JACKSONVILLE – For the second time this season, the Jacksonville State women's basketball team gave an Atlantic Coast Conference team fits, but Clemson used a 30-point fourth quarter to overcome JSU, 69-63, on Wednesday evening at Pete Mathews Coliseum.
The Gamecocks nearly pulled off their second upset of a Power 5 program in their home facility as the Tigers were the first Power 5 conference team to visit Pete Mathews Coliseum since Auburn in January of 2005. Jax State dropped an 11-point decision to nationally-ranked Florida State to open the season. The loss wraps up the non-conference slate for JSU with a 7-5 mark, while Clemson improved to 10-2 overall.
A 17-0 scoring run by the Tigers over a span of 5:55 in the fourth quarter propelled the visitors past JSU after trailing 13 points with 7:04 left to play. The Gamecocks went cold from the field during the stretch, while CU scratched its way back in to the game with the run. The Tigers equalized at 59-all with 2:12 left to play and took a four-point, 63-59 lead before JSU scored a pair of free throws by
Lacey Buchanon with 1:09 left on the game clock. The Tigers were 9-of-16 from the field and 11-of-15 from the free throw line in the final 10 minutes, while JSU was limited to five field goals.
"I think for the first 7/8s of the game we did what we needed to do to win the game and the last eighth, we just didn't have the resolve to finish it," head coach
Rick Pietri said. "They (Clemson) flexed their muscles and we rolled over. It is tough because for the most part we did the things we needed to do to win a game over a Power 5 team."
JSU led the Tigers for just over 26 minutes of the game after a strong second and third period. After Clemson led 11-7 after the first 10 minutes, the Gamecocks turned in a 22-point second period and took a 29-27 lead in to halftime on
Destany McLin's bucket right before the halftime buzzer. Jax State was 9-of-17 from the field, while CU recorded four field goals. The Gamecocks came out of the dressing room to quickly push the lead to six points on one of
Briana Benson's six field goals. After Clemson got within a point at 33-32 with 6:33 left in the period, JSU would finish the period on a 14-7 run to take a 47-39 lead in to the final 10 minutes.
JSU's first points of the period came on a Benson three pointer to push the lead to double digits. Benson's trey started another Jax State run as the lead would swell to 58-46 after a three pointer by
Kelly Naughton.
Benson, the reigning Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week and the newest member of the program's 1,000 career points club, moved passed
Jana McGinnis on the list with 1,019 career points after adding 16 points in the setback. The Jonesboro, Georgia native has scored in double figures in seven consecutive games. JSU had a balanced scoring effort as Benson and
Tyler Phelion shared team scoring honors. Phelion posted her second-straight double-double and third in the last four games with her 16 points and 10 rebounds. Buchanon turned in 12 points, including eight in the final 20 minutes. Naughton was the fourth Gamecocks to reach double digits in the scoring column with a season-high 10 rebounds and a career-best seven rebounds. McLin added six points off the bench to move her closer to the 1,000 career points club as she is just nine points away from the 1,000 career points mark.
"I thought we were really balanced from a scoring standpoint, but late we just could not make a play; added Pietri.
The Gamecocks will break for the Christmas holiday and return to campus on December 26 to start preparing for OVC play. The 16-game league slate will start on Thursday, December 29 against the Skyhawks of UT Martin. Tip off from Martin, Tennessee is set for 5:30 p.m.
