sophomore Gretchen Morrison and Brianna Benson have led the Gamecocks in scoring this season. Most of the scoring from the tandem has been from long range. Morrison leads the team with an 11.2 scoring average, while Benson's scoring mark is at 10. 2. Morrison and Benson have combined to knock down 57 three pointers through the first 12 games. As a team, JSU averages 6.7 treys per game and has connected on 28.6 percent from the field. Although she missed five games in the non-conference season, sophomore Tyler Phelion leads Jax State in rebounds with a 6.9 average.
Jax State closes out the first weekend of conference action on Saturday, January 2 vs. Eastern Illinois. Tip off is set for 2 p.m. at Pete Mathews Coliseum.
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Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
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