WBB Game Notes: Jacksonville State | Eastern Kentucky
MBB Game Notes: Jacksonville State | Eastern Kentucky
 
RICHMOND, Ky. – The Jacksonville State men's and women's basketball teams wrap up their road trip to Kentucky Saturday evening at Alumni Coliseum against Eastern Kentucky. The JSU women tip-off at 3:30 p.m., and the men are set to follow at 6 p.m. Both games are set to broadcast on the OVC Digital Network. Women's Basketball - Game 19
Jacksonville State (12-6, 6-1 OVC) vs. Eastern Kentucky (6-10, 3-4 OVC)
January 20, 2018 | 3:30 p.m.
Richmond, Ky. | Alumni Coliseum

SERIES HISTORY
Last Meeting: Dec. 28, 2017 (W, 65-51) @ JSU
All-Time Series Record: Eastern Kentucky leads 19-12

FOLLOW LIVE
Listen: Gamecocks Radio Network - 91.9 WLJS & 97.9 WVOK
Watch: OVC Digital Network
Live Stats: Click Here
 
JSU's women's basketball team rolls into Richmond riding a three-game winning streak. It's the second three-game win streak since entering OVC play for the Gamecocks (12-6, 6-1 OVC), who topped Morehead State on Thursday with a last-second bucket to cap a 10-point second-half rally.
 
Jax State's 6-1 conference start is the program's best since its first year in the OVC during the 2003-04 season, which began 8-1. JSU overcame its largest deficit of the season on Thursday, down 13 in the second, to knock off MSU for the second time this season. Now, head coach Rick Pietri's squad turns its focus to completing the season sweep of Eastern Kentucky.
 
EKU leads the all-time series, 19-12, but since Pietri's arrival prior to the 2014 conference slate, JSU is 7-2 versus the Colonels and will be looking for its fourth-straight win in the series for the first time ever come tip-off time at 4:30 ET inside McBrayer Arena. Earlier this year, JSU beat EKU, 65-51, to open league action at home back on Dec. 28.
 
Senior Ki-Ki Patterson and freshman Kiana Johnson led the way for the Gamecocks with 12 points on Thursday. Junior Rayven Pearson, the team's leading scorer on the year pulled down her 11th double-double with 10-and-10. 
 
Following the 67-65 victory, JSU improved to 10-0 on the year when scoring at least 60 points. A significant role in that is JSU's league-leading scoring-defense which allows just 57.1 points per contest. With 11 conference games remaining, JSU has already matched last season's OVC win tally, and could move to the most since 2015 with a win in Richmond. Men's Basketball - Game 21
Jacksonville State (14-6, 5-2 OVC) vs. Eastern Kentucky (8-12, 2-5 OVC)
January 20, 2018 | 6 p.m.
Richmond, Ky. | Alumni Coliseum

SERIES HISTORY
Last Meeting: Dec. 28, 2017 (W, 75-58) @ JSU
All-Time Series Record: Eastern Kentucky leads 20-9

FOLLOW LIVE
Listen: Gamecocks Radio Network - 91.9 WLJS & 97.9 WVOK
Watch: OVC Digital Network
Live Stats: Click Here
 
The Gamecocks (14-6, 5-2 OVC) are in search of their first win at Alumni Coliseum in program history. In the 29 games played in the series with the Colonels (8-12, 2-5 OVC), JSU has won nine. Jacksonville State's record in Richmond currently stands at 0-13.
 
Sophomore Ashton Spears led the Gamecocks to a 58-57 win over Morehead State Thursday night at Johnson Arena. The guard scored 13 points in 21 minutes, was a perfect 6-for-6 from the line and delivered the final two free-throws that proved to be the difference in the game. He came up just one point shy of tying his career-high for points scored in a game, but set a personal best and team season-best for successful free throws in a contest.
 
Jason Burnell continued his dominance of the OVC with a 20-point performance against the Eagles Thursday. In seven conference matchups, the junior is averaging 14.0 points and shooting .613 (38-for-62) against league foes. Along with his 20-point contribution Thursday, he kept a streak alive of at least one Gamecock scoring 20 points in a game in the past three consecutive contests.
 
Eastern Kentucky is coming off a 70-67 loss to Tennessee Tech on Thursday. The Colonels sit in 10th in the OVC standings coming into Saturday's game. Forward Nick Mayo leads both the offense and defense in most categories. Mayo is EKU's top scorer with 16.0 points per game, lead blocker with 29 this season and has a team-best 137 rebounds. 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).