Jax State
Tennessee State
2/10/2017 3:18:00 PM | Women's Basketball
JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State women's basketball team hosts Tennessee State, Saturday afternoon at Pete Mathews Coliseum to begin a three-game homestand for the Gamecocks.
Head coach Rick Pietri's squad sits at 3-9 in the Ohio Valley Conference, one game back of the visiting Lady Tigers. Jax State is 10-14 overall for the season and looks to snap a three-game skid at home after back-to-back road games.
Saturday marks JSU's annual "Play 4 Kay" Pink Day game for cancer awareness. Fans are encouraged to wear pink just like the Gamecocks. Proceeds raised throughout the day's event will go to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.
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Named after the former North Carolina State head coach, the Kay Yow Cancer Fund was born in December, 2007 and is a charitable organization committed to being a part of finding an answer in the fight against women's cancers by raising funds for scientific research, assisting the underserved, and unifying people for a common cause. To date, the Fund has allocated more than $5 million in support of women's cancer research.
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Fans will want to remain in their seats during halftime as the popular act, QuickChange. will provide halftime entertainment for both of JSU basketball games that day. Performers David and Dania have appeared on television's "America's Got Talent", and currently entertain at countless professional sporting events such as the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder and the Chicago Bulls.
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Led by senior Lacey Buchanon's 12.4 point per game in league play, the Gamecocks hope to take advantage of a TSU team which on average allows nearly 70 points. The Lady Tigers also struggle with over 20 turnovers per game, while the Gamecocks are one of the more secure teams with the ball. JSU's OVC-best scoring defense looks to lockdown another opponent after allowing just 59 points per contest over its last nine games.
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The first of three straight home games at The Pete, Saturday's matchup proves vital in JSU's hopes to remain in the hunt for a postseason spot. JSU currently sits two games back of the final OVC Tournament seed with four games still to play. Â
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Tip is scheduled for 2 p.m., to be followed by the men's game. The game will be streamed on the OVC Digital Network with live stats available at JSUGamecockSports.com.
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Fans wishing to learn more about the Kay Yow Cancer Fund or the Play 4 Kay initiative can visit KayYow.com.
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