JACKSONVILLE – A shorthanded Jacksonville State men's basketball team came up short in a 72-63 loss to first-place Belmont on Thursday at Pete Mathews Coliseum.
 
The Gamecocks (8-16, 4-5 Ohio Valley Conference) lost their leading scorer Malcolm Drumwright to an injury three minutes into the game and couldn't overcome a second-half deficit to the Bruins (16-6, 8-0 OVC), who remained the OVC's lone unbeaten team.
 
JSU got 15 points from junior Greg Tucker and 14 from senior Jeremy Watson but shot 38 percent as a team in the absence of Drumwright.
 
The Bruins got 30 points and 11 rebounds from Evan Bradds, the post player's second-straight game with a double-double that featured at least 30 points. He was 12-for-15 from the floor, while Craig Bradshaw added 16 points to join him in double figures.
 
Belmont shot just under 54 percent from the floor but went just 4-for-20 from behind the arc. JSU was 6-for-22 from outside.
 
The Bruins used an 11-0 run in the game's first few minutes to open an 11-2 run, but JSU scored nine in a row to tie it. The two would then go back-and-forth until a string of eight-straight by the Bruins turned a 20-20 tie into an eight-point lead. They would take a 37-26 lead into the half.
 
The second half saw them open a 15-point advantage at 41-26, but JSU crept back to within five at 50-45 on a Tucker 3-pointer with 11:07 to play. Belmont answered with a 9-1 run that put its lead back in double figures.
 
The Gamecocks will continue a three-game homestand on Saturday, when they host Tennessee State at 4:30 p.m. in the second game of a doubleheader at Pete Mathews Coliseum. The JSU women open the day with a 2 p.m. game vs. the Tigers. Admission is free for JSU students and all fans ages 18 and under.