JACKSONVILLE – Behind a 46 percent shooting day, the Jacksonville State women's basketball team topped visiting Morehead State, 70-64, Saturday afternoon, to improve to 2-0 in Ohio Valley Conference play.
 
Jax State (8-5, 2-0 OVC) overcame a one-point halftime deficit to hand the Eagles (10-5, 1-1 OVC) their first loss in league action. The comeback win moved JSU to 6-0 on the season when scoring 60-or-more points, and lifted the Gamecocks to their first 2-0 OVC start since 2007-08.
 
Freshman Kiana Johnson and junior Rayven Pearson led the scoring for JSU with a dozen each, followed by Gretchen Morrison and Tyler Phelion who each had 10 as four Gamecocks reached double figures for the first time since a 93-38 win over Stillman College on Nov. 15. Pearson also grabbed 10 rebounds for her fourth double-double in the last five games. Chloe Long logged 21 minutes off the bench with eight points and seven boards. The JSU bench outscored MSU's reserves, 27-6.
 
A game that featured 10 lead changes and nine ties saw JSU use a 6-0 run in the final 1:35 of the opening quarter to take a 17-13 lead. Long's basket to start the second gave JSU an eight-point advantage for its largest lead of the game until the closing seconds of the contest. The Gamecocks led 22-16 following a corner triple from Johnson, but the Eagles began to chip away at the deficit taking the lead back midway through the second, 25-24. MSU would maintain the one-point margin to lead 34-33 at halftime.
 
MSU would stretch its lead to as many as four in the third, but with 4:12 to go in the quarter, Morrison hit her first three-pointer of the day to cut it to one. A few possessions later, Leah Strain stepped back for a three-pointer of her own to tie the game at 45. Strain finished with seven points and three assists.
 
Big plays down the stretch with a baseline layup under the goal by Johnson and Strain's buzzer-beater layin as time expired, sent the Gamecocks to the fourth with a 54-47 advantage.
 
MSU cut JSU's lead to one possession with just over three minutes to play, but a jumper from Johnson extended the lead back to 66-61 for the Gamecocks. A pair of free throws from Morrison late iced the game at 70-61, which appeared to be the final score before the Eagle hit a desperation three in the closing seconds.
 
JSU will exit the opening weekend of conference play as one of three teams still unbeaten in league action. The Gamecocks will take their 2-0 mark on the road to Nashville next week visiting Tennessee State on Thursday, before facing defending champion Belmont on Saturday.