JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State men's basketball team began their reign as Ohio Valley Conference champions Friday night with a 100-42 win over Tennessee Wesleyan at Pete Mathews Coliseum.
 
JSU put on a defensive clinic, forcing 14 turnovers and out-rebounding the Bulldogs 55-43. Big man Christian Cunningham recorded four of the night's seven blocked shots. The 42 TWU points were the least scored against the Jacksonville State offense since holding Cal State Fullerton to 38 points in Las Vegas on Nov. 25, 2016.
 
The offense delivered a balanced attack, as well, as 12 of the 13 Gamecocks to see game action scored points. It was the first time in 380 games the Gamecocks scored 100 or more points. The last time JSU hit triple digits was Nov. 23, 2004 in a 112-94 win over Shorter at Pete Mathews Coliseum.
 
Five Gamecocks – Jamall Gregory, Maurice Dunlap, Malcolm Drumwright, Jason Burnell and Marlon Hunter – each score 10 or more points in the 58-point victory. Dunlap and Hunter led the way with 12 points each, Gregory and Drumwright both had 11, and Burnell tallied 10. It was also the first time the Gamecocks had five score in double figures since last season at Tennessee Tech.
 
Tennessee Wesleyan claimed an early 1-0 lead and tussled with the advantage until the 16:34 mark of the first half. Sophomore Ashton Spears knocked down a three-pointer to put the Gamecocks ahead 6-4, and head coach Ray Harper's squad never looked back.
 
JSU began a 14-0 run with Spears' three-ball, to push its lead to 17-4 before the midway point of the first period. Spears ended the first half with eight points, tied for the team lead in scoring with Drumwright's eight points.
 
Jacksonville State took a 44-21 lead into the locker room at half time thanks to a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Gregory. With Gamecocks up 20, 41-21, Tennessee Wesleyan's Andre Applewhite was blocked by Burnell with less than three seconds left in the period. Gregory grabbed the loose ball, heaved it from three-quarters the length of the court and banked it in.  

Miss Jamall Gregory's buzzer-beating shot at the half? No worries. We've got you.#FearTheBeak pic.twitter.com/E6uK0UAqWQ

— JSU Men's Basketball (@JSU_MBB) November 11, 2017

 
Along with a Tyrik Edwards free throw and Gregory's ridiculous three-pointer from the first half, the Gamecocks tallied a 41-0 run and held the Bulldogs scoreless for 4:17.
 
JSU outscored Tennessee Wesleyan 56-21 in the second half en route to its first win of the season. In total, the Gamecock defense held TWU to 20.3% shooting, while the JSU offense hit 55.2% of its shot and was 13-for-39 from beyond the arc.
 
Along with last year's season opening win over Tulsa on the road, it is the first time the Gamecocks have won back-to-back season openers since topping Miles College and Reinhardt in consecutive season in 2011 and 2012. Since joining the Division I ranks in 1995, Jacksonville State is 8-14 in season openers.
 
The Gamecocks now hit the road for a five-game away swing. The team travels to Richmond, Va., Monday to take on the Richmond Spiders at 11 a.m., when visits Buffalo, N.Y., for a 6 p.m. contest with Buffalo.
 
The team returns to The Pete Nov. 30 to take on Alabama State at 7 p.m.
 
Tickets are now available for purchase online at JSUGamecocksTickets.com, by phone at (256) 782-8499 and on campus at the JSU Ticket Office at Kennamer Hall. Children 18-years-old and under and JSU students are admitted free.
 
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).