Saturday, February 6
JACKSONVILLE
2 p.m.
Jax State
vs
Tennessee Tech
2/5/2016 2:17:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball
JACKSONVILE – The Jacksonville State men and women basketball teams will face Ohio Valley Conference foe, Tennessee Tech, with a doubleheader Saturday beginning with the women's contest at 2 p.m.
Coach Rick Pietri's squad has won back-to-back conference games for the first time this season after a road win at Eastern Kentucky and last Saturday's home win over Tennessee State. A win over TTU would give Jax State its 10th win of the season and would give the program three consecutive years with 10-plus wins since the 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons.
The Gamecocks and Golden Eagles will be meeting today in the first of two meetings within a week as the two teams will meet next Saturday in Cookeville. Saturday's meeting with TTU will be the 26th overall meeting and eleventh on the JSU campus. TTU holds a decisive 18-7 lead in the series, but JSU has claimed the last four meetings. A Jax State win will extend its longest winning streak against the Golden Eagles to five games.Â
The JSU streak began with a home win on February 8, 2014 and a buzzer-beater win in the 2014 OVC Tournament quarterfinals. The Gamecocks won 70-54 last season in Cookeville and posted a 67-58 win at Pete Mathews Coliseum last Valentine's Day. JSU will be looking for three consecutive home wins over the Golden Eagles for the first time between the two programs.
In JSU's consecutive wins, junior Briana Benson and sophomore Tyler Phelion have sparked an offense that averaged six points better (62.5) than the squad's season average of 56.4 points per game. Combined the duo of Benson and Phelion averaged 30.5 points in the last two contests. Benson, from Jonesboro, Georgia, turned in 19 points per game, including a season-best 21 point effort last Saturday against TSU. Benson enters the Tech match up as the OVC's top free throw shooter, knocking down 88.5 percent from the free throw line in all games and 27-of-30 from the charity stripe in OVC games only. She is also 12 three pointers away from breaking the program's career three pointers made record. She currently ranks third all-time with 146 and chasing Shneka Whaley's career mark of 157.
Phelion has nearly collected back-to-back double-doubles in two of the last three games. The Mobile, Alabama post player scored a career high 16 points and 11 rebounds at Morehead State on January 25 and added 14 points at Eastern Kentucky. In the TSU contest, Phelion pitched in nine points and nine boards.
Coach James Green's men's team wraps up a three-game homestand Saturday; their game is scheduled to tip at 4:30 following the women's action.
The Gamecocks (8-17, 4-6 OVC) suffered a couple of tough setbacks last weekend falling to Belmont and Tennessee State. However, the bigger loss came when a pair of key starters went down with injuries early in the weekend.
After hosting Tech (16-7, 8-2 OVC), JSU will hit the road for its final three road games of the season. James Green's program is currently in position to reach the OVC postseason tournament, but the Gamecocks will have to secure their spot by beating some tough teams down the stretch.
Two of JSU's next three games will be against the Golden Eagles, who enter Pete Mathews Coliseum today one game out of first place in the league standings. Tech leads the overall series, 15-11, but JSU has been able to win more at home, including an 82-68 victory in the schools' last meeting.
In their last game, TTU knocked off Belmont, 89-79, in Cookeville, Tenn., to hand the Bruins their first conference loss of the season. Tech enters today's contest winners of three in a row.
JSU will lean toward seniors JaQuail Townser and Jeremy Watson, along with juniors Greg Tucker and Erik Durham to move into leadership roles down the stretch. Durham becomes the team's highest scoring player on the court with a 12.3 points per game average. Watson is averaging nearly six boards per night to lead JSU.
Saturday marks the first of three final home games on the schedule, the Gamecocks will need to win all three contests to avoid only their fifth home losing record in The Pete's 42-year history.
The JSU football team will be honored at halftime of the men's game to celebrate their historic 2015 season, which tied a school record for wins in a season, as the Gamecocks made it all the way to the FCS Division I national championship game.
