Jax State
Tennessee State
2/19/2016 5:55:00 PM | Men's Basketball
JACKSONVILLE - The Jacksonville State men's basketball team will make its final road game appearance of the regular season Saturday evening at Tennessee State.
The game marks the final of a six-game home-and-home stretch against the top three teams in the Ohio Valley Conference. JSU (8-20, 4-9 Ohio Valley Conference) was forced to play that stretch without three regular starters, Malcolm Drumwright, Christian Cunningham and Erik Durham. The current five-game slide has put a damper on what began as a promising season in league play.
The Tigers' home Gentry Center has not been kind to the Gamecocks as of late, handing JSU a loss in all but one trip to Nashville. Though JSU has yet to knock off TSU at home under head coach James Green, it's not because the Gamecocks haven't been competitive. Six of the last seven meetings in the series at TSU have been decided by six or fewer points, including an overtime contest in 2012.
Saturday's contest also wraps up a three-game road swing for Jax State, which saw the Gamecocks push OVC leaders Belmont and Tennessee Tech to the edge a week ago, before a pair of heartbreaking losses at the end. \turns around from a midweek contest against Belmont in Nashville to make a return trip to the Volunteer state today to face Tennessee Tech.
Seniors JaQuail Townser and Jeremy Watson have stepped up to help fill the voids created by injuries. Townser's averaging nearly 10 points per game to lead JSU on the offensive side, while Watson has increased his rebounds per game mark to almost six boards per night.
The game will be streamed on the OVC Digital Network and broadcast on the Gamecock Sports Network on WLJS 91.9. Tip is set for 7:30 following the JSU and TSU women's game.
