JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – The Jacksonville State men's basketball team fell to Tennessee Tech, 68-58 on Saturday at Pete Mathews Coliseum.
With the score being tied at halftime, the game essentially became a second-half race to score more points than the Golden Eagles. However, a 47.8 second-half shooting percent by TTU compared to the Gamecocks' 27.3 percent was the deciding factor.
After the two teams traded the lead multiple teams during the first half,
Jared Hamilton sank a turnaround jumper at the buzzer to tie the game at 32 at intermission. Out of the break, Tennessee Tech's Aleksa Jugovic sank a 3-point shot, less than 42 seconds into the half, and the Golden Eagles never gave up the lead for the remainder of the game.
Jacksonville State got as close as one-point on the next possession, but couldn't get any closer than three.
With three starters out to injury and having only seven players see game action for head coach
James Green, JSU had six of those players in the scoring column with Hamilton leading the way with 16 points in addition to eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block. The freshman was the only Gamecock to shoot over 50 percent from the field as Hamilton finished 8 of 14 from the field in 36 minutes of game action.
Additionally,
Jeremy Watson recorded his seventh double-double, third of the 2015-16 season, as the Birmingham native finished with 15 points and a game-high 14 rebounds in 40 minutes as a starter. JaQuail Towner added 11 points, seven rebounds, six assists and one steal.
DelFinkco Bogan scored six points while
Greg Tucker and
Andre Statam both finished with five points apiece.
For Tennessee Tech, Jugovic and Torrance Rowe scored a team-high 16 points each. Ryan Martin also finished in double-digits for the Golden Eagles as he scored 10 points while bringin down a team-high nine rebounds. Hakeem Rogers added nine points, including six of eight from the free throw line, while Shirmane Thomas chipped in with seven.
Jacksonville State will return to action next Thursday, February 25th, when the Gamecocks play host Eastern Kentucky with tip scheduled for 7 p.m.
