JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State women's basketball team opened Ohio Valley Conference campaign with a tough 62-57 loss to the league's preseason favorite, SIU Edwardsville in a New Year's Eve matinee contest at Pete Mathews Coliseum.
The setback in the conference lid lifter dropped the Gamecocks to 5-8 on the season, while the Cougars improved to 6-8 overall. JSU will look to erase the five-point loss on Saturday as Eastern Illinois will visit Jacksonville on Saturday to close out the opening weekend of the conference slate.
A scoring drought in the final 2:23 of the final quarter by JSU saw its lead evaporate as the SIUE finished the game on a 9-0 scoring run. After SIUE took a 53-52 lead with 3:55 left to play after a three-point play by Gwen Adams, the Gamecocks responded with a quick 5-0 scoring spurt after a shot clock buzzer beater three pointer by sophomore
Gretchen Morrison and a breakaway layup by junior
Briana Benson gave JSU a four-point, 57-53 lead. JSU's three miscues late in the final minutes aided in SIUE's surge. The Cougars, who scored 29 points in the fourth quarter alone, capped it off at the free throw line as they scored eight of the nine final points at the free throw line.
OVC Preseason Player of the Year honoree Shronda Butts played like the league's top players as she finished with a game-high 26 points and was one rebound shy of a double-double. Butts was 7-of-18 from the field and 11-of-13 from the charity stripe. She was the lone Cougar who reached double figures in the win. Butts tallied 18 of her 26 in the second half.
Jax State got off to a great start in the opening quarter to hold a 15-12 lead after 10 minutes of action and eventually pushed that lead out to as many as 10 points at 28-18 with 2:28 left in the opening half after a Morrison layup. SIUE closed out the half with another 9-0 scoring run to cut the halftime lead down to 28-27.
JSU limited the Cougars to six points in the third quarter but could not take advantage of SIUE's scoring woes as it just scored 11 points in the 10-minute session to take a 39-33 after three quarters.
Three Gamecocks scored in double figures as Benson came off the bench to collect 15 points in 27 minutes of action. Freshman
Rayven Pearson matched her career high with 12 points and five boards off the bench. Freshman
Chloe Long was the lone starter to reach double digits in the scoring column as she added 10 points, including six in the second half. Sophomore
Tyler Phelion pitched in eight points and a team-high seven rebounds.
For the second time this season and second in the last three games, JSU connected on 45 percent or better from the field. The Gamecocks finished the game hitting 45.3 percent from the field, including five three-point baskets. Also for the second time this season, JSU allowed the opposition to hit 40 percent or better from the field. SIUE was 21-of-51 from the field for 41 percent. JSU out-rebounded SIUE by one, 32-31.
Saturday's EIU contest will get started at 2 p.m. and will be available on the OVC Digital Network. JSU students and all fans ages 18 and under receive free admission for all JSU home games. The Panthers dropped their OVC opener at Tennessee Tech on Saturday, 81-74.
