JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville State senior Briana Benson became the 11^th Gamecock to reach 1,000 career points on Sunday as she led JSU to its fifth consecutive win with a convincing 74-52 decision over Nicholls State on Sunday at Pete Mathews Coliseum.

The win pushes Jax State's overall mark to 7-4 with the final non-conference looking on Wednesday, December 21.  JSU will welcome Atlantic Coast Conference foe Clemson at 6 p.m.  General admission tickets are $5 dollars and all JSU students and fans 18 years old and younger get in free.  The Colonels fell to 3-7 overall.

Benson, from Jonesboro, Georgia, was 19 points shy of reaching the 1,000 career point mark and surpassed 1,000 points with a game-high and season-best 22 points on the afternoon.  Benson hit 1,000 career points at the 1:22 mark of the third quarter with one of her six three pointers.  The senior had a career day with a career-high eight field goals as she was nearly spotless from the field, shooting 8-of-10 overall and 6-of-7 from behind the three-point arc.  In just 23 minutes of action, she pulled down seven rebounds and had a pair of assists.  It's the second time in her career that she has posted 20-plus points in back-to-back games after leading JSU with 21 points last Tuesday at Alcorn State.  She scored 20-plus points during the 2013-14 season against Tennessee Tech and Eastern Kentucky.

She sparked the Gamecocks' 20-point third quarter as she was responsible for 13 of the 20 points.  Benson scored 10 straight points for JSU in the 10-minute session and helped Jax State turn a 12-point halftime decision in to a 17-point advantage heading in to the final quarter.  JSU's momentum from the third quarter carried over to the final quarter as it extended the lead out to as many as 26 points on two occasions.  NSU did not score in the final period until the 6:29 mark of the period.

"It wasn't a point of discussion with us at all, but kids do keep track of that stuff, so I am sure she was aware of that and trying to get that done today, but she did not force anything and she was able to make an excellent percentage of the shots she took today," said head coach Rick Pietri.

One of the keys for JSU's success in the five-game winning streak has been the balanced scoring and stifling defense.  Benson was joined by two other Gamecocks in double figure scoring as junior Tyler Phelion recorded her second double-double of the season and second in the last three games.  The post player from Mobile, Alabama finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds.  Phelion also had a pair of steals and blocks along with a steal.  Redshirt sophomore Leah Strain came off the bench to lift JSU with a season-high 11 points.  The Woodland, Alabama native drilled a trio of three pointers and delivered a season-best four assists in 18 minutes of action.

Junior Gretchen Morrison and Tasha Magruder added six and eight points off the bench respectively.  For JSU, nine of the 10 players recorded points.

"In terms of this season, this was probably are most-complete performance because we made some shots and played great defense," added Pietri, who claimed his 50^th win as the leader of the women's hoops program at JSU.  "We did not turn the ball over and we did not allow them to hit shots from the arc, so I am pleased and impressed with the effort that our kids gave today.  We will feel good about this one and prepare for the next one."

The Colonels of NSU entered the contest as the NCAA Division I leaders in steals per game, turnover margin and turnovers forced.  NSU was limited to five steals on Sunday and only forced JSU in to 12 turnovers.  NSU also could score in bunches with a three-point threat with a 9.3 treys per game mark through the first nine games.  JSU, the leaders of the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring defense and third-best in the league in defending the three-point arc, held the Colonels to 5-of-20 from long range.  By limiting NSU to 52 points, it's the seventh time this season that Jax State has held the opposition to 60 points or less and the fourth time in five-game winning streak.

For the third time this season, the Gamecocks hit double digits in three pointers with 12 against NSU.  JSU matched the program record of 14 in the season opener at Florida State and drilled 10 treys against New Orleans in November. 

The Colonels were led by Emani White and Cassidy Barrios as the duo scored 16 points each.

"We have two days to prepare and then we have a break and it is a privilege to have a Power 5 team come to our place and play, so we need to take advantage of it," mentioned Pietri.

The Tigers of Clemson, who downed in-state foe South Carolina State, 56-36, on Sunday will bring an 9-2 overall mark with the two losses coming against Oregon and South Carolina.  The visit by the Tigers will mark the first Power 5 program to play at Pete Mathews Coliseum since Auburn in January of 2005.  JSU knocked off the Tigers, 71-66.