JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State men's basketball team dropped a 79-78 overtime decision to Tennessee Tech Saturday night at Pete Mathews Coliseum. A timely set of free throws put the Golden Eagles over the top in the final seconds of the five-minute period.
 
The Gamecocks (16-13, 8-6 OVC) dropped to 0-2 in overtime games this year; their first extra-minutes loss coming Dec. 10 at ULM, 88-83. Tennessee Tech (12-17, 8-6 OVC) had four score in double-figures, including Aleska Jugovic (17) who hit the game-tying and game-winning free throws.
 
Jacksonville State out-scored the Golden Eagles 39-33 in the second half, and led by seven points with 52 seconds remaining in regulation, but 7-0 TTU run tied the game 68-68 with 19 seconds left and sent it to overtime.
 
Despite scoring the first points in overtime and holding a two-point lead with just over a minute to go, the Gamecocks allowed Tennessee Tech to tie the game again, 78-78, as the clock hit the two-second mark. A foul under the basket sent Jugovic to the line to hit the eventual game-winner.
 
Four Gamecocks scored in double-digits with junior Malcolm Drumwright leading the way with 25 points. The guard hit five three-pointers en route to his fifth +20-point game of the season. Senior Greg Tucker followed up with 11 points, while sophomore Andre Statam and freshman Jacara Cross each posted 10.
 
JSU trailed by as many as 12 points in the first half but managed to battle back to reclaim a four-point lead. The Golden Eagles reached the two-touchdown advantage at the 14:39 mark, but an 11-0 run pulled the Gamecocks within two points of the lead. A couple of Tucker free throws then gave the Gamecocks their first lead since going up two to begin the contest, and Statam stretched it to four with his second three-pointer of the night. Statam scored eight of his 10 points in the first half with the help of two three-balls.
 
Tennessee Tech took a six-point lead into the break, aided by a seven-point run and five points from Jugovic. The TTU guard hit back-to-back free throws to put his team up 30-29, followed by a layup to make it a 33-29 game. Kajon Mack ended the half with a basket to give the Golden Eagles their 35-29 score at the intermission.
 
The Gamecocks have secured a berth in the OVC Basketball Championships, and their final two games will decide their seeding. Ray Harper's squad hits the road next week for a Thursday matchup at Eastern Kentucky and Saturday contest at Morehead State. JSU is set to tip at 6 p.m. against EKU and 3:15 p.m. at Morehead.
 
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