JSU students and fans 18 years and under receive free admission to both games Saturday. Tickets for the doubleheader can be purchased online at www.jsugamecocksports.com or at the ticket booth at Pete Mathews Coliseum on game day.
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Coach Rick Pietri's squad has won back-to-back conference games for the first time this season after a road win at Eastern Kentucky and last Saturday's home win over Tennessee State. A win over TTU would give Jax State its 10th win of the season and would give the program three consecutive years with 10-plus wins since the 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons.
The Gamecocks and Golden Eagles will be meeting today in the first of two meetings within a week as the two teams will meet next Saturday in Cookeville. Saturday's meeting with TTU will be the 26th overall meeting and eleventh on the JSU campus. TTU holds a decisive 18-7 lead in the series, but JSU has claimed the last four meetings. A Jax State win will extend its longest winning streak against the Golden Eagles to five games.Â
The JSU streak began with a home win on February 8, 2014 and a buzzer-beater win in the 2014 OVC Tournament quarterfinals. The Gamecocks won 70-54 last season in Cookeville and posted a 67-58 win at Pete Mathews Coliseum last Valentine's Day. JSU will be looking for three consecutive home wins over the Golden Eagles for the first time between the two programs.
In JSU's consecutive wins, junior Briana Benson and sophomore Tyler Phelion have sparked an offense that averaged six points better (62.5) than the squad's season average of 56.4 points per game. Combined the duo of Benson and Phelion averaged 30.5 points in the last two contests. Benson, from Jonesboro, Georgia, turned in 19 points per game, including a season-best 21 point effort last Saturday against TSU. Benson enters the Tech match up as the OVC's top free throw shooter, knocking down 88.5 percent from the free throw line in all games and 27-of-30 from the charity stripe in OVC games only. She is also 12 three pointers away from breaking the program's career three pointers made record. She currently ranks third all-time with 146 and chasing Shneka Whaley's career mark of 157.
Phelion has nearly collected back-to-back double-doubles in two of the last three games. The Mobile, Alabama post player scored a career high 16 points and 11 rebounds at Morehead State on January 25 and added 14 points at Eastern Kentucky. In the TSU contest, Phelion pitched in nine points and nine boards.
Coach James Green's men's team wraps up a three-game homestand Saturday; their game is scheduled to tip at 4:30 following the women's action.
The Gamecocks (8-17, 4-6 OVC) suffered a couple of tough setbacks last weekend falling to Belmont and Tennessee State. However, the bigger loss came when a pair of key starters went down with injuries early in the weekend.
After hosting Tech (16-7, 8-2 OVC), JSU will hit the road for its final three road games of the season. James Green's program is currently in position to reach the OVC postseason tournament, but the Gamecocks will have to secure their spot by beating some tough teams down the stretch.
Two of JSU's next three games will be against the Golden Eagles, who enter Pete Mathews Coliseum today one game out of first place in the league standings. Tech leads the overall series, 15-11, but JSU has been able to win more at home, including an 82-68 victory in the schools' last meeting.
In their last game, TTU knocked off Belmont, 89-79, in Cookeville, Tenn., to hand the Bruins their first conference loss of the season. Tech enters today's contest winners of three in a row.
JSU will lean toward seniors JaQuail Townser and Jeremy Watson, along with juniors Greg Tucker and Erik Durham to move into leadership roles down the stretch. Durham becomes the team's highest scoring player on the court with a 12.3 points per game average. Watson is averaging nearly six boards per night to lead JSU.
Saturday marks the first of three final home games on the schedule, the Gamecocks will need to win all three contests to avoid only their fifth home losing record in The Pete's 42-year history.
The JSU football team will be honored at halftime of the men's game to celebrate their historic 2015 season, which tied a school record for wins in a season, as the Gamecocks made it all the way to the FCS Division I national championship game.
JSU students and fans 18 years and under receive free admission to both games Saturday. Tickets for the doubleheader can be purchased online at www.jsugamecocksports.com or at the ticket booth at Pete Mathews Coliseum on game day.
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Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's BasketballSunday, February 08
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Sunday, January 18
Thursday, January 08
