SAVANNAH, Ga. – The Jacksonville State women's basketball team turned in its third consecutive win on Saturday afternoon with a 64-57 decision over Savannah State at Tiger Arena.
With the win, JSU moved to 5-4 on the season and have turned in consecutive wins over Florida A&M, Brewton-Parker and the Lady Tigers of SSU, who dropped their sixth in a row and fell to 2-6 overall.
After a slow start by both squads, the Gamecocks extended a 12-8 lead over SSU out to double digits with 3:31 left in the second quarter after one of senior
Briana Benson's five field goals. The lead would blossom to a game-high 16 points with just over a minute left to play before halftime at 32-16. JSU opened the second quarter with a 20-4 run and would take a 12-point, 32-20 lead in to intermission. In the second quarter alone, Jax State was 8-of-14 from the field, including a pair of key three-point baskets by junior
Gretchen Morrison.
JSU weathered a third quarter charge by the Lady Tigers as the home club opened the session with a 14-3 run over the five minutes of the period to cut a double figure deficit down to one at 35-34. SSU would take its first lead, 39-37, since the 6:21 mark of the opening period on a jumper by Kierstan Green.
After Benson knotted the contest at 41-all and gave JSU the lead back with a pair of free throws with 1:59 left in the third quarter, JSU did not relinquish the lead and nursed a 47-41 lead heading in to the final 10 minutes. SSU caught fire in the third quarter as it hit 8-of-17 from the field, including a pair of treys that sparked the resurgence.
The Gamecocks fended off the Lady Tigers on multiple occasions in the final quarter. A layup by SSU's Lauren Moss cut the lead down to one possession with 3:56 left to play, but JSU was able to extend the lead out to as many as six points down the stretch with timely free throws. In the final five minutes of the game, JSU was a perfect 6-for-6 with key free throws by Benson,
Tyler Phelion and
Lacey Buchanon. As a team, JSU was 19-of-28 from the charity stripe.
"It's nice for our team to climb over .500 for the first time this year," said head coach
Rick Pietri. We looked really good at time, but unfortunately we still haven't found a way to shake in-game inconsistency. Fortunately, we were able to finish the game strong and get the win."
Benson scored half of her points at the free throw line with an 8-of-8 day. The Jonesboro, Ga. native finished with 19 points, four rebounds and four steals in 26 minutes of action. Phelion collected her first double-double of the season and the seventh of her career with 11 points and 14 rebounds, which is two off of her career high. Junior transfer
Kiandria 'Ki-Ki' Patterson was the third Gamecock in double figures with 12 points. Buchanon finished with nine points, three assists and three steals.
"During our exam break, we will have a little time off from basketball, then we'll get seriously go back and work on ourselves, added Pietri.
The Gamecocks will have a 10 day break from competition after the Savannah State contest for Fall semester finals on the JSU campus. JSU will return to action on December 13 in Lorman, Miss. against Alcorn State.
