JACKSONVILLE – Senior Day for the Jacksonville State women's basketball team turned into a success in more ways than one on Saturday afternoon at Pete Mathews Coliseum as the Gamecocks defeated Tennessee Tech, 57-44.
 
The second-straight double-digit victory for JSU (12-14, 5-9 Ohio Valley Conference) continues Jax State's valiant late-season surge for a postseason spot. Jax State now sits one game back of Austin Peay and Eastern Kentucky which the Gamecocks would own tiebreakers over if they win their remaining two games.
 
The Golden Eagles fell to 10-17 overall and 7-7 in league play. Tech was paced by Treyvonna Brooks' 20 points, but her teammates all failed to score more than six as the next-highest scorer.
 
The two squads fought back-and-forth through the opening period, leading to a 10-9 JSU advantage after the first 10 minutes of action. The score was still even at 16-16 with 4:40 to play before halftime, when senior Briana Benson took over for nine-straight points sending the Gamecocks to the half with a 25-16 lead. In the process, the Jonesboro, Ga., native buried another three-pointer giving her sole possession of tenth-place on the OVC's all-time list with 207.
 
Fittingly on Senior Day, seniors shined for the Gamecocks. Benson finished with 21 total points, four shy of her career mark and her nine rebounds left her one board shy of a double-double. Lacey Buchanon scored 10 points for her 14^th double-digit out of the season and Kelly Naughton, limited with foul trouble, matched a team-best three assists and appropriately sealed the victory with the final free throws of the game.
 
The Jax State lead was increased to 43-27 by the end of the third quarter, but Tech gave one last effort with a 9-0 run to open the fourth cutting the lead to seven. Gretchen Morrison hit back-to-back triples on ensuing JSU possessions to push the lead back to double-digits where it remained throughout the rest of the contest.
 
Along with placing JSU squarely back in postseason contention, the TTU victory carrued additional significance as it marked career victory No. 275 for JSU head coach Rick Pietri. 55 of those wins have come with the Gamecocks, the rest during his tenure at South Alabama where he remains the winningest coach in Lady Jag history. His 275 mark moves him into fourth-place all-time for collegiate women's wins in the state of Alabama.
 
JSU hosts EKU on Wednesday in the final home game of the year, before hitting the road for what will be a pivotal season-finale at Morehead State on Jan. 25.