JACKSONVILLE – Sophomore Christian Cunningham led the Jacksonville State men's basketball team to a 105-82 preseason win over Shorter University Friday night at Pete Mathews Coliseum.
 
Cunningham totaled 12 points and reeled in 11 rebounds en route to a double-double, and junior transfer Norbertas Giga led the home team with 18 points in his first action as a Gamecock.
 
The 23-point win marked the first time JSU scored 100-or-more points in a game since Nov. 23, 2004 when they put up 112 against Shorter in the regular season.
 
Seven of the 14 Gamecocks to see the floor tonight managed to score in the double-digits. JSU starters totaled 52 points, while the bench pitched in the other 53.
 
Jacksonville State controlled the tip, and Greg Tucker scored the first points of the game with a layup to put his team in the driver's seat. Shorter pulled the score even at 9-9 near the 16-minute mark of the first half, but that was the closest it came to taking the scoring advantage.
 
Tucker owned the first half with a period-best 13 points. The senior guard was 7-for-10 from the floor, including 3-for-4 from three-point range. He, along with Giga, put up double-digit points in the half.
 
Along with his 12 first-half points, the 7-foot-0 Giga pulled down six boards, helping JSU to a 23-11 rebounding advantage and 54-42 lead at the half.
 
While Tucker cooled down in the second half, senior Erik Durham, sophomore Andre Statam and freshman Jacara Cross caught fire. All three put up eight points in the second period, pushing them all into the double-digits by the night's end. Statam and Giga just missed joining Cunningham in the double-double club by a total of three rebounds.
 
On the other bench, Shorter had three register 10-or-more points. Phil Taylor and Alijah Bennett led the Hawks' scoring efforts with 36 and 30 points, respectively. Warren Helligar followed up with 10 points.
 
The Gamecocks owned the boards, out-rebounding the Hawks 53-26. JSU also shot 51.5% from field-goal range, while Shorter shot 37.7% from the floor.
 
The Gamecocks are back in action next Thursday as they host Spring Hill College for their final preseason exhibition before the start of the 2016-17 campaign. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Pete Mathews Coliseum.
 
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