Jax State
Southeast Missouri State
1/12/2016 5:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State men's basketball team will bring a three-game Ohio Valley Conference road trip to a close Wednesday night at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo., against the Redhawks of Southeast Missouri.
The Gamecocks hold a 13-7 lead in the overall series, including a 6-4 mark in Cape Girardeau. One of those road victories being the Quarterfinal win over SEMO during the 1985 NCAA Division II Tournament where JSU's Melvin Allen sank a desperation 30-footer at the buzzer to lift JSU to an 80-79 win. The Gamecocks went on to win the national championship that season after another one-point win, 74-73, over South Dakota State in the title game.
Both teams enter Wednesday night looking to turn things around after tough beginnings to the conference season. A victory would pull JSU within one game of a .500 record in league play, while SEMO remains in search of its first OVC win for the year.
For JSU, sophomore Malcolm Drumwright sets the tone for the Gamecocks. The Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., native is fifth in the OVC for minutes played averaging 33.4 per game. Rarely absent from the floor, he's averaging 15. 1 points on the offensive side while being a strong defender on the defensive side. His .816 free throw percentage is among the top in the conference, and may help push him over 300 points on the season against the Redhawks.
Behind Drumwright, Erik Durham is still averaging over 12 points per game since his return from injury. However, the Gamecocks have a balanced offensive attack. Freshman Jared Hamilton and senior JaQuail Townser each average just over nine points, while Jeremy Watson adds 7.8 per night.
As a unit, JSU's defense is one of toughest in the league. The Gamecocks are fifth in the OVC in blocked shots (3.1), led by freshman Christian Cunningham who has 29 blocks so far this season. The Gamecocks also rank second in three-point defense allowing opponents to make just over five threes per game.
Although JSU is more than 400 miles from Cape Girardeau, Mo., the Gamecocks won't feel far from home with six Gamecocks coming from or near the Show Me State.
Tipoff is slated for 7:45 p.m. following the JSU/SEMO women's contest at 5. Live stats will be available at JSUGamecockSports.com. Fans can also tune in to the OVC Digital Network for video stream or listen to Mike Parris with the call on 91.9 WLJS.
