JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State men's basketball team begins the second half of its Ohio Valley Conference slate Thursday night, hosting the Bruins of Belmont at Pete Mathews Coliseum.
It will be "Red Out The Pete" night as all fans are encouraged to wear red. Admission is free to fans ages 18 and under and all JSU students, with the first 100 students in attendance receiving a free red "Get Cocky" T-Shirt.
The game will tip at 7 p.m. and will pit a Gamecocks squad that has won three of its last four against a Bruins team that arrives in Jacksonville as the lone unbeaten team left in Ohio Valley Conference play.
During its last four games, JSU is shooting above 50% (.502) from the floor. During that stretch, junior
Erik Durham, senior
Jeremy Watson and junior
Greg Tucker have each had a game scoring 24 points or higher, including Durham's 31-point contest against UT-Martin on Jan. 16. The Gamecocks are led offensively by sophomore
Malcolm Drumwright's 14.7 points per game average.
Belmont enters as the most explosive team in the league averaging over 80 points per game. The Bruins are coming off a 103-95 win over Tennessee State. Belmont usually finds great success from 3-point range, but will be going up against the top 3-point defense in the conference in JSU.
Belmont leads the overall series 7-4, including three wins at The Pete. However, Jax State knocked off a strong Belmont squad, 72-70, in Jacksonville last February, less than a month before the eventual OVC Tournament champions punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
Thursday's game kicks off "Coaches vs. Cancer, Suits and Sneakers Week." Coaching staffs across the nation will wear sneakers with their suits to help raise awareness and promote health and nutrition. Hundreds of basketball game broadcasts throughout the week will help focus on the American Cancer Society's lifesaving mission. Coach
James Green's staff will continue the event during Saturday's contest against Tennessee State.
At half time, JSU student-athlete with a 3.0 Grade Point Average or higher from last year will be honored.
For tickets, call the JSU ticket office at 256-782-8499 or purchase them online at www.jsugamecocksports.com. General admission seats are just $5 and reserved chairback seats are only $8.
