JACKSONVILLE – Despite a season-high 27-point performance from senior Greg Tucker, the Jacksonville State men's basketball team fell 72-69 to Morehead State Saturday afternoon at Pete Mathews Coliseum.
 
Tucker was 9-for-14 from the floor against the Eagles, putting up the highest single-game points total since he scored a career-best 36 last season against Morehead State at home. He finished as the only Gamecock to register more than 10 points.
 
JSU began the second half with a three-point lead, and extended its advantage to a half-best 12 points, 56-44, halfway through the stanza, but MSU slowly began to chip away at the lead. The Eagles tied the contest 61-61 at 6:01 before going ahead by two on the following trip down the court.
 
Morehead State held the lead for the final 4:41, allowing Jacksonville State within one point twice during the span. Three Eagles registered double-digit points, including DeJuan Marrero who recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
 
The first half was a tale of two runs, first coming from the Eagles. Morehead State jumped out to a 25-15 lead on a 15-2 run that began at the 13:14 mark. The 10-point lead was the largest for the visiting team in the first half.
 
Following the deflating MSU scoring fury, the Gamecocks answered back with a run of their own. Jacksonville State blasted the Eagles 11-0 over a four-minute span to reclaim the advantage, 26-25, with just over five minutes remaining in the first period.
 
Tucker scored all 13 of his first-half points in just under seven minutes during a 22-7 Gamecock run. The senior went 5-for-7 from the field, 2-for-3 from three-point range and hit a free throw to help JSU to a 39-36 lead at the break.
 
The Gamecocks wrap up their three-game homestand Wednesday with a 7 p.m. matchup with OVC foe Southeast Missouri. The team then hits the road for a Saturday 4 p.m. game at SIU-Edwardsville.
 
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