JACKSONVILLE – Head coach
Ray Harper's Jacksonville State basketball team held off a scrappy Spring Hill College squad, 72-62, on Thursday evening at Pete Mathews Coliseum to conclude the exhibition season.
Senior
Greg Tucker led the scoring for the Gamecocks with 24 points in 28 minutes of action, including going 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. Newcomers DeShawn Jones and
Jacara Cross each added 12 to round out the Gamecocks in double-digits.
Norbertas Giga put Jax State on the board early with a jumper in the opening possession fed by Tucker. The Gamecocks struck fast as Tucker and
Erik Durham notched back-to-back treys. JSU held a single-digit lead for most of the first half, but a bucket by Durham at the 7:23 mark made it a nine-point contest. Less than a minute later,
Andre Statam took to the lane for a layup to give JSU a double-digit lead for the first time of the night at 36-25.
Spring Hill's William Loyd, who had a team-high 10 points, hit a pair of free throws late to cut the Badger deficit to seven heading into the break.
SHC went scoreless in the opening three minutes of the second half while the Gamecocks regained their double-digit advantage. Tucker's three at the 15:48 mark gave JSU its largest lead of the night of 13, leading 49-36. From there, the Badgers clawed back to make it a 6-to-10-point contest the rest of the way.
Despite earning the win in the final tune up of the preseason, Coach Harper said there is still much room for improvement.
"We gave up too many offensive rebounds, and we have to move the ball better on offense," Harper said. "Fourteen turnovers against a team that isn't pressuring us isn't good. We have to do a better job."
The Gamecocks will be put to the test in one week as they travel to Tulsa, Okla., for the opening of the regular season. Jacksonville State takes on Tulsa at 7 p.m. 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).
