Jacksonville State University Athletics

TULSA, Okla. – The Ray Harper era at Jacksonville State got off on the right foot Friday as the Gamecocks downed Tulsa 84-73 in its season opener.
 
The 11-point victory snapped an eight-game skid dating back to last season - Jan. 24, 2016 at Morehead State. It was the first season-opening victory since 2012 and first over a Division I opponent since defeating Alabama A&M 74-68 to begin the 2003-04 campaign.
 
"I am proud of our kids," Harper said. "We had a lot of kids step up tonight. We were missing some guys and didn't have a lot of size, but we competed. We were in a lot of foul trouble, but I think it was the first time those guys had been in that kind of situation. You could see in their eyes that they were more worried about winning and losing than executing, but we settled down after a timeout."
 
Senior Malcolm Drumwright helped Harper to his first win at the JSU helm with a 20-point performance. The point guard also pitched in six assists, sharing the ball with three additional multi-point scorers. Fellow senior Greg Tucker and junior Norbertas Giga scored 17 and 13 points, respectively, and junior Erik Durham added 10.
 
The Gamecocks controlled the tip and scored first on a Giga layup to take the initial lead.
Tulsa managed to take a brief three-point lead at the 17:55 mark, but it lasted just 1:37 minutes. The contest was either tied or driven by JSU for the remainder.
 
Jacksonville State went on to shoot 55.2% (16-for-29) in the first half, nailing four three-pointers. Tucker and Giga led the scoring effort with 11 points each, and Tucker was responsible for two of the half's four treys.
 
A 10-point lead, 38-28, at the half was extended to a game-high 19 points at the 7:27 point in the second half, but foul trouble for the Gamecocks provided drama in the closing minutes. The Golden Hurricane cut the lead to nine in five minutes, aided by the disqualifications-by-foul of Giga, Drumwright and Andre Statam.
 
Tulsa added to the pressure with a press, managing to pull within eight points of the JSU lead, but that was as close as the home team could get. With less than a minute remaining, the Gamecocks went on a 7-3 run to put it away.
 
Giga and sophomore Christian Cunningham each barely missed recording double-doubles. Along with his 13 points, Giga reeled in eight rebounds, and Cunningham came up one point and two boards shy of the feat.
 
Statam led the JSU offense from behind the arc with three three-pointers. The sophomore nailed all three within a two-minute window, going 3-for-5 from long range.
 
The Gamecocks will have just one day to enjoy the win before getting put to the test again. The team hops of the bus Saturday morning to travel from Tulsa to Springfield, Mo., for its Sunday matchup against Missouri State.
 
"We're going to have to be awfully good," Harper added. "They are picked to finish second in the conference behind Wichita State, and it is going to be a different challenge. They are long, athletic and start basically two point guards. We're going to have to do a good job of keeping the ball out of the paint."
 
Tipoff is set for 1:05 p.m., and "The Voice" Mike Parris will have the call on WLJS 91.9 FM and JSUGamecockSports.com. The also broadcasts live on ESPN3.
 
For more information on the JSU men's basketball team, follow the Gamecocks on Twitter (@JSU_MBB). For more on all Gamecocks sports teams, follow the official social media accounts of JSU Athletics on Twitter (@JSUGamecocks), Facebook (Facebook.com/JSUGamecocks), Instagram (@JSUGamecocks) and Snapchat (@JSUGamecocks).