Jacksonville State Game Notes | Belmont Game Notes
NASHVILLE -- The Jacksonville State men's basketball team travels to Nashville, Tenn., for a couple of Ohio Valley Conference matchups in the Music City. The Gamecocks are set to take on Belmont Thursday at 7 p.m., then Tennessee State at 7:30 p.m.
The Gamecocks (12-8, 4-1 OVC) are having their best season in four years and have won more games away from Pete Mathews Coliseum (nine) than the past three years combined. JSU is 3-0 on the road in conference play, picking up wins over UT Martin, Eastern Illinois and Tennessee Tech.
Belmont (11-4, 5-0 OVC) goes into the weekend atop the OVC East standings as the only remaining undefeated team in the league. The Bruins hold an 8-2 advantage over the Gamecocks in the all-time series record. Since Belmont joined the OVC in 2012-13, it has won seven of its eight meetings. JSU's lone OVC win over Belmont came Feb. 11, 2015 at Pete Mathews Coliseum (W, 72-70). The Bruins claimed both of last season's contests by less than 10 points.
For more information on the JSU men's basketball team, follow the Gamecocks on Twitter (@JSU_MBB). For more on all Gamecocks sports teams, follow the official social media accounts of JSU Athletics on Twitter (@JSUGamecocks), Facebook (Facebook.com/JSUGamecocks), Instagram (@JSUGamecocks) and Snapchat (@JSUGamecocks).
GAME 21
Jacksonville State (12-8, 4-1 OVC) vs. Belmont (11-4, 5-0 OVC)
January 19, 2017 | 7 p.m. CT
Nashville, Tenn. | Curb Event Center (5,000)
SERIES HISTORY
Last Meeting: February 10, 2016 (L, 81-73)
All-Time Series Record: Belmont leads 8-2
FOLLOW LIVE
Listen:
Gamecock Sports Network (WLJS 91.9 FM, WVOK 97.9 FM)
Watch:
OVC Digital Network
Live Stats:
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NOTEWORTHY
• Jacksonville State is off to a 4-1 start in OVC play for the first time since the 2005-06 season. The Gamecocks went on to finish 16-13 under then-head coach Mike LaPlante. The last time JSU began a conference slate with a record better than 4-1 was 1999-00 under Mark Turgeon. His team was 6-0 before suffering their first loss in TAAC.
• Junior Norbertas Giga accomplished is fifth double-double of the season Saturday in JSU's win over Tennessee Tech. The seven-footer scored a career-high 20 points and tied his career-high in rebounds with 12.
• The Gamecocks lead the OVC in three-point field goal percentage with a .390 clip, hitting 149 of 382 shots taken. They also own the conference's best rebounding defense, allowing just 31.8 boards per game. JSU's .469 field goal percentage is good for second in the league, and they own the third-best field goal percentage defense at .425.
• Junior Norbertas Giga and sophomore Christian Cunningham are each among the OVC's top 15 rebounders. Giga ranks fourth in defensive rebounds with 5.9 per game (118) and Cunningham is fifth in offensive rebounds with 2.9 per game (57). Cunningham has 163 total boards, making him the 45th-best rebounder in the nation.
• Senior Erik Durham's name ranks among the top three-point shooters in the NCAA. His 53.4 three-point field goal percentage ranks third in the nation, while his 55 three-point field goals made rank 32nd in the country. He ranks first in the OVC for three-point percentage and second for three-pointers made.
• Three Gamecocks are averaging double-digit scoring through 20 games. Erik Durham (11.9), Norbertas Giga (11.8) and Malcolm Drumwright (12.8) lead the charge and have also registered multiple games in double figures. Durham, Drumwright and Giga have scored 10-or-more in a team-best 14 games.
